Perry Pinto

Senior Managing Engineer

Biography

Mr. Pinto has an extensive background in structural analysis, design, and condition assessments. Mr. Pinto has significant experience in failure analysis, forensic investigations, and litigation support for complex property loss incidents. Mr. Pinto can communicate complex engineering principles to all interested parties, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions based on available evidence. As a Senior Managing Engineer at YA Engineering Services, Mr. Pinto provides forensic engineering analysis of structures damaged by fire, water, wind, collapse, product defect, construction defect, improper maintenance, natural disaster, and various other causes. He has completed post-disaster assessments, documenting the extent and severity of property damage to provide pre-suit evaluation and expert testimony for complex litigation matters.

Mr. Pinto’s forensic engineering career has allowed him to work on several high-profile cases, such as the 2018 Florida International University Pedestrian Bridge Collapse in Miami and the 2019 Hard Rock Hotel Collapse in New Orleans. Furthermore, Mr. Pinto has significant experience performing post-hurricane structural assessments, including evaluating marine, aviation, and resort facilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Mr. Pinto started his structural engineering career in power generation and distribution. Mr. Pinto has more than 10 years of specialized experience analyzing and designing structures for nuclear power plants, fossil fuel energy projects, electrical substations, and switchyards. Mr. Pinto is a registered professional engineer in multiple states and a licensed sUAS (drone) pilot.

Credentials

  • Occupational Safety & Health Administration Certificate
  • FAA Certified Drone Pilot
  • PE | Professional Engineer

Representative Consulting Assignments

  • 1031 Canal Street (Hard Rock) Hotel | New Orleans, LA | Structural/Collapse | Performed cause and origin forensic investigation, rigging and shoring plan development/review, evidence protocol development, on-site evaluation, evidence collection, structural analysis, and testing.
  • FIU Pedestrian Bridge | Miami, FL | Structural/Collapse | Documented post-loss condition of the bridge, performed a detailed structural analysis to determine the cause and origin of the collapse, performed evidence collection, and developed conceptual repair/retrofit design options.
  • Port Authority Post-Hurricane | St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, USVI | Damage Assessment | Mobilized rapidly post-disaster to assess and document the extent and severity of over 120 commercial, industrial, and residential properties located across the three US Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
  • Large Agricultural Production Facility | Malcolm, IA | Damage Assessment | Condition assessment of multiple buildings within a large agricultural facility following hurricane-force winds in rural Iowa. Performed detailed inspections of industrial structures housing livestock.
  • Escambia County School District | Escambia County, FL | Hurricane | Performed detailed structural and building envelope condition assessments of over 65 multi-building school complexes located throughout the Pensacola, Florida region following Hurricane Sally.
  • Communications Tower | Cabery, IL | Structural/Collapse | Evaluation of a 250-foot radio and cellular communications tower that partially collapsed in rural Illinois following a winter weather event.
  • V.C. Summer Nuclear Power Plant, Units 2 & 3 | Jenkinsville, SC | Power & Energy | Provided on-site construction support for the Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear island structures (containment and auxiliary buildings). Directly interfaced with construction to resolve design issues pertaining to concrete walls and slabs, composite structural modules, and steel structures. Contributed to the design and construction of the first new nuclear reactors built in the USA for 30 years.
  • Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station | Tonopah, AZ | Analysis | Conducted detailed inspections of the precast concrete cooling towers for the 3 units at Palo Verde. The inspections consisted of identifying and documenting damage to concrete beams, columns, flume and distribution deck slabs and radial bents, by sounding, measuring delamination and cracks, and painting areas of possible failure. Generated detailed reports for the client to use in future scheduled maintenance outages structural replacement activities.
  • La Cygne Environmental Retrofit Project | La Cygne, KS | Analysis | The environmental retrofit project consisted of the addition of a new SCR, fabric filters, ID fans, and WFGD systems and the design and installation of all flue gas ductwork associated equipment. Created detailed structural design calculations and drawings for flue gas ductwork installations. Performed onsite condition assessments documenting quality of structural components.
  • Gateway Generating Station | Antioch, CA | New Construction | Structural design of various buildings and foundations for the gas-fired combined cycle power plant. Design of large pile supported concrete mat foundations for transformers, chimneys, buildings, stacks and numerous industrial structures. Foundation designs for various structures including tanks, sumps, pipe racks, transformers, vibrating equipment.

Professional Experience

  • 2023 - Current | Senior Managing Engineer | YA Engineering Services
  • 2022 - 2022 | Senior Engineer | J.S. Held, LLC
  • 2020 - 2022 | Senior Project Engineer | Envista Forensics, LLC
  • 2017 - 2020 | Senior Project Engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers
  • 2011 - 2017 | Senior Structural Associate | Sargent & Lundy, LLC
  • 2006 - 2011 | Structural Engineer | Black & Veatch

Area of Practice

  • Building Code Upgrade Review
  • Building Envelope
  • Condition Assessment
  • Damage Assessment
  • Earthquake Engineering
  • Failure Analysis
  • Litigation Support
  • Repair and Rehabilitation Design
  • Roofing
  • Structural Analysis

Publications and Presentations

  • Co-Presenter, “Back to the Future? Adjusting to Prevent, Plan, and Prepare for Litigation Challenges”, Western Loss Association (WLA) Conference
  • Co-Presenter, “Pedestrian Bridge Collapse Forensic Investigation: What Went Wrong and Lessons Learned”, Structural Engineering Summit, National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA)
  • Co-Author, Chicago Building Code Modernization: Comparison of Prototype Building Designs,” International Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
  • Co-Presenter, "Collapse! The New Orleans Hotel Construction Disaster", Pacific Building Expo (PBX) Hawaii 2022 Conference, CSI Honolulu Chapter and Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii (SEAOH)

Education

  • Purdue University - Bachelor of Science - Civil Engineering - West Lafayette - Indiana

Affiliations

  • Western Loss Association (WLA)
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA)
  • Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI)
  • Occupational Safety & Health Administration Certificate (OSHA)
  • FAA Certified Drone Pilot (FAACDP)
  • Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)
  • American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

Licenses

  • 95116 - Florida - Professional Engineer
  • PE12100403 - Indiana - Professional Engineer
  • P26736 - Iowa - Professional Engineer
  • PE21490 - Kansas - Professional Engineer
  • PE.0046020 - Louisiana - Professional Engineer
  • 59065 - Minnesota - Professional Engineer
  • 28162 - New Mexico - Professional Engineer
  • PE.88484 - Ohio - Professional Engineer
  • 16147 - South Dakota - Professional Engineer
  • 144338 - Texas - Professional Engineer
  • 48566-6 - Wisconsin - Professional Engineer