Shawn McNamara, PE
Shawn is a proficient Design Engineer with over 25 years of experience and licensed as a Professional Engineer in 10 States. He has successfully designed a variety of geotechnical, structural, and geo-structural projects, including those with tunneling, deep shaft work, soil nails, tiebacks, micropiles, soil mixing, CIDH foundations, reinforced shotcrete, and reinforced concrete. Several of his projects have been under the oversight of various government agencies (Caltrans, City of Los Angeles, LADWP, LACMTA, So Cal Edison, WSDOT) and their stringent review processes.
Bachelors Geology – University of Wisconsin
Bachelors Geological Engineering – University of Wisconsin
Masters Structural Engineering – University of California Irvine
Shawn's Featured Projects
Terminal Hill | Sylmar, California
engineer
The Terminal Hill Project for LADWP consisted of constructing a new tunnel and shaft network to realign the second LA aqueduct that was damaged during, and continually repaired since, the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 600' tunnel was constructed through sandstone using roadheader and SEM techniques with temporary steel sets and shotcrete. Portal development for the tunnel was provided using a temporary soil nail shoring system. The 600' deep shaft was constructed through sandstone using SEM techniques employing a shank sinking platform with roadheader attachment and temporary support using grouted liner plate. A permanent reinforced CIP liner was then installed in both the shaft and tunnel.
West Warm Springs | Thermopolis, WY
engineer
New Era Petroleum’s West Warm Springs project consisted of a 17' diameter 990' deep shaft, shaft station, underground tunnels and drill stations for the purposes of extracting oil. Drill Tech was contracted to design and construct the shaft and shaft station, the headframe and hoist foundations, as well as starter tunnels. Shaft excavation was carried out using conventional drill/blast SEM sinking techniques staged from a five-level sinking platform that housed a drill jumbo and a Cryderman mucker. The concrete liner was installed in 20' lifts from the work deck during sinking, using concrete from a Drill Tech onsite batch plant. The starter tunnels were completed using SEM techniques with jack leg drills and a mini excavator and were supported with rock bolts and shotcrete.
North City Pure Water Pipeline Subaqueous Project | San Diego, CA
engineer
The North City Pure Water Pipeline Subaqueous project required a TBM to travel and terminate beneath the lakebed of the Miramar Reservoir. This required a permanent access shaft 41' in diameter and 91' deep. The shaft was excavated through stadium conglomerate in 5' lifts using SEM techniques with lattice girder and shotcrete support. A final reinforced CIP shaft liner was placed once the TBM operations beneath the lake, outboard of the shaft, had been completed.
San Ramon Canyon Storm Drain Repair | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
engineer
Drill Tech constructed a 350′ slant drain tunnel using a digger shield supported by continuous driven steel casing and a 2,000′ rib and lag tunnel using an open face TBM supported by steels rib and lagging. Additional work included constructing the inlet and outlet structure. These tunnels were constructed using modified SEM techniques supported by TBM equipment. The tunnels were constructed to provide a conduit for storm water to be more efficiently transported to the ocean in areas known to be prone to landslides initiated by water inundation. This work was performed just south of the Portuguese bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
