Ryan D. Kalina, PhD., P.E.

Background

Dr. Kalina has been involved in the evaluation and analysis of a wide variety of defects and failures at thousands of buildings and other structures, such as design and construction defects; material defects; damage related to hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, and hail; structural failures related to collapse, impact, and fire; and damage to flooring systems due to improper installation. Dr. Kalina has provided repair recommendations and designs for structural systems and building envelopes as a result of defects and failures.

Dr. Kalina’s interests include the evaluation of material defects, particularly as they relate to concrete durability, such as alkali-silica reaction, sulfate attack, delayed ettringite formation, and improper concrete mixture design. Other interests related to material defects include the corrosion of metals and coatings. He also has an interest in the evaluation and analysis of structural failures due to instability and collapse. Dr. Kalina’s doctorate research in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) at the University of Texas at Austin was in concrete materials and structural engineering. His research is focused on deficiencies in the current ASTM standard for characterization of supplementary cementitious materials for use in concrete and the behavior and comparison of high alkali fly ash and natural pozzolans in test methods for alkali-silica reaction. Dr. Kalina obtained his M.S. in structural engineering, also from the Department of CAEE at the University of Texas at Austin, with a focus in research on the corrosion resistance of pre-stressing strands for use in the post-tensioning of bridges.

Prior to becoming an engineer, Dr. Kalina worked in the construction industry and is experienced in the placement of concrete, erection of steel and wood framing systems, roof installation, and interior finish-out.

What is your most interesting project or accomplishment?

Structural Framing Collapse

A partial roof collapse at a mall in Oklahoma with steel girder and joist roof framing and a recent roof repair that consisted of a single ply membrane installed over an existing gravel-ballasted built-up roof. During the roof repair, retrofit drains were installed that were smaller in diameter than the existing drains and were not code compliant. Performing a roof drainage analysis and a second order structural analysis, I determined that the retrofit internal roof drains were insufficient to properly drain the roof, and that the water accumulation caused a ponding effect that overwhelmed the structural roof support system. I also determined that the structural roof support system would not have collapsed if the internal roof drains had not been altered from the existing size that were code compliant.

Concrete Material Failure

At a recently built residential structure in Central Texas with a post-tensioned concrete slab-on-grade, gel and efflorescence began appearing at the surface of the finished concrete floor at the locations of the grade beams. Testing at the structure included concrete coring, soil boring, in-situ concrete relative humidity probes, petrography, gel analysis, and concrete surface pH level. The testing revealed that the distress mechanism was near-surface alkali-silica reaction (ASR), which differs from traditional ASR in that the mechanism only occurred at the near surface of the concrete slab. The investigation also revealed that the near-surface ASR occurred unrelated to the lack of a vapor barrier at the bottom of the grade beams, which is a common practice in the construction of residential slabs-on-grade. I authored a paper, “Causation of Near-Surface ASR at Concrete Slabs on Grade,” for the ASCE Eighth Congress on Forensic Engineering.

Roofing Membrane Failure

I managed a project that encompassed 50+ structures in Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Several of the structures had roof coverings that consisted of aged granule-surfaced polymer-modified bitumen (mod-bit) membrane. Despite the relatively low wind speeds in the Houston area during Hurricane Harvey and the lack of observable distress at the membranes, there was a dispute by others that the mod-bit membranes were damaged as a result of wind during the hurricane that resulted in widespread water intrusion. The disputed mechanism was weakening of the mod-bit base sheets that allowed the membrane to significantly displace and cause “micro-fracturing” in the existing surface fractures related to aging (commonly referred to as “alligatoring”). Roof coring revealed that the base sheet was significantly aged and brittle, and tore easily during the prying back of the roof core. Others pointed to this as evidence that the base sheets were compromised as a result of wind. However, roof coring at areas where newer membrane was fastened to the roof deck over the aged membrane also revealed that the aged base sheet exhibited the same level of aging, brittleness, and ability to tear as throughout the remainder of the roof. This evidence, in conjunction with significant levels of corrosion at the steel roof deck found during the survey, determined that the base sheet was compromised due to aging and not wind, and that the water intrusion was not initiated as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The dispute was then resolved by acknowledgement of what we determined.

What do you love about your job?

I love the combination of field work, office work, and business development that breaks the monotony and repetition of traditional engineering practice. Specifically, for forensic engineering, I love practicing a more robust discipline of engineering that encompasses data collection, testing, research, analysis, report composition, legal analysis/support, and dissemination of findings to those outside of the field.

Why did you follow your career path?

I grew up working construction for my father’s company until my first engineering job in college. I learned a lot about hard work and the behind-the-scenes of how buildings are constructed. During that time, I gained a curiosity of the engineering principles for the methods and materials, which was the cornerstone of my choice in pursuing structural engineering. My first engineering job consisted of forensic engineering, which was not the typical path of engineering for graduate engineers at the time. I found that the field component satisfied my natural tendency to be hands on and outdoors, which I attained during my time in construction. I also found that solving an engineering solution of a built system with multiple unknowns was intriguing. Lastly, having the opportunity and ability to promulgate my engineering findings to others outside of the field for business and educational purposes is unique and satisfying.

What are your interests outside of work?

• Playing sports: golf, tennis, basketball, baseball, and chess
• Working out: lifting weights, running, and biking
• Trying new restaurants
• Spending time with family

Who or what motivates you?

The drive to do the best with what I have, whether it be for work, research, sports, or relationships.

Who or what do you love to work with?

The team at Forensix is top notch all around and makes the work we do go smoothly and allows us to produce a high quality product.

Favorite Quotes:

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – John Wooden

 

“If you wait for luck to turn up, life becomes very boring.” – Mikhail Tal

Years of Experience:

• 12 Years of Engineering Experience
• 5 Years of Construction Experience
• 8 Years of Engineering Research Experience

Awards, associations, organizations, etc.:

Associations: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), International Code Council (ICC), National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)

Organizations: Chi Epsilon (Civil Engineering Honor Society), Texas Ex-Student’s Association Life Member