Dr. Leo Emmenegger specializes in analyzing and predicting the deterioration of civil infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, and airports from the perspective of concrete material science, corrosion engineering, and civil engineering. Since joining Exponent as a forensics consultant, Dr. Emmenegger has been involved in numerous matters including construction defect litigation, structural failure analysis, extreme event claims, codes and standards compliance research, and personal injury disputes.
Some notable cases he has worked on include a concrete failure and construction defect dispute at an environmental facility, the failure of a metal building under extreme weather conditions, and litigation arising from contested curing practices and quality assurance testing per FAA regulations at an airport. In addition, he also has experience with building envelope investigations (water intrusion, façade anchorage, etc.), structural foundation movement from expansive soils, and construction repair cost disputes.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Emmenegger earned his Ph.D. at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in civil engineering with a construction infrastructure systems engineering specialization. His primary research investigated and developed best practices for improved longevity of reinforced concrete bridge decks through contractual incentives. Dr. Emmenegger has also conducted research at the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development, and Networks (now Université Gustave Eiffel) in collaboration with faculty from Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech. While at that institution, he developed a novel structural life prediction model for reinforced concrete bridge decks which predicts degradation from construction to replacement.
Dr. Emmenegger is a member of American Concrete Institute (ACI) technical committees on concrete nondestructive testing and durability. Outside of his technical specialties his interests include business (marketing, supply chain, venture capital) and law (construction and intellectual property); areas in which he took courses to earn a certificate in engineering entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech.
About Exponent
Exponent is a premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients’ most profoundly unique and urgent challenges. For 50+ years, Exponent has been assembling unique multidisciplinary teams to pinpoint root causes. We help clients navigate the increasing complexity of more than a dozen industries, connecting decades of pioneering work in failure analysis to develop solutions for a safer, healthier, more sustainable world.