Partner Bolsters Seismic and Structural Design Team

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Design professional Bryan Cortnik has joined Jay Kumar and the Structural/Seismic team at Partner Engineering and Science Inc. (Partner), a national firm focused on environmental, engineering and energy consulting and construction risk management headquartered in Torrance, Calif., as Technical Director of Seismic Design.

In response to new mandatory seismic retrofit ordinances passed in Los Angeles, San Francisco and a number of other cities throughout California, Partner is expanding its seismic team to continue to meet the growing demand for structural strengthening services. Based out of Partner’s San Francisco office, Cortnik will focus on projects throughout seismic risk zones in California and support national clients and projects as needed.

“I am excited for Bryan to join our team. He brings a breadth of knowledge and design experience that is a great benefit to the company, and will strengthen our capabilities to continue being a significant resource for property owners and lenders across the nation,” says Jay Kumar, who was recently promoted to Technical Director of the Structural Engineering Group at Partner. Kumar has over 10 years of experience in structural engineering, seismic design and construction management. His areas of focus have been structural forensic investigations, structural and seismic analysis, and seismic risk consulting for property owners, investors, brokers and lenders across the country. As a top resource for information and insight to property owners and lenders in California and a Thought Leader on Partner’s “The Science of Real Estate” column on GlobeSt.com, Kumar is a well-respected advisor in the seismic and structural industries.

“Seismic safety and the resilience of California’s buildings is a significant issue right now. We have more than doubled our seismic assessment and design practice in recent years to meet the growing demand driven by new regulations and a desire to create a more resilient, sustainable building stock” says Joe Derhake, CEO and founding member of Partner. “Bryan, a registered structural engineer, will work alongside Jay to continue pushing growth and expand Partner’s ability to meet these demands.”

With close to 20 years of experience as a practicing Structural Engineer, Cortnik has provided engineering analysis, design and construction consulting services for a diverse range of projects. He has performed structural and seismic assessments for new condominiums and retail buildings as well as tenant improvement and structural seismic upgrades of a range of existing facilities.

Cortnik was formerly a Senior Associate with Hohbach-Lewin Structural Engineers in Palo Alto, California, where he served as the Structural Engineer of Record or Project Manager on a long list of seismic upgrade and new building projects. His specific areas of interest include soil structure interaction, earth retention systems and the design of deep foundations. Throughout his career, he has worked with various types of earth retention systems, including but not limited to, permanent and temporary soil nail walls, soil stabilization using steel soldier piles with or without tiebacks, shear pins and deep soil mixing.

“Partner is a growing firm with great potential for innovation where I hope to create an environment that inspires growth and education. I am excited to work for a firm that puts its employees first and values entrepreneurship” says Cortnik.

Cortnik was a former SEAONC Seismology Committee Chair and has been closely involved with the Existing Building Committee in Northern California as well as the Deep Foundation Institute (DFI) where he has contributed to the Codes and Standards, Seismic and Lateral Loads, and Micropile Committees. His professional affiliations include the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), The International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC).

Cortnik graduated from California State University Chico with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and has his Master of Science in Structural Engineering from California State University San Jose.