One Day Professional Development BOOT CAMP

Name: One Day Professional Development BOOT CAMP
Start: 2026-03-03T08:30:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-03T16:30:00+00:00
Location: Granite Links

A one-day, 4.0 PDH professional development experience built for engineers, architects, and contractors responsible for the design, detailing, protection, and repair of concrete structures. If you’re responsible for designing, detailing, protecting or protecting concrete structures, you cannot afford to miss this day!

When:

March 3 @ 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Location: 100 Quarry Hills Drive Quincy, MA 02169

This event has passed.

Event Details

PROFESSIONAL BOOT CAMP THEME: CONCRETE SOLUTIONS: PROTECT, REPAIR, SUSTAIN
FEATURING: 5 Presentations, 4.0 PDH Certificate, Vendor Exhibits, Breakfast & Lunch, Raffle & Networking Opportunities
LOCATION: Granite Links, 100 Quary Hills Drive, Quincy MA

A one-day professional development experience built for engineers, architects, and contractors responsible for the design, detailing, protection, and repair of concrete structures.

This isn’t theory. It’s practical, actionable strategy for designing durable concrete structures, diagnosing deterioration accurately, specifying smarter repairs, and navigating industry changes that directly impact project outcomes and client budgets.

Whether you are designing new structures, detailing complex rehabilitations, or managing long-term performance of structures, this Boot Camp equips you with the insight to make better decisions.

IN ONE POWERFUL DAY, YOU WILL:

> Earn 4.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) from four 1-hour presentations

> Learn how initial design and detailing decisions influence long-term durability

> Discover a systematic framework for evaluating multi-factor deterioration

> Explore detailing strategies for aggressive and cold-climate environments

> Understand when to specify alternative reinforcement and corrosion mitigation systems

> Gain insight from 20+ years of MGH garage maintenance

> Review industry trends shaping repair scope, cost, and performance expectations

> Participate in live panel discussion of real-world challenges and solutions with industry leaders

> Connect with engineers, consultants, contracting professionals and suppliers

> Visit tabletop exhibits featuring innovative repair products & services

> Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and networking

You’ll leave with sharper diagnostic insight, stronger detailing strategy, and a clearer understanding of how today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s performance.
Register today and strengthen your approach to durable concrete design and repair!

11 QUESTIONS THIS BOOT CAMP WILL ANSWER
For Structural Engineers, Architects, and Concrete Repair/Restoration Professionals:

[1] Why do similar concrete structures perform dramatically differently over time?

[2] Why do some concrete repairs fail prematurely — even when the design seems sound?

[3] How do multiple small specification and construction deficiencies align to trigger premature deterioration?

[4] What is the most effective framework for diagnosing multi-factor concrete distress?

[5] Which detailing strategies extend service life in chloride-laden and freeze-thaw environments?

[6] When should stainless reinforcement, FRP systems, or cathodic protection be incorporated into repair design?

[7] How do you balance initial repair cost with long-term life-cycle performance?

[8] What does a successful 20-year concrete maintenance strategy look like in practice?

[9] How do contractor execution, owner expectations, and engineering decisions intersect over decades of maintenance?

[10] How are evolving building codes and industry standards influencing concrete repair scope and liability?

[11] How are building codes, material trends, and economic shifts reshaping concrete repair design decisions?

SCHEDULE:
8:00 – 8:30 Setup for table top exhibitors
8:30 – 9:30 Registration / Coffee & Light Breakfast / Welcome by Chapter President
9:30 – 10:30 Presentation 1 – “The Swiss-Cheese Model of Concrete Deterioration: When Multiple Deficiencies Align” by David Schnerch, Ph.D, PE of RDH Building Science
10:30 – 10:45 Break / Time to visit table top exhibits
10:45 – 11:45 Presentation 2- “Detailing of Concrete Repairs: Designing for Durable Repairs in Aggressive Environments – by Ben Rybaltowski, PE of SGH
11:45 – 12:00 Break / Time to visit table top exhibits
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch break & 30 min Keynote Address (Starting at 12:15) Keynote Presentation – Concrete Repair Industry Trends by Gregg Cohen, PE of SGH
1:00 – 2:00 Presentation 3 – Innovation, Relationships and Concrete Repair: 20 Years of Garage Maintenance at MGH- By Todd Neal of Thornton Tomasetti
2:00 – 2:15 Break / Time to visit table top exhibits
2:15 – 3:15 Presentation 4 – Case Studies and Panel Discussion Moderated by Peder Hals, PE of Hals Consulting
3:15 – 4:30 Closing by Chapter President / Drawing for Raffle Prizes / PDH certificate pickup / cocktails

INVESTMENT:
ATTENDEES: $150 each (Member + Non-members) DEADLINE TO REGISTER: MARCH 2
(Includes: 5 Presentations, 4.0 PDH Certificate, Vendor Exhibits, Breakfast, Lunch, Raffle, Networking Opportunities)

SPECIAL 5-FOR-4 OFFER: 5 Tickets for the price of 4 (20% off per person = $600 total for 5 tickets in one order)

SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES: DEADLINE TO REGISTER: FEB 25
TABLE TOP EXHIBITOR: $300 ea. + REQUIRED Raffle Prize ($100.00+ value)
Includes: One attendee ticket plus table top display space.
Boot Camp attendees will receive raffle tickets by visiting all table tops and obtaining a signature from each exhibitor.

LUNCH SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY: $1,500 (One available)
Includes: One attendee ticket, one table top exhibit, recognition as Event Sponsor during opening introduction and closing, and dedicated banner at the registration booth.

PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS:

VIEW FULL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS HERE

The Swiss-Cheese Model of Concrete Deterioration
by David Schnerch – RDH Building Science
Why do similar structures perform so differently? Why do many repairs fail prematurely?
Dr. Schnerch introduces a powerful diagnostic framework based on the Swiss-cheese model, to help practitioners understand how multiple vulnerabilities align to create failure pathways. This session will transform how you evaluate deterioration, and design repairs that address root causes, not just symptoms.

Designing for Durable Repairs in Aggressive Environments
by Ben Rybaltowski – Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Learn best practices in detailing, material specification, alternative reinforcement systems, and cathodic protection strategies that extend service life and reduce life-cycle costs.
Includes applicable ACI & ICRI guidance and case studies.

20 Years of Garage Maintenance at MGH
by Todd Neal – Thornton Tomasetti
What does long-term concrete maintenance really look like?
A 20-year case study from Massachusetts General Hospital reveals lessons in client collaboration, contractor coordination, and phased repair strategy.

Industry Trends Keynote
by Gregg Cohen – Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
How are building codes, materials, and economic conditions reshaping concrete repair?
This keynote will explore regulatory changes, demolition planning, material selection, and how market shifts may impact repair strategies and project costs.

Speakers

David Schnerch, PhD, PE (ME, MA, NH, NC, RI, VT) Principal, Senior Specialist | RDH Building Science Inc.Dr. David Schnerch is a Principal, Senior Engineer and Building Science Specialist with RDH Building Science in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than twenty years of consulting experience, he has conducted condition assessments, failure investigations, and repair designs for over 1,000 projects involving reinforced, prestressed, and post-tensioned concrete structures, as well as historic masonry, steel, and wood systems. Dr. Schnerch holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University, where his doctoral research pioneered the use of pre-stressed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer systems for strengthening existing structures. His work has been published in ICRI's Concrete Repair Bulletin, including "Evaluation and Repair of 100-Year-Old Concrete Structures." He is a licensed Professional Engineer in six states and currently serves as Past President of the Structural Engineers Association of Massachusetts (SEAMASS), having previously served as President of both SEAMASS and the Boston Association of Structural Engineers (BASE). His forensic engineering background provides him with unique insights into how deterioration develops in concrete structures—making him particularly well-suited to explore how multiple deficiencies align to create the failure pathways we observe in the field.

Ben Rybaltowski, PE Senior Consulting Engineer | Simpson Gumpertz & HegerBen Rybaltowski specializes in investigating, evaluating, repairing, and rehabilitating concrete, masonry, and steel structures. His proficiency encompasses diagnosing structural conditions, remediating distressed elements, and designing modifications of existing structures. He is an active member of ACI and ICRI.

Todd Neal, PE Principal | Thornton TomasettiTodd is a Principal at Thorton Tomasetti and has over 30 years of experience in engineering and construction. His career started as a consultant designing precast/prestressed garages and led to a couple years of working for precast fabricators and then back to consulting. He joined Becker Structural Engineers in the late 1990’s where he became a minority owner and developed their garage restoration and design practice. Becker merged with Thornton Tomasetti in 2021 where Todd has focused on growing TT’s new parking garage design practice.

Peder Hals, PEOwner & Principal Engineer | Hals Consulting Peder Hals is a structural engineer with extensive experience in the assessment, repair design, and protection of concrete structures. Prior to starting his own firm in 2024, he performed bridge inspections and design at HNTB, forensics investigations and repair design with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, and was a principal with RDH Building Science.

Greggrey CohenSenior Principal | Simpson, Gumpertz & HegerGreggrey Cohen's career spans structural engineering and insurance restoration (consulting and repair after commercial property losses or disasters). Over the past 39 yrs, Gregg has developed expertise in structural design, investigation, and rehabilitation. Gregg also has demolition planning and cost estimating experience. Gregg's recent projects include the condition assessment and repair design for eight parking structures for Spring Creek Towers in Brooklyn, NY; a comprehensive structural evaluation and demolition planning for the former Boston Edison Power Plant in Boston, MA; repair and modernization of City Hall Plaza in Boston; structural analysis and design of the University of Massachusetts Amherst John W. Olver Design Building in Amherst, MA; structural rehabilitation of the Harvard Towers parking garage in Cambridge, MA; the structural evaluation and preliminary design for the strength and stiffness upgrades for the change of occupancy for high-rise Plaza Tower Building in New Orleans, LA; and parking structure assessment, repair design, and impressed current cathodic protection system modernization at the McCormack Building in Boston, MA. Gregg is the Structural Repair and Rehabilitation Division Head for SGH’s Boston/Waltham office.