I worked as a Structural Forensics Intern in the Structural Design, Forensics, and Renewal group at Thornton Tomasetti’s San Francisco office from June 2, 2025, to August 22, 2025. During this internship, I split my time between developing analysis tools, running nonlinear analyses for structural diagnostics, and supporting active forensic investigations and projects.
A major focus of my internship was fire simulation in mass timber structures. I built a single-zone fire simulator in Python by implementing a one-dimensional heat transfer solver to predict char depth in mass-timber members. The tool enables quick evaluation of structural capacity of timber members after different fire scenarios and char rates instead of relying only on handbook-style checks. I also performed nonlinear pushover analyses of steel frames in SAP2000 for demolition studies, validating expected collapse mechanisms against hand calculations to confirm that proposed demolition sequences matched analytical behavior.
On the forensic side, I contributed to investigation reports by organizing and interpreting field data: preparing foundation markups, compiling coring logs, and structuring large sets of site photos so they could be traced directly back to specific defects and locations. I researched concrete material deficiencies and their impact on slab performance, helping connect observed cracking and serviceability problems to underlying mix and placement issues.
In parallel, I supported ongoing design work by reviewing slab reinforcement submittals and backchecking structural drawings on a healthcare facility project. This involved checking bar layouts, development and lap lengths, and coordination against design intent, giving me a close look at how quality control is actually enforced between analysis models, drawings, and what gets built on site.