Lelio

I am a geotechnical engineer specializing in dam engineering, earthquake engineering, and soil dynamics. I am inspired by the opportunity to work on interesting projects that serve our society and are technically complex.

My current assignment certainly fits the bill. I am serving as project manager for the design and construction of a dam that is part of a massive $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal — one of the largest projects of its kind in history and one of the most challenging. Weak soils, which caused huge landslides during construction of the original canal, were a major consideration during design, as were potential seismic risks. I have spent the past 30 years — most of my career — with AECOM and one of its legacy companies. My previous work on more than 15 major dams, along with my expertise in soil-structure interaction and seismic analysis, made me the right engineer for this job. I decided to pursue dam engineering as a specialty because of the significance of dams to our society. They are some of the largest structures that we build. The most exciting part of my job are the technical challenges and working with a great team of people. Working on the Panama Canal expansion has been the highlight of my career. It isn’t every day you get to solve difficult technical issues and be part of something with such a significant impact on the world economy.