About Our Company

Developing information about the earth for the built environment

"Our vision...earth science professionals and engineers working together to develop sustainable design for critical lifelines and infrastructure."

"Our mission...provide engineering solutions based on a sound understanding of existing geologic conditions, seismic hazards, geotechnical constraints, and the client's needs."

About Us

Valued Expertise, Proven Experience, Commitment to Quality

We are a certified small business enterprise based in San Francisco (LBE micro), specializing in integrating earth sciences and geologic hazard characterization with engineered solutions for vital infrastructure in the water and energy sectors. Our expertise lies in combining advanced geological insights with practical engineering approaches to enhance the safety and reliability of critical lifelines.

With extensive consulting experience in geology, earthquake engineering, and structural engineering, we focus on natural hazard risk and reliability assessments for infrastructure systems. Our services include numerical simulations, dynamic analysis, retrofit design, seismic review of structures, geohazard assessments, and geologic mapping. We are committed to providing comprehensive solutions that address potential risks and ensure the resilience of infrastructure projects.

Valued Expertise

Our firm specializes in integrating earth sciences with engineering to address geologic hazards for critical infrastructure. We provide expert seismic assessments, geotechnical engineering, and risk mitigation strategies. Clients trust us to enhance safety, reliability, and resilience in their projects.

Proven Experience

With extensive experience, we’ve successfully completed numerous projects in geologic hazard assessment and infrastructure resilience. Our proven track record ensures reliable solutions for the water and energy sectors, enhancing safety and long-term performance.

Commitment to Quality

We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality in every project, ensuring precision, reliability, and safety. Our rigorous standards and attention to detail drive us to provide solutions that meet the unique needs of each client, enhancing project outcomes and long-term success.

Team
Ahmed Nisar

Principal Engineer

Team
Christopher Hitchcock

Principal Engineering Geologist

Ahmed Nisar, PE

Proven Professionalism

Ahmed has more than 24 years of experience in earthquake engineering and multi-hazard risk assessment. He specializes in probabilistic assessment of natural hazards and their impact on infrastructure systems and is experienced in leading teams of multi-disciplinary experts on complex projects.

Areas of his technical expertise include multi-hazard reliability assessment of large geographically dispersed infrastructure systems such as water transmission and distribution systems, specialized analysis and design of heavy civil infrastructure such as water tanks, dams, large diameter pipelines and massive concrete structures.

He has developed earthquake design criteria for critical onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities, water systems and major buildings such as the Oakland City Hall and New Zealand Parliament Building. Ahmed has performed research studies for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC), California Divisions of Mines and Geology (CDMG) and California Department of Transportation (CalTrans).

He is a contributing author of ASCE special publication on seismic design and evaluation of petrochemical facilities and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) publication on reliability and restoration of water supply systems for fire suppression and drinking following earthquakes. He has numerous technical publications related to earthquake engineering and reliability assessment of infrastructure systems.

Qualification

University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

M.S. Structural Engineering and Mechanics of Materials (SEMM), 1988

University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan B.S., Civil Engineering, 1986 (Gold Medalist)

Licensed Professional Engineer, California (No. C-51071)

Qualification

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT M.S., Geology, 1993

University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

B.S., Geology, 1990 (National Merit Scholar, UC Regents' Scholar)

Certified Engineering Geologist, CA (No. 2017)

Professional Geologist, CA (No. 6522)

Licensed Engineering Geologist, WA (No. 2472)

Licensed Geologist, WA (No. 2472)

Certified Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Professional (GISP) No. 00059777

Christopher Hitchcock, PG, CEG

Demonstrated Expertise

Christopher Hitchcock has over 18 years of consulting experience in of expertise in the fields of seismic hazard, geologic site characterization, and engineering geology. Much of his research and applied project experience relates to geologic hazard and geotechnical site characterization for dam siting studies and hazard mitigation planning for geographically-distributed lifeline systems.

Christopher Hitchcock has over 18 years of consulting experience in of expertise in the fields of seismic hazard, geologic site characterization, and engineering geology. Much of his research and applied project experience relates to geologic hazard and geotechnical site characterization for dam siting studies and hazard mitigation planning for geographically-distributed lifeline systems. Christopher has been a Principal or co-Principal Investigator on fourteen research projects sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Mineral Management Service (MMS), and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) to assess liquefaction and slope stability hazards.

Much of his research and applied project experience relates to liquefaction hazard evaluation and geotechnical site characterization for water supply and natural gas transmission systems.

Christopher was Task Order Manager, and lead engineering geologist, responsible for providing geotechnical support for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), including on-call support of dam and levee engineering for Division of Engineering from 2003 through 2011. He also was Deputy Contract Manager for a multi-year IDIQ providing on-call geotechnical services for Dam and Levee Safety to the US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District.