Construction Defects Expert Witness - Engineer

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Andrew Schrader is a Florida Board-recognized Structural Engineer, Special Inspector and Certified General Contractor. His background encompasses working as a consulting engineer on building envelope, construction defect and forensic engineering projects. He also serves the State of Florida as a First Responder and engineering advisor for its Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. His 20+ year career includes work on buildings made of structural steel, reinforced concrete, masonry, stucco/EIFS over wood frame, and re-roofing. He has guest-lectured at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering, the New York State Department of Homeland Security, and FDIC International (Fire Department Instructor's Conference). Andrew has been deployed by the State of Florida for search and rescue operations for six separate hurricane events as well as the Champlain Tower (Surfside) condominium building collapse. While earning his Master’s degree at the University of South Florida, Mr. Schrader conducted research on enhanced application methods for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) repairs to damaged and deteriorated concrete. This research involved the use of composite building materials, including carbon fiber–reinforced polymers (CFRP). As part of this work, he studied alternate scanning systems for infrared thermography testing. In addition to non-destructive testing methods, he also performed destructive testing in accordance with ASTM C1583, Standard Test Method for Tensile Strength of Concrete Surfaces and the Bond Strength of Concrete Repair Materials. This research contributed to a publication in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Journal of Composites for Construction. During his time with the Structural Research Group at the University of South Florida, Mr. Schrader also assisted in the design, construction, and testing of a portable, pressurized enclosure system for flight deck repairs on U.S. Navy warships. This work culminated in the real-world application and testing of the system to repair the amphibious transport ship USS Nashville (LPD-13) while docked in Portsmouth, Virginia. Mr. Schrader earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 2005 and his Master’s degree in Civil-Structural Engineering in 2007. He has guest-lectured at the University of South Florida College of Engineering since 2014 and currently serves on the Advisory Board for Building Arts at St. Petersburg College. Professional Licensure & Certifications Professional Engineer (PE) #72231 — State of Florida Florida Board–Recognized Structural Engineer (FRSE) Special Inspector (SI) #72231 — State of Florida (Threshold Buildings) Certified General Contractor (CGC) #1521910 — State of Florida Licensed Asbestos Consultant AX#104 — State of Florida Inspection & Code Certifications International Code Council (ICC) Certified Inspector #8910200 Accreditations include: Structural Steel and Bolting Special Inspector Soils (Geotechnical) Special Inspector Structural Masonry Special Inspector Residential Plumbing Inspector Residential Mechanical Inspector Residential Electrical Inspector Property Maintenance and Housing Inspector ADA Accessibility / Plans Examiner American Concrete Institute (ACI) Concrete & Materials Testing Concrete Construction Special Inspector Concrete Field Testing Technician — Grade I Infrared & Specialty Certifications Infrared Thermographer — Level I, Teledyne FLIR Systems Safety & Regulatory Training OSHA 10-Hour — Basic Construction Safety and Health Hazards OSHA 30-Hour — Supervisory Construction Safety Responsibilities (U.S. Department of Labor) Aviation Certifications Commercial Pilot (Instrument-Rated) #4122450 Remote Pilot — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)