Dr. Tong Zhao, Senior Director, is an industry-recognized expert in loss of productivity and has performed numerous productivity analyses. He has provided expert witness testimony in deposition and at trial for domestic and international matters, ranging from small to multi-billion-dollar construction projects across different industry sectors. He has authored more than 30 publications on loss of productivity, many of which are in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Zhao has more than 20 years of experience related to engineering, and has worked for owners, designers, and contractors throughout the world, including East Asia, the Middle East, and the US. He is also an expert in critical path method (CPM) scheduling, forensic schedule analysis for delay and disruption, earned value analysis, cost estimating, damage and quantum analysis, and forensic engineering. Dr. Zhao is extensively experienced in transportation, onshore/ offshore structures, power generation facilities, shipbuilding and repair, hotels and condominiums, commercial buildings, water diversion tunnels and dams, and government and public facilities.
Dr. Zhao has served in testifying and consulting roles across a variety of cases and has gained significant experience in litigations and arbitration. He is adept at distilling complex arguments and analyses on delay, disruption and forensic engineering for use in expert reports, testimony, cross-examination, and trial exhibits. He is a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, a professional engineer (PE), and is certified as a planning and scheduling professional (PSP), a certified cost professional (CCP), and a certified forensic claims consultant (CFCC) by AACE.
- Labor productivity analysis and expert witness testimony on a $600 million long span bridge project in Central America.
- Forensic engineering analysis and expert testimony for a slope failure during the construction of a commercial facility.
- Cost estimating and expert witness testimony on the probable costs for commercial/residential mixed-use buildings.
- Analysis on loss of productivity in several commercial building construction projects using the measured mile method.
- Engineering productivity impact analysis for a $300 million chemical process plant project in the Middle East as the result of numerous owner changes and directives to the design build contractor’s design that resulted in cumulative impact to contractor’s engineering productivity and schedule.
- Claim analysis for adverse geological conditions during the construction of river diversion tunnels in a $4.2 billion World Bank financed multipurpose dam construction project.
- Cost analysis and schedule analysis to help the client reach a settlement through mediation on a claim of about $200 million associated with a delay of about a year in a $1.1 billion rail construction project.
- Delay analysis on TBM tunneling in a $1.5 billion World Bank financed international water diversion project.
- Project management and dispute resolution to complete a $50 million power generation facility in Virginia.
- Project scheduling and delay analysis for differing site conditions on a power generation construction project in Japan.
- Damage repair cost estimating due to construction defects and water intrusion on multi-story hotels.
- CPM delay analysis and measured mile study to rebut a $18 million claim in a light rail project.
- CPM delay analysis in a $80 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade project.
Education
- University of Maryland College Park
Ph.D. Civil Engineering, 2003 - Tsinghua University
M.E. Hydraulic Structure (Construction Mgmt.), 1999
B.E. Construction (HONS), 1996
Licenses/Certifications
- Professional Engineer (PE) Maryland
- Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP)
- Certified Cost Professional (CCP)
- Certified Forensic Claims Consultant (CFCC)
Honors
Who’s Who Legal
- Thought Leaders, Construction
- Consulting Experts, Construction Quantum, Delay & Technical
- Construction
2019 Best Paper Award, Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, ASCE
Languages
English, Chinese