Benjamin Worsfold, PhD, PE

Experience

• 

  Universidad de Costa Rica UCR

  Aug 2012 - Dec 2012

  Teaching Assistant

  Solid Mechanics (Undergraduate)Helped design exams. Taught classes when the professor was unable. Graded quizzes and homework assignments.

• 

  Universidad de Costa Rica UCR

  Mar 2013 - Dec 2015

  Masonry Structures (Undergraduate) Final year university course in which students help solve local engineering problems.Analyzed feasibility of a small dam to solve water shortage problems in the rural region of Abangares, Costa Rica. Selected dam site, analyzed topography, rain patterns, water consumption of region and pre-dimensioned 600 m long dam. Reinforced Concrete (Undergraduate)Helped clarify students’ inquiries. Graded quizzes and homework assignments. Participated in research projects processing seismic data used to evaluate the efficacy of Costa Rica’s seismic design codes.Processed and analyzed vibration data of buildings to determine their structural soundness and aptness for vibration sensitive equipment (MRI, computer chip production).

  • Teaching Assistant

    Jun 2014 - Dec 2015

  • Design Workshop Project

    Mar 2014 - Jun 2014

  • Teaching Assistant

    Mar 2014 - Jun 2014

  • Research Assistant

    Mar 2013 - Feb 2014
• 

  GCI Ingenieria S.A

  Jan 2014 - Jun 2014

  Designed reinforced concrete elements (slabs, beams etc.) in the structural design department.Learned to work under pressure in a privately owned design firm. Two month internship managing construction of office buildings and warehouses for Kimberly-Clark.Participated in planning and coordinating over 8000 m2 of construction and 100 workers during productivity peaks.

  • Structural Design Assistant

    Mar 2014 - Jun 2014

  • Project Management Assistant

    Jan 2014 - Mar 2014
• 

  CERN

  Jul 2014 - Aug 2014

  Summer Research Student

  Two month internship in the structural design department of the European Organization for Nuclear Research.Learned to work with Euro Codes.Enjoyed multicultural and multilingual environment.

• 

  Grupo Integra

  Jan 2015 - Jul 2016

  Structural Engineer

  Designed office and storage facilities for various concrete batching plants which are now in use for Costa Rica’s new deep water port in the city of Limón, Costa Rica currently under construction for the Dutch company APM Terminals (100 hectares).Part of team of engineers in charge of the structural design of the Expreso Mall in Desamparados, Costa Rica (6.7 hectares). Personally responsible for the design of foundations for the vehicular tunnel used to exit the Mall and onsite inspection.

• 

  University of California, Berkeley

  Aug 2017 - Jun 2023

  Advised by Prof. Jack Moehle.Physical experiments and finite element simulations of reinforced concrete structures particularly anchored connections. Advised MS student Dara Karać to perform experimental and numerical investigations of full-scale steel-column to concrete-foundation connections to evaluate design methodologies. Numerical parametric studies performed with finite element software ATENA. Advisor Prof. Jack Moehle. Sponsored by HILTI. Experimental investigation into the use of fiber optics cables to monitor strains and crack propagation in reinforced concrete structures. Colaborating with Prof. Mathew DeJong (UCB) and Prof. Shenghan Zhang (HKUST). Experimental and numerical investigation of steel-column to concrete-foundation connections with cast-in-place headed anchors. Full-scale connections built and tested. Parametric studies performed with finite element software ATENA. Design equations developed. Advisor Prof. Jack Moehle. Sponsors ACI, AISC, HILTI, MKA. Reinforced Concrete Structures CE-244, UC Berkeley, graduate-level, Prof. Jack Moehle (Fall 2021, Fall 2020, and Fall 2019) Supported PhD candidate Jerry Zhai’s experimental testing of deep concrete beams (≈ 2 m) by performing finite element analyses of test specimens to detect unwanted failure modes and optimize the test setup. Mechanics of Structures CE-130N, UC Berkeley, undergraduate-level, Prof. Shaofan Li (Summer 2018, Spring 2018, and Spring 2017) Introduction to Solid Mechanics CE-C30, UC Berkeley, undergraduate-level, Prof. Shaofan Li (Fall 2017)

  • Postdoctoral Researcher

    May 2022 - Jun 2023

  • Student Researcher

    Jan 2022 - Jul 2022

  • Graduate Student Researcher

    Jan 2019 - Jan 2022

  • Graduate Student Researcher

    Jan 2017 - Jan 2022

  • Teaching Assistant

    Aug 2019 - Dec 2021

  • Graduate Student Researcher

    Jul 2021 - Oct 2021

  • Teaching Assistant

    Jun 2017 - May 2018

  • Teaching Assistant

    Aug 2017 - Dec 2017
• 

  Cervenka Consulting s.r.o.

  Aug 2018 - Aug 2018

  ATENA Finite Element Analysis Training

  Two-week research training at the Červenka Consulting headquarters in Prague, Check Republic on the use of the Finite Element software ATENA.

• 

  National Taiwan University of Science and Technology

  Jan 2019 - Dec 2021

  Research Advisor

  Supporting ongoing research in an advisory role concerning reinforced concrete test specimen design, construction, instrumentation, and set-up. Prof. Min-Yuan Cheng (NTU) and Prof. Gustavo Parra (UWM).

• 

  National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

  Aug 2022 - now

  Researcher

  Performing finite element studies in support of the US federal government’s investigation into the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Miami.

• 

  University of Minnesota

  Jul 2023 - now

  Assistant Professor

  Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering in the Structures group focusing on large-scale structural testing and numerical simulation of reinforced concrete structures and structural connections including anchors.