Our Lead Team

Ashok Kakade, P.E.

Principal Engineer

Mr. Kakade has over 40 years of experience in construction, investigation, and rehabilitation of concrete and masonry structures. He utilizes his decades of experience to investigate distresses in residential, industrial & commercial structures. He has also performed condition assessment of swimming pools, parking garages, water and sewage treatment plants, tunnels, bridges and other unique concrete structures.

He utilizes his education in both material science and structural engineering to identify causes of defects such as cracking, delamination, reinforcement corrosion, water leaks, fire related distress, soil & sulfates, discoloration, concrete moisture related flooring distresses, alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), and other design, material, and construction related defects.

Mr. Kakade has taught a Concrete Technology course to Engineers, Architects, & Contractors through UC Berkeley and UC Davis, Engineering Extensions. He combines theoretical knowledge with his immense practical experience to design practical and cost effective engineering repair solutions.

Mr. Kakade has been President & Chairman of many national technical associations. He has earned numerous awards such as:

Fellow of ACI (American Concrete Institute)
Fellow of ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute)
Fellow of ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
Fellow of ICI, (Indian Concrete Institute)
15 Year Service Award from ASTM
Lifetime Membership Achievement Award by Northern CA Chapter of ICRI

Mr. Kakade has testified in numerous Arbitrations, Mediations, and Superior Courts as an expert.

Kate Morel

Principal Petrographer and Geologist

Kate has a bachelor’s degree in Geology and has over 20 years of work experience in forensic investigation of various kinds of building materials, including but not limited to: concrete, grout, stucco, mortar, masonry, stone, aggregates, tiles, and coatings. She has been trained to perform petrographic analysis per ASTM standards to determine causation of failures in building components. Ms. Morel has performed forensic laboratory testing on aggregates, concrete, stucco, and asphalt concrete.

Kate has earned national awards for her work on:

Pentagon Concrete Analysis after 9/11

Homicide Materials Investigation

Kate is a member of:

Society of Concrete Petrographers
American Institute for Professional Geologists (AIPG)
Voting Member, American Society of Testing Material ASTM C 09.65-Petrography, ASTM C 09.20-Aggregate.
American Concrete Institute Committee 201-Durability and Committee 221-Aggregate.
Geological Society of America (GSA)

Hemant Limaye

Principal Engineer

Hemant’s experience spans over 50 years. A Master’s degree in Mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute coupled with an MBA from Houston Baptist University has given Mr. Limaye a solid background both in engineering and management. As a consultant to Federal Highway Administration, he provided training to engineers in various State Departments in construction materials and nondestructive testing.

Hemant has developed, designed and applied different kinds of sensor based systems to test and measure vibrations, displacements and internal defects in concrete structures. He is a renowned expert in the field of nondestructive testing using complex test methods such as impact echo, pulse velocity, impulse response, ground penetrating radar and other specialized test methods to detect honeycomb, voids, delamination, and load capacity. Mr. Limaye has performed condition assessment of numerous concrete structures, designed repairs, and performed quality assurance services.

Hemant has published dozens of articles in scholarly journals. A few of his notable projects include: California State Capitol Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Seattle Kingdom, Los Angeles and Chicago subway tunnels, Denver International Airport, and various water and waste water treatment plants across California.

Parag Kulkarni

Professional Summary: With over 25 years of expertise in structural engineering, Parag Kulkarni specializes in structural analysis & design, field investigation, and repair design for concrete and steel structures. His comprehensive experience spans residential, commercial, and institutional projects and the re-purposing of existing properties. Parag excels in diagnosing and resolving structural challenges, leveraging his vast experience to identify and address various structural and material defects.

Areas of Expertise:

Structural Analysis & Assessment: Conducting detailed evaluations and nondestructive testing to identify and resolve structural deficiencies.
Repair Design: Creating cost-effective and practical engineering solutions for damaged or deteriorating structures.

Educational Background: