Sam Kurachek, PE, is our new Senior Engineer. He works primarily on thermal control plans. He also performs on-site investigative work and helps with the development of concrete mixture proportions.
Sam graduated from Miami University with a BS in chemical engineering.
How did you get from chemical engineering to construction?
Right out of school, I did chemical engineering research. I loved the analytical side of the job, but the work was so routine—doing the same things the same way day after day. I needed more variety.
Then I started a company leading international tours. I led tours to Peru, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Australia. It really improved my Spanish, and I loved doing it. But after a while I realized that all the guides were either single or married to other guides. I wanted more stability so I could start a family, and I wanted to use my engineering degree.
A friend of mine worked at an independent testing laboratory. He said there were opportunities in construction, and he got me in the door. I started out as a technician and got certified as a special inspector for reinforced concrete, posttensioned concrete, fire proofing, and firestopping. I still have ACI and MnDOT certifications for laboratory testing of concrete and aggregates. Seeing something being built—and being able to point out later that I had a part in it—was really satisfying.
Eventually I took the FE and PE exams in civil engineering; now I’m licensed in Minnesota and Colorado. Eventually I worked my way up to project manager and then manager of the construction materials and geotechnical laboratory.
What kinds of jobs did you work on before you came to Beton?
I managed new construction and remodeling projects for schools. Meeting the schedule is especially important for them because everything needs to be complete before the school year starts. I did geotechnical investigations and construction materials testing.
After another company bought out our lab, I worked in building design and forensics for the new owner. One of my most interesting projects was for a historic courthouse in Stillwater, MN. A primary wooden roof truss had a member that snapped in half. I worked with the structural engineer to develop a loading apparatus to hold the broken member together while structural steel members were installed. We had to control the rate of loading and the maximum load.
While I was there I worked a lot with instrumentation—everything from LVDTs to moisture monitoring and interstitial pressure cells. We needed to understand what was happening in soils or in a building, develop a solution, and then verify it.
What kinds of jobs are you doing now?
One of the most interesting is the restoration of the Four Lakes dams in Michigan. Each of the three dams I’m working on has many different components with different geometries and different boundary conditions—slabs, retaining walls, piers. The need to preserve the associated wetlands necessitates additional provisions in the specifications.
I’m also working on some bridges along Interstate 494 near our office. I pass them every day while driving to and from work. It gives me an incentive not to cause any delays to the project!
You’ve mentioned your interest in music. How did you get started in that?
All the kids in my family had to take piano lessons. When I joined the band at school, I chose drums. I played in both the regular and the jazz bands in junior high and high school. I also played in bands with my older brother. In college, playing drums was a break from studying. In my junior and senior years I was able to bring my drums to campus.
A lot of my friends have made music their career. I’ve played in a couple of groups, traveling around the Midwest. I played with a group called the Stringdingers for about 7 years.
When I started studying for the PE, I needed to pull away from music for a while. I was 10 years out of school, and my chemical engineering degree didn’t cover all the specialties of civil engineering. Now that I’ve passed the exam, I do play gigs on occasion.