AMARA CHEN
Licensed Professional Engineer specialising in complex urban infrastructure — seismic retrofit, long-span bridges, and supertall lateral systems. Fifteen years delivering stamped packages for DOT, PANYNJ, and NYC DOB peer review. I lead multidisciplinary teams from concept through construction administration: ETABS and SAP2000 modelling, performance-based seismic design, foundation schemes in difficult Manhattan rock, and hydraulic coordination for waterfront resilience projects. My practice blends rigorous code compliance (ACI 318, AISC 360, AASHTO LRFD, ASCE 7) with constructability judgement earned on site — because the best calculation set is useless if it cannot be built safely on a congested urban deck.
SOFTWARE: ETABS · SAP2000 · AutoCAD Civil 3D
MEMBER: ASCE · ACI · NSPE
Foundations That Last
Licensed Professional Engineer specialising in complex urban infrastructure — seismic retrofit, long-span bridges, and supertall lateral systems. Fifteen years delivering stamped packages for DOT, PANYNJ, and NYC DOB peer review. I lead multidisciplinary teams from concept through construction administration: ETABS and SAP2000 modelling, performance-based seismic design, foundation schemes in difficult Manhattan rock, and hydraulic coordination for waterfront resilience projects. My practice blends rigorous code compliance (ACI 318, AISC 360, AASHTO LRFD, ASCE 7) with constructability judgement earned on site — because the best calculation set is useless if it cannot be built safely on a congested urban deck.
Core Expertise
Featured Projects
Technical Skills
Certs & Licenses
Work History
→ Present
→ 2018
Engineering Process
Client Feedback
Amara's seismic analysis on the BQE retrofit identified a column deficiency that three previous consultants had missed. Her non-linear pushover approach was exactly the right tool and saved us a very expensive surprise in construction. Exceptional technical depth.
She managed a $640M bridge replacement with the focus and calm I've only seen in engineers with twice her experience. Her handling of the Sandy recovery rescheduling kept us on the original opening date. One of the best project engineers I've worked with at PANYNJ.
The One Vanderbilt transfer slab was one of the most complex concrete structures I've reviewed in 35 years of practice. Amara's calculation package was flawless. She anticipates questions and documents her assumptions with a rigour that makes peer review a pleasure.
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Available for structural engineering leadership, design consulting, and senior project roles. Reach out with your scope, location, and timeline.