Ali Nazem
Ali Nazem joins HNTB in Seattle; brings tunnel and underground expertise to firm’s national tunnel practice
HNTB continues to build its tunnel and underground team in Puget Sound region
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Sept. 17, 2019) – Ali Nazem joined HNTB Corporation’s national tunnel group as tunnel engineer and becomes the latest addition this year to the growing tunnel and underground team at the firm’s Bellevue office.
Nazem supports the West Seattle to Ballard Line Extension project after serving in a research role for the Colorado School of Mines.
“With his extensive technical knowledge in tunnel engineering and hands-on previous experience on matters of ground conditioning for mechanized tunneling, Ali is a well-rounded, valuable addition to our team,” said Sanja Zlatanic, PE, HNTB chair national tunnel practice, senior vice president and HNTB Fellow.
From the Colorado School of Mines, Nazem earned his Ph.D. and holds a master’s in civil engineering, underground constructions and tunnel engineering. He also earned a master’s in rock mechanics engineering at the University of Tehran and a bachelor’s in mining engineering at the University of Kerman. In 2019, he obtained certification as an NHI-Certified Tunnel Inspector. Nazem has published numerous industry papers and case studies on the developments and innovations within the tunneling industry.
With an educational emphasis on civil engineering, underground construction and tunnel engineering, Nazem brings in-depth expertise and specialized knowledge to HNTB. More specifically, Nazem’s focus areas include testing soil-foam mixing, tunnel-boring machine data analysis, soil conditioning for earth pressure balance TBM, and general tunnel and underground structures design.
HNTB established its Seattle office in 1960, but the firm traces its roots in the region back to 1912, when the Columbia River Interstate Bridge between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, opened. The bridge was designed by John Lyle Harrington, a partner in HNTB’s predecessor firm, Waddell & Harrington. HNTB has grown to employ more than 200 professionals in the region who help play a role in planning and delivering high-profile transportation infrastructure projects across the state and around the country.
HNTB’s many signature infrastructure projects in the region include SR 99 Alaskan Way Tunnel; Mercer Corridor improvements in Seattle; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport third runway; second Tacoma Narrows bridge; Sound Transit University Link Light Rail Extension, Lynnwood Link Extension, West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions and East Link Extension; Washington State Department of Transportation General Engineering Consultant Services for I-405 and SR 509; South Park Bascule Bridge Replacement in Seattle; Mount Baker Ridge Tunnel; historic work on I-5 dating back to the 1960s; and Tilikum Crossing bridge in Portland.
About HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With 105 years of service in the United States, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, and program and construction management. For more information, visit www.hntb.com, or follow HNTB on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.