Michael Baker International Strengthens Bridge Practice with New Hires

Timothy Armbrecht, P.E., S.E., joins firm as Sr. Bridge Technical Manager - Load Rating Specialty Practice Lead and Joseph Smith, P.E., S.E., as Technical Director – Major Bridges

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, today announced that Timothy Armbrecht, P.E., S.E., has joined the firm as Sr. Bridge Technical Manager - Load Rating Specialty Practice Lead and Joseph Smith, P.E., S.E., has joined as Technical Director – Major Bridges. In these roles, Mr. Armbrecht and Mr. Smith will engage with key Departments of Transportation (DOT), municipal and non-DOT stakeholders and other existing and potential clients to elevate the company's standing as a top bridge engineering firm, expand its business and deliver excellence.

"Michael Baker is consistently ranked as a Top Five bridge engineering firm by Engineering News Record (ENR), which is a testament to our company's more than 80-year history of addressing bridge design, construction and preservation challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions," said Brian Kozy, Ph.D., P.E., National Practice Lead, Bridge, at Michael Baker International.  "Tim and Joseph bring tremendous experience to their new roles, and I am confident that the addition of these experts to our Bridge Practice will continue our firm's legacy of delivering technical services and signature bridge projects."

Timothy Armbrecht, P.E., S.E., Sr. Bridge Technical Manager - Load Rating Specialty Practice Lead
Mr. Armbrecht joins Michael Baker following more than 30 years with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). In addition to being available to assist clients with a variety of bridge maintenance issues like bridge inspection and management, Mr. Armbrecht will lead the firm's work to provide timely and accurate load ratings, which are essential to preserving the safety of the nation's road network and helping agencies ensure bridge performance and reliability.

Mr. Armbrecht most recently served as the Chief, Structural Services Section at IDOT, where he directed and managed four units within the Bureau of Bridges and Structures: the Bridge Ratings and Permits Unit, Local Bridge Unit, Investigations and Repairs Unit and Bridge Management and Inspection Unit. He also  served in a variety of leadership and engineering positions responsible for ratings and permits, local bridges, structural design and computer services, as well  as heading IDOT's Maintenance Operations Section in the Bureau of Operations. Mr. Armbrecht holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Math from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Master of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering/Structures from the University of Iowa.

Joseph Smith, P.E., S.E., Technical Director – Major Bridges
Joseph Smith comes to Michael Baker with 17 years of progressive bridge industry experience. As Technical Manager – Major Bridges, Mr. Smith will ensure excellence in the firm's execution of work and deliverables, and support client engagement to capture new major bridge projects.

He has effectively led design, construction engineering and inspection teams, coordinated between designer/contractor/owner and performed advanced analysis of complex structural systems, including key roles on several major segmental and cable-stayed bridge Design-Build projects.

Most recently, Mr. Smith was a Senior Resident Engineer at Jacobs, and was previously Director, Structural Engineering at WSP and Senior Bridge Engineer with International Bridge Technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering – Structural from San Diego State University and a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services spanning four distinct Verticals: Infrastructure, Design-Build Services, Federal Programs and Services and Consulting and Technology Solutions (CTS). The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design and civil engineering for diverse bridge, highway, water, rail and transit and aviation projects, as well as planning, architecture, environmental and construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner to clients, providing comprehensive services and solutions, delivering expertise and quality, and embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations – like intelligent transportation, engineered models and public safety software as a service (SaaS).

The firm's more than 3,500 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while Reimagining Michael Baker to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm over the next five years.

To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.

Contact:  Julia Covelli
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(866) 293-4609

SOURCE Michael Baker International