Curt Peterson, Principal Engineer	Jesse Rowley, Project Manager
Bryan Peltzer, Senior Project Engineer	Jeff Bierl, Project Manager
Moges Gebregiorgis, Project Engineer

 

Curt Peterson, P.E.
Principal Engineer
Download Vcard File • See CV

Education
Bachelor of Science – Civil Engineering, Brigham Young University
Master of Science – Geotechnical Engineering, Brigham Young University

Professional Registrations & Affiliations
Registered Professional Engineer, Arizona, PE 39513
Registered Professional Engineer, Colorado, PE 44615
Registered Professional Engineer, New Mexico, PE 20082
Member – American Society of Civil Engineers
National Golden Key Honor Society
International Association of Foundation Drilling
Registered Professional Engineer, PE 362273-2202

Background
Mr. Peterson has over fourteen years of experience in the field of Civil Engineering that includes designing, drafting, and surveying subdivisions, roadways, utility lines, and commercial and retail site improvements. Mr. Peterson began his career with the Town Engineer for Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills, Utah while he was an undergraduate. While there, he reviewed plans and performed engineering inspections for proposed developments within each community. After graduating from BYU, Mr. Peterson moved to the Phoenix area and began working as a Geotechnical Engineer. In this capacity, Mr. Peterson’s experience includes: public works project such as airports, pipelines, roadways, bridges, educational facilities, sewer lift stations, and pump stations; private developments including hospitals, commercial buildings, retail buildings, parking lots, and power plants; and forensic projects including custom homes, numerous residential subdivisions, hospitals, commercial and retail buildings, sewer lift stations, parking lots, roadways and utility lines.

Mr. Peterson founded Peterson Geotechnical Group in the late summer of 2006, and has worked to steadily increase the scope of services and size of the practice since then. As Principal Engineer for Peterson Geotechnical Group, Mr. Peterson’s experience includes coordinating geotechnical and forensic investigations, overseeing and monitoring field testing activities, providing, conducting and overseeing laboratory testing, performing geotechnical calculations, writing and reviewing reports, and providing expert services including deposition and trial testimony and mediation attendance on construction defect lawsuits.

Mr. Peterson’s relevant experience includes the following:

• Water tanks including the Panda Gila River two million-gallon storage tank and the Saguaro Acres water tank.
  
• Slope stability analysis and repair recommendations for State Route 191 between Clifton and Morenci, Arizona.
  
• Geotechnical engineering evaluations and recommendations for proposed Wal-Marts and CVS pharmacies.
  
• Geotechnical engineering evaluation for the Cox Communications Main Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
  
• Liquefaction, dynamic settlement, and lateral spreading analysis on the Cherry Hills Interchange in Farmington, Utah and for the Salt Palace Convention Center expansion in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  
• Dam safety evaluation on the City of Phoenix Dam No. 3.
  
• Constructability evaluations for numerous sewer and water lines throughout Arizona.
  
• Geotechnical engineering evaluations and recommendations for proposed pedestrian bridges along the US60 freeway and the 202 San Tan freeway.
  
• Geotechnical engineering evaluations and recommendations for bridges including Walnut Canyon Eastbound
• Bridge in Coconino County, Arizona and the Pantano Railroad Underpass in Tucson, Arizona.
  
• Performed pavement design and subgrade analysis on numerous projects across Arizona.
  
• Power plant projects including the Gila River Project in Gila Bend, Arizona and the Redhawk Power Plant in Wintersburg, Arizona.
  
• Government buildings including the Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance building in Kingman, Arizona and commercial buildings including the Gate Gourmet warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona.
  
• Numerous forensic geotechnical evaluations for various residential and commercial structures throughout Arizona, including Yuma, Somerton, Parker, Bullhead City, Fort Mohave, Lake Havasu, Kingman, Show Low, Jerome, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Winslow, Show Low, Lakeside, Sierra Vista, Roosevelt, Phoenix metro, and Tucson.
  
• Designing and overseeing forensic geotechnical repairs for numerous commercial and residential structures including injection grouting, deep foundations (helical and push piers), structural and non-structural cut-off walls, French drainage systems, drainage improvements, etc.
  
• Numerous moisture Intrusion evaluations throughout Arizona in order to determine source(s) of moisture contributing to microbial growth, soil movement, efflorescence, perched groundwater conditions, etc.
  
• Soil densification using compaction grouting at the Sun Village Condominiums in Surprise, Arizona, at the Northern Trust Bank in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Lincoln Towne Centre in Scottsdale, Cornerstone Building in Tempe, Tuscany Ridge Apartments in Glendale, Arizona and various other residential homes.
  
• Soil corrosion analysis relating to chlorides and sulfates at various projects in Arizona.

 

> Back to Top

Bryan Peltzer, P.E.
Senior Project Engineer

Download Vcard File • See CV

Education
Bachelor of Science – Geology, Calvin College, 2001
Master of Science – Civil Engineering (geotechnical emphasis), South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, 2005

Professional Registrations & Affiliations
Registered Professional Engineer, Arizona, PE 46834
Registered Professional Engineer, Colorado, PE 44662
Registered Professional Engineer, New Mexico, PE 19810
Registered Professional Engineer, Texas, PE 105469
Member – American Society of Civil Engineers

Background
Mr. Peltzer has over six years of experience in the field of Civil Engineering. He began his career in Grand Rapids, Michigan, performing geotechnical subsurface explorations for the design of multi-home subdivisions, custom homes, utility lines, roadways, bridge foundations, guyed television and cellular communication towers, power plant improvements, and commercial and retail site improvements. While in graduate school, Mr. Peltzer worked with the South Dakota Department of Transportation in Rapid City, South Dakota, reviewing plans and performing engineering inspections during construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls, bridge foundations, abutments, and decks, as well as drainage culverts and roadway subgrade.

Mr. Peltzer moved to the Phoenix area in the late spring of 2005 and worked with Mr. Peterson at a mutual prior employer. Mr. Peltzer joined Peterson Geotechnical Group in the summer of 2007. As a Senior Project Engineer with Peterson Geotechnical Group, Mr. Peltzer has managed projects that involve the forensic geotechnical evaluation of:

• Mass action lawsuits involving multiple residential homes in mass graded subdivisions and custom homes and custom home subdivisions,
• Customer service and lawsuits involving commercial and retail shopping centers and below-grade parking structures,
  Underground utility line and roadway subgrade failures,
• Surety evaluations for public works project such as pipelines and roadway improvements

Mr. Peltzer’s involvement in these projects has included coordinating geotechnical and forensic investigations, performing, overseeing, and monitoring field testing activities, overseeing and reviewing laboratory testing, performing geotechnical calculations, as well as writing, reviewing, and sealing reports which convey professional opinions and recommendations. Mr. Peltzer has also attended mediations and provided expert witness testimony before the Arizona Registrar of Contractors

Relevant Experience

• Forensic geotechnical evaluations for numerous residential and commercial structures throughout Arizona, including Yuma, Bullhead City, Fort Mohave, Lake Havasu, Kingman, Show Low, Prescott Valley, Flagstaff, Benson, Holbrook, Phoenix metro, and Tucson. Managed the geotechnical evaluation for the respondents in one of the largest (in terms of dollar value) residential construction defect case filed in Arizona.
• Design and oversight of geotechnical repairs for commercial and residential structures including injection grouting, helical pile, push pier, and micro-pile installation, and structural and non-structural cut-off walls, French drainage systems, and surface drainage improvements.
• Review and analysis of helical pile design for the collector arrays of a 280 megawatt solar plant outside of Gila Bend.
  Numerous moisture intrusion evaluations throughout Arizona in order to determine source(s) of moisture contributing to microbial growth, soil movement, efflorescence, and perched groundwater conditions.
• Oversight, coordination, and logging of over 400 soil borings to characterize and evaluate the subsurface conditions of a proposed borrow pit to be reclaimed as wetlands in conjunction with state roadway development in eastern Michigan.

> Back to Top

Moges Gebregiorgis, P.E.
Project Engineer

Download Vcard File

Education
Bachelor of Science – Geology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 1992
Master of Science – Geology, The University of Akron, 1999
Master of Science – Civil Engineering, The University of Akron, 2003

Professional Registrations & Affiliations
Registered Profession Engineer, Arizona, PE 45301

Background
Mr. Gebregiorgis has over ten years of experience in the field of Civil Engineering and earth sciences. Mr. Gebregiorgis has performed forensic civil and geotechnical investigations for residential homes, slopes and other improvements. Mr. Gebregiorgis has also worked as field geologist in the Department of Mines in Eritrea and as a graduate research assistant in areas of environmental geochemistry.

Mr. Gebregiorgis has managed projects that involve the forensic geotechnical evaluation of tract residential homes, multifamily condominiums and townhomes, custom lots, commercial buildings and parking structures, underground utility lines and roadway subgrade. Mr. Gebregiorgis has also managed projects that involve forensic civil evaluations of drainage improvements such as retention basins, detention basins, pipes, drywells and street scuppers.

As a Project Engineer for Peterson Geotechnical Group, Mr. Gebregiorgis’ duties have included:

• Preparation of proposal, and budgets for new projects,
  
• Logging soil borings,
  
• Performing floor level surveys and moisture dome tests,
  
• Documenting the field conditions for forensic evaluations,
  
• Overseeing and monitoring field testing activities,
  
• Overseeing laboratory testing,
  
• Reviewing and analyzing of geotechnical documents,
  
• Coordinating civil and geotechnical forensic investigations,
  
• Performing geotechnical calculations, and
  
• Writing, reviewing, and sealing reports which convey professional opinions and recommendations.

Mr. Gebregiorgis has also attended a number of mediations involving construction defect litigations.

Relevant Experience

• Managed a Phoenix, Arizona office for California based geotechnical firm. Duties and experiences included marketing, expert meetings and coordinating and managing forensic projects throughout Arizona.
  
• Civil and geotechnical forensic evaluations for numerous residential and commercial structures throughout Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California.
  
• Forensic investigation, analysis and design of remedial repairs for slope failures in California. Installation, monitoring and analysis of slope inclinometers, and analysis of the data.
  
• Design and oversight of geotechnical repairs for residential structures including tie backs, structural and non-structural cut-off walls, French drainage systems, and surface drainage improvements.
  
• Numerous moisture intrusion evaluations throughout California and Nevada in order to determine source(s) of moisture contributing to microbial growth, soil movement, efflorescence, and perched groundwater conditions.
  
• Shallow surface geophysics for engineering applications using seismic refraction, electrical resistivity and gravity methods.
  
• Analytical geochemistry and thermal evaluation for monitoring shredded tire monofills.
  
• Geological mapping of prospective mining areas.

> Back to Top

 

Jesse Rowley
Project Manager

Download Vcard File

Education
Bachelor of Science – Construction Management, Arizona State University, 2001

Professional Affiliations/certifications
Grouting Fundamentals & Current Practice - Colorado School of Mines

Background
Mr. Rowley has over fourteen years experience in the construction industry. He worked in the residential new construction market until 2008 prior to joining PGG and began working in forensic consulting. His project management responsibilities include observation and documentation of site conditions for forensic investigations, borehole logging, document analysis, and assistance with the development of geotechnical repair recommendations and oversight of those repairs.

Relevant Experience
While at PGG, Mr. Rowley has worked on both residential and commercial projects throughout the state of Arizona that were repaired using injection grouting, helical piles, push piles, micro-piles, cutoff walls, and surface drainage improvements.

 

> Back to Top

 

Jeff Bierl
Project Manager
Download Vcard File

Education
Bachelor of Science – Building Construction and Technology, Scottsdale Community College, 2009
Certifications
Soil Engineering for Non-Soils Engineers and Technicians – University of Wisconsin

Background
Mr. Bierl has been with Peterson Geotechnical Group since 2009. In this time, he has assisted with the performance of subsurface explorations for forensic evaluations of multi-home subdivisions and custom homes. Mr. Bierl has managed projects that involve the forensic geotechnical evaluation of multiple residential homes in mass graded subdivisions and on custom lots, commercial and retail shopping centers and parking structures, underground utility lines, roadway subgrade, and public works project such as pipelines, and educational facilities.

As a Project Manager for Peterson Geotechnical Group, Mr. Bierl’s day to day involvement has included review and analysis of geotechnical documents, compilation of observation matrices, performance of floor level surveys and moisture dome tests, and management of the storage of samples collected by PGG employees. Mr. Bierl is also involved in the preparation of proposals, observation and documentation of site conditions, and the compilation of observation matrices.

> Back to Top