Geotechnical Engineering Expert Witnesses

Julian M. Toneatto, PhD, PE, PP, has over 40 years of experience in Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering Consulting. Dr. Toneatto has a Doctorate in Structures and Dynamics and MBA in Finance. His former employers include the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, States, Municipalities, DOT, private and public firms, and the EXXON Corporation. 

Dr. Toneatto served as a Professor of Civil Engineering and Course Director at the Department of Civil Engineering, U.S. Military Academy. He structured, revised, and taught courses in Advanced Structural Analysis, the Honors Course in Structural Analysis and Steel Design, and authored and taught Soil Mechanics. Dr. Toneatto has also served on the faculty at USMA (West Point): Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Philadelphia University and The US Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Toneatto has been offering his expert witness services to the legal industry for decades. A Forensic Engineer, he provides expert reports, depositions, and court testimony in support of litigation. 

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic Engineering Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Environmental Engineering Materials Engineering Safety Engineering Failure Analysis

Geotechnical Engineering Construction Damages Petroleum Engineering Corrosion Land Use and Zoning Occupational Health / Environmental Health Product Liability - Consumer Safety

View Dr. Toneatto's Consulting Profile.

David Wilshaw, MS, PG has over 35 years of experience in Engineering Geology, Geotechnics, Hydrogeology and Geoenvironmental Assessments. Established in 2012, his company Britannia Solutions LLC has continuously provided expert geological opinions to insurance carriers, private individuals, corporations and their respective legal advisers. Mr. Wilshaw offers services as a Professional Geologist and expert witness with respect to disputed sinkhole insurance claims and many other specialized areas of engineering geology, including Ground Collapse, Slope Failures, Underground Mining Subsidence and the Adequacy of Ground Investigations in relation to claims under construction contracts. David Wilshaw has been a Florida DFS-certified Neutral Evaluator under §627.7074 Florida Statutes since 2011. He is licensed as a Professional Geologist in Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee and is registered as a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society in the United Kingdom. He has been Adjunct Professor of Earth Science since 2015. In the last 10 years, he has been the statutory Professional Geologist under s.627.707 Florida Statutes for over 850 cause of subsidence investigations related to sinkhole loss claims across Florida. He is also majority owner and President of Integrity Drilling & Geophysical Services, LLC (www.idgsfl.com), a company he established in 2013 that provides geotechnical drilling, soil testing and Ground Penetrating Radar services throughout Florida. Download full resume here: David Wilshaw - CV.pdf

Litigation Services Include:

• Testifying Expert at Deposition over 140 times.
• Testifying Expert at Trial over 35 times.
• Neutral Evaluation of over 150 Disputed Sinkhole Insurance Claims in accordance with Section 627.7074 Florida Statutes
• Peer review and expert opinion to defense and plaintiff attorneys on over 3,000 disputed claims for sinkhole loss

View Consulting Profile.

James A. Jacobs, PG, CHG, CPG, has over 30 years of experience as a Geologist / Hydrogeologist and licensed contractor focused on answering geologic, environmental impairment, and forensic questions. He is a certified hydrogeologist in California and Washington and a Professional Geologist in California and several other states.

A Fulbright Senior Scholar with 4 awards in environmental engineering and science, his projects relate to collecting, describing, and analyzing Soil, Rock, Groundwater, Vapor, and Stormwater samples, summarizing the data and creating useful technical information and cost recovery statements for decision makers or settlements. His other projects relate to peer review and contractor evaluation projects.

Mr. Jacobs has provided litigation services in the investigation and analysis of cases involving contamination by hydrocarbon and solvent spills and leaks, erosion, flooding, and related issues. He has provided testimony assisting with many settlement conferences. Mr. Jacobs is qualified to testify in municipal, state, and Federal courts.

Litigation Support and Expert Witness:

• Perform litigation and technical support for various environmental and engineering cases from evaluating remediation history to well damage to erosion control
• Estimate reasonable and necessary remedial costs for settlement conferences
• Serve as an objective peer reviewer
• Expert witness testimony on environmental cases

Since 2002, Mr. Jacobs has been an elected director of two public agencies, a local sewer district, and a community services district. As such he is interested in I&I issues and sewer gas and volatile contaminant vapor intrusion into indoor air spaces via ineffective vapor seals on fixtures or dry P-traps in buildings. He performs cost allocations for environmental litigation, and also provides oil and gas production verification.

View James Jacobs' Consulting Profile.

Vincent A. Ettari, P.E., P.C. specializes in many fields of Civil, Structural, Site, Coastal, Safety & Environmental Engineering, including the Design & Analysis of:

• Structures, Buildings, Houses, Dwellings
• Foundations, Footings, Elevators, Retaining Walls, Dams
• Development Plan & Plats for Sites, Properties, and Residences
• Underground & Subsurface Chamber / Chambers
• Scaffold, Scaffolds, Scaffolding
• Site Plans & Subdivisions: Industrial, Commercial, Residential
• Roads, Roadways, Ramps, Walks, & Man Hole Cover / Covers
• Sidewalks, Walkways, Paths & Pathways
• Lighting: Lamps, Lights, Lamp Poles, Light Levels
• Luminaries & Illumination (Specifications)
• Rock Cuts & Blasting (Topography, Specification)
• Soil Slopes / Samples / Mechanics / Geotechnical Engineers
• Sanitary Facilities, Septic Systems (Board of Health Septics Approval)
• BOHA / DEP Approvals
• Water, Drains, Drainage, Sewer & Sewage Lines & Mains
• Culvert / Culverts, Manholes (Man Holes) & Catchbasins / Catch Basins
• Inspection, Supervision, and Certification of Construction
• House Inspector & Inspections
• Road, Roadway, Walk & Sidewalk Premises Liability (e.g., Steep Slope)
• Walkway, Path, Ramp & Pathway Premise Liability (e.g., Steep Grade)
• Coefficient of Friction / Slip & Fall (Snowy & Icy Conditions)
• Vertical Discontinuity / Discontinuities / Trip & Falls
• Small Ports / Port, Marinas / Marina, Marine Dredging
• Levees, Jetties, Dolphins, Piers, Sea & Flood Walls
• Wharves, Breakwaters, Bulkheads, Weirs, & Revetments
• Groins, Dikes and Waterfront Structures
• Drainage Basin Analysis, Rainfall, Floods & Flood Plain / Plains
• Flooding Controls & Control Devices
• Storm Water Runoff (10, 25, 50 & 100 Year Storms)
• Pressure & Pressures: Wind, Wave / Waves, Ice, Snow
• Rain Fall Run Off & Storm Water Pollution Treatment
• Excavation, Grading, Fills & Filling Operations (Swales, Berms, Silt Fence)
• Erosion Control, Sediment Barriers, Sedimentation / Catch Basins (Hay Bales)
• Pumps and Pump System Line & Main
• Slope, Dam, Levee, Jetty, Dolphin, Pier, Wharf & Breakwater Collapse
• Bulkhead, Weir, Revetment, Groin, Dike, Footing & Foundation Failures
• Failure of Fire Containment Wall, Elevator or Water Front Structure
• Tenement House Façade Collapses
• Code History of Existing Multiple / Multi-Family Dwelling / Building
• Application of Municipal Building, Fire & Property Maintenance Codes
• City, Town & Village Zoning, Planning, Steep Slopes & Grades, Wetland & Wetlands Ordinances
• Testimony at Board Meetings as a Design Forensics Engineer

Ed Garbin, PhD, PE, DGE has over 30 years of Construction experience, including residential and commercial / heavy-civil development. For the last 14 years, he has specialized in Heavy Civil Geotechnical and Geo-structural Engineering and Construction. Dr. Garbin also has over a decade of sinkhole-related experience in Florida karst.

Background - A Licensed Professional Engineer in nine states, Dr. Garbin maintains Board-certified status as a Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering through ASCE’s Academy of Geo-Professionals. He comes from a family of builders, architects, and engineers. Dr. Garbin has been involved with construction for most of his life, having amassed over three decades of diverse experience in commercial and residential construction, civil-geotechnical engineering, and academia. He is the President and Founder of Garbin GeoStructural Group, LLC.

Dr. Garbin attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, earning degrees in Structural Engineering (B.S.) and Geotechnical Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.). While at USF, he taught courses in both structural and geotechnical engineering, and remained an Adjunct Professor until 2007. Dr. Garbin worked for both Applied Foundation Testing and Universal Engineering Sciences in Tampa, FL. In 2007, he joined Hayward Baker as their Southern Region’s Chief Engineer, responsible for specialty geotechnical and geo-structural projects in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and Central America. Two of his projects won "Project of the Year" awards. Dr. Garbin joined Earth Tech in 2015, serving as Vice President of Engineering for nearly three years.

Litigation Support - An expert in his field, Dr. Garbin offers subject matter expertise and litigation support in civil / geo-structural engineering and construction, as well as continuing education for engineers and architects. He provides consultation and expert witness services to contractors, engineers, architects, developers, and lawyers involved in residential or commercial construction. Dr. Garbin's services include pre and post construction services, as well as litigation support, particularly for "sinkhole" and "changed conditions" claims.

Areas of Technical Expertise:

• Heavy Civil Engineering Design and Construction
• Ground Improvement for Weak Soils and Karst
• Earth Retention
• Shallow and Deep Foundation Systems
• Sinkhole Remediation
• Soil-Structure Interaction
• Ground Improvement / Modification System
• Geo-structural Instrumentation and Data Acquisition
• Marine Environment Soft Soils / Shallow Groundwater

Rudolph P. Frizzi, PE, GE, D.GE is a Civil Engineer with over 25 years of extensive practical Foundation and Geotechnical Engineering experience. Mr. Frizzi has extensive project management experience throughout the United States and internationally, with particular emphasis on:

• Foundation Design and Construction in Urban Areas
• Large Scale Land and Waterfront Public and Private Development Projects

Mr. Frizzi has obtained extensive field, office supervision, and project management experience including soil and rock sampling and in-situ testing; monitoring pre , during, and post-construction with state-of-the-art geotechnical instrumentation; nondestructive testing; aqueous and sub-aqueous inspections and investigations; and heavy construction which has contributed to his practical approach to geotechnical problem solving. In addition to his "engineer of record" experience, Mr. Frizzi has provided expert geotechnical consultation and trial testimony on over 50 excavation and foundation litigation cases throughout the United States and internationally. His services are available to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defense. Areas of Forensic Expertise:

• Foundations for Stadiums, Arenas, High-Rise Structures in Urban Areas
• Embankment and Dam Stability
• Large-scale Land and Waterfront / Marine Structures and Development
• Shallow and Deep Foundation Systems
• Soft and Hard Rock Treatment
• Earthwork
• Ground Improvement of Waste Fills
• Temporary and Permanent Lateral Support Systems for Deep Excavations
• Geotechnical Instrumentation and Vibration Monitoring
• Construction Dewatering

View Rudolph Frizzi's Consulting Profile.

Michelle Macauley is a Geotechnical Engineer and Trenchless Expert that specializes in aspects of new installation and rehabilitation projects for infrastructure replacement, improvement, and capacity enhancement using trenchless technologies. She has spent over 21 years in the Pacific Northwest, with a particular emphasis on geotechnical engineering, trenchless design, and involvement in the water / wastewater industry. 

Background Experience: Prior to starting Macauley Trenchless, Ms. Macauley was the National Trenchless Practice Lead for Jacobs Engineering and oversaw multiple trenchless projects across the company. Prior to working at Jacobs, she was a senior geotechnical engineer specializing in trenchless design and construction with GeoEngineers and Staheli Trenchless Consultants. 

In addition to her extensive project experience, she has been active in trenchless technologies at a national level.  She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) and is a regular presenter at NASTT's national trenchless conference (No-Dig). She is an active member of ASCE and serves on the Trenchless Installation of Pipes (TIPs) subcommittee, is helping re-write the Manual of Practice (MoP) on Pipe Ramming, is helping write the new MoP on Direct Pipe, and has consulted on other MoPs.

Litigation Supoprt: Ms. Macauley provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plainitff and defendant. Her services include deposition, mediation, and trial. She is a professional Civil Engineer in Washington, Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, amd a Licensed Engineering Geologist in Washington.

Areas of Expertise: 

Horizontal Directional Drilling Microtunneling Pipejacking Pipe Ramming

Direct Pipe Guided Auger Boring Pipe Bursting Pilot Tube Microtunneling

Education:

• M.S., Geological Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1996
• B.S., Geological Sciences, University of Washington, 1994

View Michelle Macauley's Consulting Profile.

Sean Wilson, MS, PG, CEG, has over 23 years of experience in performing Geologic and Geotechnical Forensic Engineering investigations. Mr. Wilson currently serves as a Senior Professional Geologist at Shannon & Wilson, Inc. He holds a professional engineering geologist license in California and a professional geologist license in Utah.

Mr. Wilson has broad experience in numerous industries. He has completed or project managed over a 1,000 forensic evaluations of distressed properties in California, Utah and Oregon for insurance carriers. For the construction industry, Mr. Wilson's work in residential/commercial/public works development projects include trench and drilling exploration, down-hole logging, geotechnical laboratory testing, slope stability analysis, fault trench logging, foundation and keyway observations, fill control, mass grading monitoring. He has also provided planning and environmental impact reports for several cities and counties throughout California.

Litigation Support - Mr. Wilson provides consultation services to attorneys, judges, arbitrators, insurance companies, and others in the evaluation and remediation of soil related distress to structures, earth movement, seismicity, and other matters related to adverse soil, geologic, or hydrologic conditions. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

• Forensic Investigations
• Damage Causation Evaluations
• Geologic and Geotechnical Investigations
• Landslide Investigations and Mitigation
• Geologic Hazard Assessments
• Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Preparation
• Environmental Planning
• Observation and Monitoring of Engineered Grading and Construction Projects