EDUCATION

• M.S., Concrete Structures, Imperial College of Sciences & Technology, 1985
• Certificate of Course Completion (Distinction), Fracture Mechanics, 1983
• B.S. (Distinction), Civil Engineering, Cornell University, 1978

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Professional Engineer in MA, NJ, NY, PA, DE

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• American Society of Civil Engineers
• American Concrete Institute
• Institute for Business and Home Safety
• Construction Specifications Institute
• American Institute of Timber Construction
• National Association of Home Builders
• New York Academy of Sciences, Engineering Division
• American Society for Testing & Materials
• American Association for Wind Engineering
• National Roofing Contractors Association
• Roofing Consultant’s Institute

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Cohen, Director of James Cohen Consulting, P.C., is a Professional Engineer with over 25 years of engineering experience. As well as project management, design and analysis for new structures, his extensive background includes design review; monitoring, testing and investigation of buildings and other structures during construction or for repair, assessment or litigation support; and, strengthening and rehabilitation design. His experience has been diverse, including failure analysis, wind engineering, dynamics, advanced analysis techniques, and instrumentation. He is involved with preparation of codes and standards on wind and seismic loads; vibration and fatigue testing of major structures; cable design; design, analysis and inspection of existing facilities; and, dynamic and impact analysis.

A selection from Mr. Cohen's broad personal professional experience follows:

EMERGENCY/COLLAPSE

• World Trade Center Disaster Structures Specialist for New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1. Called by Mayor of City of New York the morning of the disaster for immediate assistance in search and rescue mission of collapsed complex. As Structures Specialist provided emergency engineering assistance for rescue operations and risk mitigation to general public. Present throughout initial 10 day search, rescue and recovery efforts.
• World Trade Center Disaster Adjunct Structures Specialist for FEMA and Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1. Called FEMA the day of the disaster for immediate assistance in search and rescue mission of collapsed complex. As Structures Specialist provided on-call emergency engineering assistance to supplement FEMA and Pennsylvania TF1 operations. Present throughout initial 10 day search, rescue and recovery efforts.
• Atlantic City Parking Garage Collapse, Atlantic City, NJ Structures Specialist for New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 responding to collapse of precast concrete parking garage under construction. As Structures Specialist provided emergency engineering assistance for rescue operations and risk mitigation to general public.
• Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1. Structures Specialist for demolition of two barracks structures and later US&R training.
• Residence, Philadelphia Emergency engineering services for building failing following excavation and heavy rain
• Fire Damaged Apartment Building Stabilization, East Orange, NJ Emergency stabilization of high rise unreinforced masonry apartment building damaged by fire and neglect prior to gutting and reconstruction
• Wyndham Hotels, Summerfield Suites, Princeton Emergency engineering services following vehicle impact through two bearing columns of a hotel
• Scholastic Publications, 555 Broadway, NYC Emergency engineering services of high rise office building due to possible foundation distress arising from adjacent construction
• GMPT Bedford, IN. Structural evaluation of roofing steel work at a foundry damaged by explosion.
• Hunter=s Run, Elmira, NY. Expert Engineering investigation of snow induced collapse of a laminated timber arch metal clad building.
• 110 Woodlands Avenue, East Orange, NJ. Rapid response structural evaluation of fire damaged residence.
• Radio Tower. Investigation of radio tower failure, including structural inspection, document and design review, analysis and failure evaluation.
• World Trade Center Assessment of explosion damage to World Trade Center, New York City.
• New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Emergency inspection of deteriorating roof structure in circa 1930's structure.
• New Jersey Institute of Technology Investigation of parking garage collapse during construction in Newark, New Jersey including full scale testing.
• Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1. Structures Specialist, Pennsylvania’s Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue team, providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures.
• Emergency Engineering Consultant Services. Emergency consultant services for consulting firm following a building collapse during nearby excavation, providing advice on demolition, shoring and appropriate response activities.
• Emergency Engineering Consultant Services. Emergency consultant services for construction firm following residential foundation collapse during excavation and rain storm, providing advice on demolition, shoring and appropriate response activities.
• Emergency Engineering Services Structural engineering investigation and remedial design for residential structures following environmental emergency necessitating partial removal of ground slab, supporting foundations and bearing walls in Princeton, NJ, Lambertville, NJ, Spring Lake, NJ and Point Pleasant, NJ.

EXISTING BUILDINGS

• World Trade Center 7 Expert engineering services for plaza bridge over Vesey Street
• Extended Stay America Linthicum, MD EIFS/sheathing investigation
• Roof Litigation Mediation Expert engineering services for court ordered mediation of alleged faulty BUR roof construction in Ocean County, NJ.
• Building Envelope Expert engineering services for building envelope litigation of multi-million dollar residence in Glen Head, New York.
• Fire Damaged Building, Ease Orange, NJ Assessment of fire damaged residence for redevelopment
• Hotel Carter Expert engineering services for investigation and repair of foundation damage of high rise hotel due to adjacent construction in the historic Times Square are of New York City and renovation of roofs and unreinforced masonry exterior.
• Hunter=s Run, Town of Big Flats, NY Expert Engineering investigation of snow induced collapse of a laminated timber arch metal clad building/roof.
• General Building Construction Investigation Expert engineering services for investigation of design and construction of major township offices, including a timber atrium, road surfaces, retaining walls, slate roofing and exterior masonry in Wall Township, NJ.
• Wood Truss Glazed Roof Failure Expert engineering services for investigation of glazing failure for a solar atrium banquet hall in Mineola, New York.
• Roof Failure Water Penetration Investigation Engineering investigation of a water penetration roof failure for a Simon & Schuster warehouse. Responsibilities including document review, engineering investigation, litigation support and expert testimony.
• Moisture Meter Survey Testing services entailing moisture meter survey of a water damaged apartment at 945 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
• Sherwood House Association, Long Beach City, New York. Consultant providing contract and site assistance for the repair and reconstruction of a seven story fire damaged apartment building.
  
• Roof Evaluation of Historic Building., Philadelphia, PA. Rapid response pre-purchase evaluation of air handling units support structure fixed to a steep pitch roof of a historic building in Philadelphia, PA.
• General Motors Corporation 1995 Facility Asset Management Program for Roofing. Inspection, design, bidding and construction for roof maintenance program comprising over 6 square miles of various roof constructions located at 38 facilities throughout the GM Midwest, East and South regions.
• Stony Brook Manor Town Home, Hillsdale, New Jersey. Consultant on behalf of town home association to provide a comprehensive inspection and review of reported problems and deficiencies in the design and construction of a recently completed and occupied luxury town home development.
• Grace Plaza Nursing Home, Great Neck, New York. Consultant on behalf of owner/developer to investigate unusual movement of the solid masonry parapet, cracking of bedding joints and spalling of masonry surfaces.
• United States Postal Service. Structural Engineering Consultant for building condition assessment of a 400,000 sq. ft. office/warehouse/etched mirror manufacturing facility proposed for possible conversion to a USPS distribution center.
• Willow Run, Ypsilanti, MI. Structural investigation, evaluation, repair and re-roofing design of a damaged manufacturing facility pre-engineered steel structure.
• GMPT Moraine, OH. Inspection and assessment of deteriorated standing seam metal roofing and support steel work over a finishing area of a car assembly plant.
• 75 River Road, Nutley, NJ. Investigation, testing, damage assessment, cost estimating services and litigation support of three industrial buildings subject to chemical attack and general deterioration.
• Kimball Medical Center. Investigation, testing, repair design and litigation support for hospital with deteriorated concrete parking deck overlaying emergency outpatient rooms and surgery.
• Tobyhanna Army Depot SATCOM Facility. Failure investigation and finite element analysis for new pre-engineered metal frame office/warehouse/manufacturing building.
• Trans Caucasus Embassy Renovation. Structural Engineering Specialist for design and build services for new and existing concrete, steel, masonry and timber structures, at four new U.S. embassies in the former Soviet republics on behalf of the U.S. State Department, Foreign Buildings Office.
• M.I.T. Kresge Auditorium, Cambridge, Massachusetts Analysis, site inspection and roofing design for concrete shell roof structure.
• Blue Circle Cement Company Instrumentation design, installation, vibration and structural monitoring and data interpretation of cement works conveyor gantry tunnels.
• Philip Morris Corporation. Investigation and structural monitoring of Philip Morris headquarters multi-level parking garage and terrace roof in Rye Brook, New York following distress to window and cladding system.
• Chrysler Building, New York City. Inspection and assessment of exterior masonry and stone cladding of landmark New York City skyscraper.
• Cornell University Submicron Laboratory, Ithaca, New York. Instrumentation design, installation, vibration and structural monitoring and re-design of existing building to house a new submicron laboratory.

CONSTRUCTION

• Croton Reservoir Gate House, New York. Technical assistance, including structural investigation and design review with various construction problems on behalf of the contractor, including mass concrete wall distress and aluminum fabrication failures.
• International Airport Terminal Expansion. Inspection, testing and evaluation of new terminal during construction following tile delamination and slab curling.
• Jackson Middle School, Jackson Township, New Jersey. Investigation of recurring structural damage to a public school during construction.
• Somerset House, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland. Investigation, testing, design review and remedial design for high-rise concrete building exhibiting early deterioration of balcony handrail and precast concrete balcony parapet wall, cladding and connection systems.
• McGuire Air Force Base. Assistance with construction documentation and submission reviews, including welding procedures and NDT.
• Scale Model Test Facility, Adelphi, Maryland. Construction document review of an electromagnetic scale modeling test facility to determine the feasibility of successful bidding, construction, operation and maintenance of the facility.
• Aberdeen Proving Ground Physical Fitness Center, Maryland. Construction document review of a new Physical Fitness Center under construction. The review, carried out on an emergency basis due to site problems, was to determine the feasibility of successful construction, operation and maintenance of the facility.
• Army Research Laboratory, Maryland. Emergency construction and design review of a long retaining wall structure supporting a new army research laboratory under construction at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
• Residential Home. Construction inspection, design review, repair design, failure investigation and litigation support for 15,000 s.f. luxury home.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Partners In Mitigation Fellowship American Association of Wind Engineers, Institute for Business and Home Safety Expert and the American Society of Civil Engineering fellowship to provide expert services in wind engineering and other natural hazards as part of a public-private initiative. Specific duties include the development of a National Wind Hazard Reduction Program.
• Coastal Construction Manual Structural Engineering design review of new Coastal Construction Manual for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as representative of the ASCE.
• Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Consultant to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management administering and conducting GIS earthquake loss estimation study and mitigation plan. Responsibilities include development of study methodology, implementation, subcontract administration.
• Blast/Explosion Design Subconsultant providing specialist design and analysis services for development of blast loading and design criteria for a design/build project on behalf of the Federal Aviation Authority.
• Wind Load Standard on Lattice Towers Development of British Standard BS8100: Steel Lattice Towers: Loading with particular regard to static and dynamic wind load assessment.
• British Telecom Antenna Support Pole Structure Development. Detailed feasibility study of utilizing existing stores of timber poles up to 25 meters in length for mounting microwave and other antennas of various sizes throughout the United Kingdom.
• Nuclear Flask Transport Container Design and full scale test specification for high speed impact and burn test of spent nuclear fuel transport container.
• Severn Suspension Bridge Development of bridge hanger test program and cable/socket design for a suspension bridge with unique inclined hanger and airfoil box girder design.
• Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Hardware and software design, procurement, installation, and commissioning of building motion monitoring instrumentation and data acquisition equipment to confirm typhoon response.
• Proprietary Arch Roof Design Development. Research and development of new proprietary arch roof framing and curved panel roofing elements, including unique water shedding concept.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

• VOA Short Wave Relay System, Sri Lanka. Expert engineering testimony regarding alleged design and construction defects in the design, fabrication, supply and construction of a major short wave relay system installation in Sri Lanka on behalf of Marconi Communications, Inc.
• Microwave Tower Repair Design. Engineering services to provide design review and strengthening design for existing 250 foot guyed tower.
• Inspection and Repair Program, British and United States Army and Air Force bases in the U.K. Project management, contract administration and inspection and design responsibility a maintenance program for over 500 telecommunications, radar, watch, lighting, and water towers of multiple materials and construction types.
• Whitehill Quarry Earth Satellite Station Expansion. Design for major expansion of existing earth station facility in near Oxford, United Kingdom including office and equipment buildings, roads, architectural components, site drainage and layout, cliff stabilization, large diameter antenna supports and ancillary structures.
• Kenya Nairobi/Mombasa Microwave Link. Major telecommunications network installation and upgrade for the Kenya Post and Telecommunications Corporation from Nairobi to Mombasa.
• Malawi Microwave Link. Major telecommunications network installation and upgrade for the Malawi Post and Telecommunications Corporation from Blantyre to Lilongwe.
• Cable Television Network Full design, contract documentation and construction supervision for new cable television network system in East London, UK.
• Metropole Hotel Microwave Telephone System Design and site supervision of microwave system, including antenna gantry, equipment structures and cabling systems for adaptive re-use project requirement within two story high roof atrium of a major hotel.
• British Telecom Tower Assessment Structural assessment and strengthening design for the multiple antenna support and communications equipment levels.
• British Telecom 4A Microwave Towers. Parametric study of the 4A microwave tower network structures, foundations and rock anchors along the western coast and isles of Scotland.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Blast/Explosion Design. Specialized consulting services, providing blast load, analysis and design services for new FAA/GSA design build project at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York.
• Design and Build Submission Review - Low Cost Tilt-up Concrete Housing, Mexico. Rapid design and quantities review of modular tilt-up concrete structures intended for low cost housing in Mexico.
• Off-Shore Platform Evaluation Assessment of both steel and concrete off-shore platforms for wind, wave and ice loading, including preliminary development of intrinsically safe instrumentation systems and review of current ice loading standards.
• Inspection of New York City Transit Authority Stations. Inspection and rating for 60 NYCTA stations for later repair.
• Kennedy Space Center, Mobile Launch Facility. Emergency inspection and summary repair recommendations for damaged mobile steel lattice launch facility.
• Kap Shui Mun and Lantau Suspension Bridges Preliminary design for suspension and cable stayed bridges for Hong Kong, including dynamic analyses for response to vortex shedding and wind induced galloping and determination of sea surge, storm and wind speed data to assess design loads for varying recurrence intervals.
• Composite Structures Analysis Finite element analysis of advanced composite materials for military aircraft components.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (not listed elsewhere)

• Past Chair, ASCE Performance of Full Scale Structures Committee
• Founder and Past Chair of ASCE Committee on Telecommunications Facilities
• Past Executive Committee Member, ASCE Technical Council on Natural Disaster Reduction
• Past Chair, Engineering Section, New York Academy of Sciences             
• Member, New Jersey Seismic Safety Sub-Committee
• Member, ASCE Committees (various)
• Structures Specialist, Urban Search & Rescue Team Task Force 1, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
• Structures Specialist, Urban Search & Rescue Team Task Force 1, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
• Co-founder Rescue Engineering Council
• Founder/trustee, AEDR, American Engineers for Disaster Relief, a non-profit organization

HONORS

• Who's Who in the East 24th, 26th edition Marquis
• Recipient, Partner-In-Mitigation Fellowship to the Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Past Chair, New York Academy of Sciences, Engineering Section
• Panel Member ASCE Mohawk-Hudson Section 1993 Engineer's Week, An Engineer's Role in Natural Disasters
• Judge for New York City Science and Technology Expo, 1993, 1994, 1996
• Moderator, ASCE '93 Structures Congress, Session on Limit Performance of Structures
• Moderator, ASCE >95, >96 Structures Congress, Sessions on Telecommunications Facilities

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• “Through Jim’s Eyes: A structural engineer and NRCA member explains his experiences at ground zero”, prepared by Kate Gawlik, Professional Roofing Magazine, NRCA, January, 2002
• Building and Structure Collapses - Principles of Investigation and Reporting@, presentation to New York Academy of Sciences, Engineering Section, January 10, 2001
• External Insulated Finish Systems - Recommended Practice in Design, Construction and Repair@, seminar prepared and presented to Roofing Consultant=s Institute symposium, Newark, New Jersey, January 8, 1998
• Tough Buildings Tend to Endure Blast, Explosions@, REJI Tristate, Vol. 14, Number 16, August 4-10, 1997
• Avoiding Personal Injury Liability Through Proper Maintenance@, Real Estate Journal Interactive Corridor, Vol. 9, Number 26, July 4-10, 1997, also appeared in REJI Tristate, Vol. 14, Number 12, August 4-10, 1997
• Emergency Engineering@, Claims , June 1997
• Tower Failure Survey: Current Efforts and Preliminary Results@, ASCE Structures Congress, April 1997
• Case Study of a Townhome Community Gone Awry@, Multifamily Executive, January 1997
• Performance of Concrete Decks: A Case Study of Durability, Performance, Evaluation and Repair@, International Symposium on Applications of the Performance Concept in Building, CIB-ASTM-ISO-RILEM, December 1996
• Engineers For Disaster Relief - A Working Methodology@, Proceedings, ASCE International Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, December 1996
• The Use of Engineering to Prove or Disprove Allegations in Litigation@, New Jersey Lawyer, June 1996
• Training for Management of Urban Disasters@, STOP Disaster, IDNDR Secretariat, United Nations, Switzerland, Number 26, IV/1995, also published in EPI Center News, April 1996, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division
• Telecommunications Tower Design for Access@, Proceedings, ASCE Structures Congress, April 1995, prepared jointly with Lewis A. Foreman
• Investigation of Full-Scale Performance of Structures@, Proceedings, ASCE Structures Congress, April 1993
• Strain Gage Monitoring for the Queens Midtown Viaduct@, Proceedings, Conference on Nondestructive Evaluation of Civil Structures and Materials, held May 1992, University of Colorado, prepared jointly with Andrew Osborn, also appeared in Scientific Computing and Automation, Vol. 8 Number 8, July 1992, Elsevier Communications, New Jersey
• Responding to Disasters@, Civil Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 62, Number 1, January 1992
• Informal Discussion on Masts and Towers held March 15, 1989, Institution of Civil Engineers, Proceedings, Part 1, February 1990
• Windloads: Past, Present and Future@, keynote address for Symposium on High Winds and Building Codes held November 2, 1987 at University of Missouri-Columbia, prepared jointly with Edward Cohen

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

• The Role of Dynamic Analysis in Engineering Design@ keynote address to SECED conference 1988, by Michael Shears Director of Ove Arup & Partners with acknowledgment
• Inspection, Analysis and Restoration of MIT Kresge Auditorium@, by Edward Cohen, Norval Dobbs, and William Combs with acknowledgment, ASCE, SP85-3, 1985

LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS (not included in above)

• Speaker, What to Expect From an Engineering Inspection, Southern Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors, Bordentown, NJ, 2004
• Speaker, Building Collapses, New York Academy of Sciences, New York, NY 2001
• Speaker, EIFS, Building Envelope Symposium, Roofing Consultants Institute, Atlanta, GA 2000
• Speaker, EIFS, Building Envelope Symposium, Roofing Consultants Institute, Parsippany, NJ 1999
• Speaker, Science Research Training Program, New York Academy of Sciences, New York, New York, 1993, 1994, 1997
• Designated Speaker, EIFS, Building Envelope Symposium, Roofing Consultants Institute, Hartford, CT 1997
• Guest lecturer, Masters of Engineering Course, College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 1996
• Guest lecturer, Masters of Engineering Course, College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1995
• Guest lecturer, Design of Masts and Towers, Polytechnic of Central London, London, UK, 1990
• Part-time lecturer, Structural Engineering, Rycotewood College of Further College, Thame, Oxon, UK, 1980-1981