Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Hydraulics * Hydrology * Scour * Program Management
Catherine M. C. Avila, P.E.
Partner-in-Charge
EDUCATION:
B.S., Civil Engineering
Santa Clara University
M.S. Civil Engineering
Univ. of California - Davis
M.B.A. Public Sector
Management/Economics
Univ. of California - Davis
REGISTRATION:
Professional Civil Engineer
CA No. C48947
PRINCIPAL
AFFILIATIONS:
American Society of Civil
Engineers
National Cooperative Highway
Research Program Panel
Member
(Projects 24-16, 24-7,
20-36)
EMPLOYMENT
HISTORY:
2001-Present
Avila & Associates, Inc.
1986-2001
California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans)
Structure Hydraulics
AWARDS:
National Young Government
Civil Engineer of the Year
ASCE, 1995
Sustained Superior
Performance
Caltrans, 1994
Dean’s Award, UC Davis
Graduate School of
Management, 1991
Catherine Avila has over 16 years of professional
experience in the hydrology, hydraulics, scour analysis
and scour mitigation fields. A licensed civil engineer in
the State of California, she holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in Civil Engineering with graduate studies in
hydraulics and public sector program management. The
majority of this experience has been on State, Regional
and Municipal engineering projects and programs
primarily while working with the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans). At Caltrans, she managed
several key programs, which include the State of
California’s Structure Hydraulics Local Assistance
Training Program and developing and implementing the
statewide scour mitigation program.
Ms. Avila has developed a global awareness through
research, personal contact and through her American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and National
Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
involvement.
2001 - Present
Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Spreckels, California
President
Avila and Associates performs quality hydrology,
hydraulic and scour analysis studies for bridge design
firms and local agencies for the Highway Bridge
Rehabilitation and Replacement Program (HBRRP).
They also provide water resource engineering services.
Specific interests include bridge rehabilitation or
replacement projects located in actively mined streams
and rivers. Avila and Associates is uniquely positioned
to complete these studies due to extensive experience
analyzing and mitigating impacts of gravel mining on
infrastructure and a recognized expert in the bridge
hydraulics and scour fields.
Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Hydraulics * Hydrology * Scour * Program Management
Catherine M. C. Avila, P.E.
Partner-in-Charge
2000-2001
California Department of Transportation
Sacramento, California
Manager, Structure Hydraulics Local Assistance
As Manager of the Structure Hydraulics Local Assistance Program, Ms. Avila directed the
Caltrans’ assistance to local California Cities and Counties allowing them to prepare the
hydrology, hydraulic and scour analysis reports for bridge rehabilitation or replacement. This
effort allowed these agencies to determine whether their bridges are scour critical, design
effective bridge scour countermeasures, and acquire funding for scour mitigation. Since Ms.
Avila designed and initiated this program, approximately 300 local agency and consultant
representatives attended her presentations on the program. Over 90% of those in attendance
rated the program approach and presentation as outstanding.
Instream Mining: Ms. Avila was also responsible for determining the impact of instream
mining operations adjacent to California bridges. These assessments included a review of the
engineering impacts, determination of mining operations compliance with the California
Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) and determination of the adequacy of
requisite mitigation measures. Ms. Avila successfully negotiated innovative solutions
including bonding bridge replacements and transferable mining rights which saved taxpayers
over $6 million in premature bridge rehabilitation or replacement cost.
1996–2000
California Department of Transportation
Sacramento, California
Manager, Scour Critical Bridge Countermeasure Program
Ms. Avila was responsible for developing scour countermeasure plans, designing the
countermeasures and managing the projects through the project development process for over
120 bridges worth over $40 million per year. Her efforts allowed these projects to be
expedited through the environmental review stage of this program.
Specific duties in this capacity included:
Bridge Replacement Assessments: Responsible for estimating design flood water levels,
modeling rivers using HEC-RAS, evaluating proposed pier and abutment designs for
Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Hydraulics * Hydrology * Scour * Program Management
Catherine M. C. Avila, P.E.
Partner-in-Charge
vulnerability to scour, examining river planform stability, and recommending conceptual
channel stabilization and bridge protection measures.
Bridge Seismic Retrofit Degradation Studies: Project Manager for the assessment of the
Hydrologic, Hydraulic and Scour Problems associated with bridges being seismically
retrofit throughout California. Several hundred bridges in a variety of geomorphic and
hydrologic settings were assessed for their response to proposed seismic retrofit
strategies. This work also required the examination of pier configurations, stream
channel incision, and other site evidence for past and future potential of degradation and
how this may impact or be impacted by the retrofit strategy.
1986–1996
California Department of Transportation
Sacramento, California
Structure Hydraulics Engineer
Ms. Avila began her career in the Caltrans Structure Hydraulics Section in 1989 after
completing a three-year Caltrans job rotation program and assignment in Central Design. Her
responsibilities included the development of Caltrans’ Scour Evaluation Program that was
implemented to comply with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Technical Advisory
5140.23. Ms. Avila evaluated over 400 State and Local Agency bridges utilizing procedures
from the FHWA HEC-18 documents “Evaluating Scour at bridges”.
In addition to managing the efforts of in-house staff, she was also responsible for conducting
quality and assurance reviews of hydrology and hydraulic reports from a variety of
consultants. Several key assignments included the Highway 118 Bridge Replacement Project
and the Highway 101 Bridge Widening Project in Southern California.
Bridge Failure Forensics and Design: Project Manager for determining the cause of the
Highway 1 bridge failure over the Carmel River, designing and implementing emergency
temporary bridge countermeasure, and designing the replacement bridge.
EDUCATION:
B.S. Civil Engineering, Santa Clara University, 1986
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of California at Davis, 1998
MBA University of California at Davis, 1998
HONORS:
1995 ASCE National Award- “Young Government Civil Engineer
of the Year Award” for outstanding public service engineering
1995 ASCE Zone IV “Young Government Civil Engineer of the
Year Award”
Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Hydraulics * Hydrology * Scour * Program Management
Catherine M. C. Avila, P.E.
Partner-in-Charge
1994 California Department of Transportation Sustained Superior
Accomplishment Award
1991 Deans Award - U.C. Davis Graduate School of Management
in recognition of Distinguished Service to the School
LICENSES:
Registered Professional Civil Engineer – C48947 (California)
INSTRUCTOR:
Hydrology, Hydraulics and Scour for the Highway Bridge
Rehabilitation and Replacement Program
“Hydrology, Hydraulics and Scour for the Bridge Designer,
Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask” for the
Caltrans Bridge Design Academy (4 times annually 1997-2001)
Hydrology for the NCEES Professional Engineering Licensing Exam
Review class for ASCE Younger Member Forum (1992-2000)
PUBLICATIONS:
Avila, Catherine M.C., “Managing Impacts of Gravel Mining on
Bridges in California (Overmining causes Undermining)” in the
ASCE Hydraulic Engineering Conference, 1999.
Avila, Catherine M.C., Racin, James and Davies, Paul, “Talk to the
Bridges and they will talk back, Caltrans Bridge Scour Monitoring
Program” in the ASCE Hydraulic Engineering Conference, 1999.
Avila, Catherine M.C. Master’s Thesis: “Overmining Causes
Undermining, Economic Impacts of Gravel Mining on Bridges”
submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science Degree at
U.C. Davis., 1998
Avila, Catherine M.C., “Cost of Caltrans Countermeasure
Program” in the ASCE Hydraulic Engineering Conference, 1998.
Racin, J.A., Hoover, T.P., and Crossett Avila, C.M. “California
Bank and Shore Rock Slope Protection Design,” FHWA-CA-TL10, California Department of Transportation, Office of New
Technology and Research, Sacramento, CA 1997
Sandecki, Michael and Avila, Catherine Crossett “Channel
adjustments from instream mining. San Luis Rey River, San Diego
County, California” in Geological Society of America, Reviews in
Engineering Geology, Volume XI, Edited by Robert A. Larson and
James E. Slosson, 1997 (peer reviewed paper).
Crossett, Catherine M., “Overmining Causes Undermining (It’s a
Mad Mad River)” in the ASCE Hydraulic Engineering Conference,
1993.
Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Hydraulics * Hydrology * Scour * Program Management
Catherine M. C. Avila, P.E.
Partner-in-Charge
SOCIETIES:
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Floodplain Management Association
Board of Direction Committees:
-
Chair, Committee on Professional Practice (2001present)
National Committees:
-
Assistant Editor, Journal of Management in
Engineering and Leadership and Management in
Engineering through ASCE Professional Practice
Committee on Publications (1998 – present)
-
Member at Large, Committee on Younger Members
(1993-1997)
-
Corresponding Member, ASCE Task Committee on
Bridge Scour
Local Committees:
-
RESEARCH:
Past Treasurer, Secretary and Younger Member Group
President for the Sacramento Section
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Panel Member:
NCHRP 24-16 Methodology for Predicting Channel Migration,
$300,000 research project. The objective of this research is to develop
a practical methodology to predict the rate and extent of channel
migration (i.e., lateral channel shift and down valley migration) in
proximity to transportation facilities. Since 1/1999
NCHRP 24-7 (1 & 2) Alternative Scour Countermeasures. The
objective of this research is to develop comprehensive, practical
guidance on the applicability, design, construction, maintenance,
performance evaluation, and costs of scour countermeasures for bridge
pier protection since May 1995. Phase 1 Completed July 1999; Phase
2 is ongoing.
NCHRP 20-36 Scour Scanning tour October 1998. Visited, conferred
with and evaluated scour countermeasure activities in Germany, UK,
Netherlands, and Switzerland. Team produced report RRD 241: 1998
Scanning Review of European Practice for Bridge Scour and Stream
Instability Countermeasures. Research results from the tour were
incorporated in the FHWA publication “Evaluating Scour at Bridges”
and further researched in NCHRP 24-7 (2) for application to scour
mitigation nationwide.