Michael Kravitz, PE, Consulting Engineer

CURRICULUM VITAE

LICENSE

 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

  EDUCATION

                Bachelor of Civil Engineering, City College of NY, 1966

                Graduate Studies, CCNY, Transportation, Foundations and Structures

                Master of Fine Arts, New York University, 1974

                National Academy of Forensic Engineers, continuing education seminars & Accident Analysis & Reconstruction

                NYSDOT Construction Division, Traffic Control Training Seminar

New York Institute of Photography & School of Visual Arts — Photography

 FORENSIC ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

 VEHICULAR ACCIDENT ANALYSIS & RECONSTRUCTION

                Reconstruct multi-vehicle, car and truck accidents on streets and highways using energy, momentum and laws of motion principals & 2D, 3D computer simulations of vehicular accidents with MADYMO analysis of hybrid dummies; knowledge of Federal, State and City "Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets & Highways" (MUTCD); knowledge of statutes and regulations for "Maintenance and Protection of Traffic" Federal, State & City Departments of Transportation (DOT); American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and other legal/construction procedures for plaintiffs and defendants.

                Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System Technician. The ability to download data from vehicle air bag control modules using the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) system.

CONSTRUCTION & SLIP/TRIP/FALL ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

                Investigate construction, slip/trip/fall & other accidents. Knowledge of NYS/NYC building codes, Multiple Dwelling Laws, Housing Maintenance Code, NYC Rules & Regulations, and NYCRR to support findings.  Knowledge of Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and NYS Labor Laws (Industrial Code Rule 23 [12NYCRR23]).

GENERAL ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

DESIGN EXPERIENCE

Supervised and designed new and rehabilitated highway bridges, highway and street alignments applying American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), New York State and New York City Departments of Transportation (NYSDOT & NYCDOT) specifications.

Supervised and designed building columns, beams and girders for a major project, International Arrivals Building, for the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, applying American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) specifications and New York City Building Codes.

 FIELD EXPERIENCE

Supervised and inspected new construction and rehabilitation construction of highways, streets and bridges for New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) and other agencies, interpreted and applied construction specifications to methods of construction and safety for workers and the traveling public (Maintenance and Protection of Traffic).

Primary Activity & Specialty Subjects:

Employment Experience

1991       Sole Practitioner of Forensic and Civil Consulting Engineering Practice

  To         Including:  Vehicular Accident Reconstruction; Highway Safety and Defects; Building Codes;

Present Construction Accidents; OSHA Standards including New York State Industrial Code Rule 23 [12NYCRR23]; and Slip, Trip and fall cases.  Practice opened in 1991 consulting for plaintiffs and defendants, and as necessary appearances for court, depositions and arbitrations as an expert witness.

1986       Senior Civil Engineer, Salmon Associates, Consulting Engineers.

  To         40-27 Crescent Street, Long Island City, New York 11101

1990       Administrative Duties: Organize company computer system for various engineering and office applications including AutoCAD, Lotus, accounting, word processing, and other engineering applications required by state and city agencies.

                Senior Civil Engineer: Brighton Beach Lines for the New York City Transit Authority from Avenue J through Ocean Parkway, approximately four miles. In-depth inspection of column bases with recommendations as to the types of repairs needed.

                Senior Civil Engineer: Sub-Consultant to Weidlinger Associates, a structural engineering firm, for the Redevelopment of the JFK International Arrivals Building for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Duties included liaison between primary and sub-consultant; beam, girder, footing and column design for schematic, preliminary and final stages of project. Created and developed spreadsheet templates for the preliminary and final column design along with the base plates and bolts for over three thousand columns. Calculated and developed spreadsheet templates for quantity estimates for the preliminary bidding proposal.

                Senior Civil Engineer: Sub-consultant to Carmen-Dunne, Consulting Engineers, for the replacement of the super structure, (girders), for two bridges along Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx. The redesign and replacement of the bridges, over Webster Avenue and over Metro North, consisted of girders, concrete slab, studs, bearing pads, etc., according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) specifications. Calculated and coordinated the roadway and bridge alignments and grades.

                Chief Inspector: Long Island Expressway under the Long Island Railroad at Woodhaven Boulevard. Supervised safety & construction of the eastbound and westbound collector distributor roads to be constructed under the railroad tracks while maintaining rail traffic. The project expanded the number of traffic lanes in both directions from six to ten.

                Senior Inspector: Long Island Expressway roadway and bridge rehabilitation from exits 52 to 57. The project entailed the jacking of bridges while maintaining traffic, pedestal repair and heat straightening of damaged bridge girders. The roadway repair consisted of replacing sections of concrete pavement and general regrading of shoulders, sidewalk and medians for proper drainage. Checked on the general safety procedures during construction.

1971       Independent Motion Picture Producer

  To         Producing feature films, commercials, industrial and educational films using film and videotape. Acquired general

1985       business experience performing the responsibilities of an employer of cast and crew; obeying safety regulations and practices on the set regarding fire protection and hazards; negotiated with unions, clients and other business entities; prepared contracts, budgets, marketing, public relations and other documents needed in business operations.

1969       Construction Superintendent/Layout Engineer

  To         Corinno Civetta Construction Company, 1100 E. 156th Street, Bronx, New York 10474

1970       At two project sites; Uris Brothers Company, 1633 Broadway, and Solow Building Company, 9 West 57th Street, New York City. Supervised and coordinated excavation and construction of concrete foundation footings and walls. Coordinated construction with the architect, engineering consultants and owner's representative. Ordered men, equipment, and materials. Responsible for the safe operation of construction methods and procedures.

1966       Civil Engineer/Resident Inspector

  To         Marvin M. Specter, P.E., L.S., Consulting Engineers

1969       174 Brady Avenue, Hawthorne, New York 10532

                Supervised construction on the New Rochelle Arterial Highway System including the reconstruction of the Metro North Railroad Bridge over Cedar Street, sewers, drainage, sidewalk, roadways. Participated in site development for a variety of other projects including layout, planning, design of drainage, which included surveying, and creation of drawings.

1965       Junior Civil Engineer

  To         New York City Department of Public Works, 40 Worth street, New York, New York 10013

1966       Test Borings Inspector for the North River Sewerage Treatment Plant. Examined and classified earth and rock samples from borings.

1959       Military Service; NYSANG 101^st Signal Battalion, Rank Sp4, Message Center, Secret/Crypto Clearance. Honorable Discharge.

  To         Active Duty for Berlin Crisis (1961-1962)

1962

 PROFESSIONAL PEER REVIEWED PAPERS

"Small Steel Plates on Highway Pavements", delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, July, 1991. Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, December, 1991. Examines sudden impact loading of vehicle tires on steel plates covering holes on highway pavements.

"Walking Surface Hazards and the Codes", delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, January 1994.  Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, June 1994. Researches building codes and handicapped regulations regarding changes in level on sidewalks and cross walks.

"Median Barriers: Are They Needed When They Are Optional?” delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, January 1998.  Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, June, 1998. Discusses median barriers, criteria for installation and use.

"The History of the 0.50 SCOF", delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineer seminar, July, 1999. Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, December 1999. The paper examines the history of the how the 0.50 static coefficient of friction was arrived at along with analysis of the human stride.

"Deposition & Court: Quotes That Altered the Engineering Case", delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, July, 2000. Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, December 2000. The paper examines testimony of plaintiffs, defendants and witnesses where a few words of a statement of fact within a transcript of thousands of words changed the case from engineering prospective.

 “Forensic Engineering Analysis of Building Codes and Staircase Accidents”, delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, January, 2002. Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, June 2002. The paper examines the history of building codes in New York City and other major cities in the U.S. Examination of old building codes, tenement house code and multiple dwelling codes, and their application in staircase accidents.

 “Anatomy of a Forensic Engineering Case”, delivered at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers seminar, January 2003. Published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, June 2003. The paper examines three domains of the writer's practice that include Building Codes, Street Construction, and Vehicular Accident Reconstruction, and more importantly the definitions of words within the building code as defined by the opposing attorney.

 “Forensic Engineering Analysis of Pedestrian Carry and Throw Distance”, by Joel Hicks & Michael Kravitz, P.E., presented at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, July, 2003. The paper examines how the carry, throw and tumble distance is related to the speed of the vehicle.

“Forensic Engineering Analysis of Dynamic Wheel Tire Impact Ejection of Manhole Covers”, by Jon O. Jacobson, Ph.D., P.E. and Michael Kravitz, P.E., presented at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, July 2008. The paper examines how rocking manhole covers can be ejected from their casting. The paper also examines the high stresses that are created which can cause cracks in the manhole covers.

“Forensic Engineering Analysis of Head Impact from a Falling Picture Frame”, by Michael Kravitz PE. Presented at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, July 2011. The paper examines the forces applied to the head of a person sitting when a heavy picture frame falls off of the wall and rotates, striking a person sitting.

“Forensic Engineering Analysis of Motorcycle Tires in Longitudinal Ruts Less Than 10 Degrees”, by Michael Kravitz PE.  Presented at the National Academy of Forensic Engineers January, 2012. The paper examines the effect of motorcycle tires striking the edge of a rut or curb at a flat angle and the forces and torques generated at the handlebars. Riders cannot recover from the instability created and go down.

 NAFE Education Committee, Special Seminars & Continuing Education

NAFE Regular Semiannual Seminars: Papers given by members of the Academy for peer review publication in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. (January & July) from 1990 through the present. Other attendance for lectures and demonstration.