Munah F. Tarazi offers over 37 years of distinguished experience in structural engineering as Project Engineer, Engineer of Record and Principal-in-Charge on numerous projects for both the public and private sectors. His engineering background includes structural analysis and design of new facilities, seismic retrofit, structural rehabilitation, building evaluations, peer review, plan check and value engineering for various public and private facilities in California.
As Founding Principal of MFT, Munah has been responsible for overall engineering quality and accuracy of preparation of structural design and specifications. He routinely provides informal peer review of the firm’s projects and is Principal/President of all Federal, State and local agency projects.
Mr. Tarazi’s professional background includes school and university facilities, correctional facilities, federal buildings, hospital and health care facilities, high-tech/biotech facilities, mixed-use residential/retail complexes, hotels, office buildings, airport terminals, shopping centers, restaurants, DSA Plan Check Reviews and related structures. Mr. Tarazi established MFT Consulting Engineers in 1989 in San Francisco, and recently relocated to Pinole in the East Bay.
FEDERAL PROJECTS USFS HEAP’S PEAK, SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record on this $2.0M project, which includes structural design and engineering for a 4,000sf single story new office building for a helicopter crew base. Snow loading was designed for 75psf.
USFS BURN LAB PLATFORM, RIVERSIDE, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for a 20’ x 8’ table tilted to varying angles on an overhead crane, exposed to a large fan for testing the effectiveness of fire retardants.
USFS HELICOPTER SIMULATOR CAGE, ST. YNEZ, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for this helicopter simulator cage that holds four people for rappelling training. The cage can be lifted to 30-40 feet high by a specially designed forklift.
GUAM INTERNATIONAL AIR TERMINAL EXPANSION, TAMUNING, GUAM – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record of this six-year, $250M expansion of the Guam International Air Terminal. The expansion includes design and construction of a new 600,000sf two-story terminal. The new concourses contain ticketing, baggage handling, operations, retail shops, administrative offices and maintenance facilities. The structural steel is designed for local high seismic zone forces and typhoon wind conditions. Project completed August 98.
GUAM INTERNATIONAL AIR TERMINAL – SEISMIC UPGRADES, TAMUNING, GUAM - As a result of the Northridge Earthquake, the Airport authorities requested that MFT develop seismic upgrades to systems originally specified for the new terminal design. Mr. Tarazi was Engineer of Record for the $1.2M seismic analysis and retrofit design for the existing 150,000sf reinforced concrete terminal building. MFT designed steel moment frames and connections to meet the new requirements of FEMA and integrated the upgraded structural system into the new concourses. The work involved investigating structural alteration schemes and designing a new lateral force-resisting system. The terminal remained functional and operational throughout construction.
EXPANSION AND REMODEL OF COMMISSARY, NAVAL AIR STATION, FALLON, NV – As Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record, Mr. Tarazi provided quality control and project oversight of structural design for the 23,000sf expansion and remodel of the Naval Commissary. The structural system consisted of a steel-framed roof system supported by reinforced masonry bearing and shear walls on a slab on grade foundation.
STATE CONTRACTS DGS/DSA STRUCTURAL PLAN CHECK REVIEW, OAKLAND, LOS ANGELES AND SACRAMENTO REGIONS, CA - Mr. Tarazi is providing structural plan review and back review, as-needed, of drawings and specification for public schools, community colleges and essential service buildings. All work is performed in conformance with the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and regulations developed by DSA and in accordance with established DSA policies and procedures. To date, MFT has reviewed 50 school projects, totaling approximately $500M in construction.
REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, LARKSPUR, CA - Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record providing structural design for CSD Architects, who were selected by the Tamalpais Unified School District to provide services for a new 10000 square feet gymnasium and an olympic size swimming pool. The new structures are located over Bay Mud layer which required the foundation to be constructed from Augered Pressure Grouted Piles that will go down to 30 feet below grade. The estimated construction cost is approximately $10 million.
CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO – CHINATOWN EXTENSION, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Principal S.E. of a feasibility study for a new, 120,000sf, five-story downtown City College Campus in Chinatown. The building was designed to contain classrooms, administration offices, and one level of underground parking.
NICASIO K-8 SCHOOL, MARIN COUNTY, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record providing structural design for Beverly Prior Architects, who were selected by Nicasio Unified School District as their District Architects to develop the building program and school facility master plan. The eight-acre site is located in a rural setting, and the existing classroom building is located near the original Nicasio schoolhouse built in 1871. A new multi-purpose/gymnasium building was located for convenient access by the students and use by the community. A new library and media center building was sited opposite the historic schoolhouse. Also included in this $5M project, completed in 2002, are two new classrooms, an administration/office building, a science lab and an art room.
TOM HAWKINS SCHOOL, TRACY, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record responsible for the structural design of a new K-8 school that contains a fair amount of architecturally exposed structural steel buildings. The new school, currently educating 750 students, has an Administration Building/Teacher’s Lounge (2800sf), a Kindergarten Building (2800sf), a Gym/Multi-Purpose Room (11,500sf) and a Library (2300sf). The school also houses 34 pre-engineered classroom buildings, which were outside MFT’s scope of work, and was completed in the Summer of 2002.
WHISMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UPGRADE, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for the Whisman Elementary School multi-purpose room, which was the school’s only assembly space and was heavily used for many years. By 1997, the building needed extensive cosmetic upgrades, architectural and structural modifications to meet ADA requirements. The multi-purpose room remodel added a stage at one end of the room and substantial additional storage, repaired the effects of years of heavy use, corrected seismic deficiencies and added the required ADA upgrades.
MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL, CUPERTINO, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for providing the underpinning design of a two-story concrete wall during the renovation of the existing high school. The work included ADA additions including elevators, ramps and other access features.
CAREY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SAN MATEO CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for structural engineering for this elementary school remodel and expansion. The project adds three classrooms, a new library, retaining wall and site work.
JUDICIAL FACILITIES
AUBURN JUSTICE CENTER, AUBURN, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record on this $25M project. The structure includes 63,000sf of offices and special criminal justice facilities for County of Placer personnel. Emergency dispatch is located on the second floor. The building is a two story L-shaped steel building. Special steel moment connections were used per FEMA 350 requirements. The project is under construction and completion is expected in June 2006.
ALAMEDA COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM MASTER PLAN, OAKLAND, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for the structural evaluations and structural/seismic consulting for the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Facilities Master Plan and Needs Assessment. The consulting team evaluated the existing building at the San Leandro site, assisting in developing site criteria for new facilities and analyzing existing sites against those criteria. Once the Master Plan was defined, team leaders developed the funding schedule and oversaw design development, bidding and construction of this $132M project.
ALAMEDA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL RENOVATION, ALAMEDA, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record to provide structural engineering services for the new design and construction of a police administrative building and extensive remodel and renovation to an existing operating juvenile hall facility. The new building was designed in reinforced concrete and concrete masonry units (CMU). The project incorporated radical modifications to the existing structure to integrate it into the new Master Plan.
KING’S COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER, HANFORD, CA – Principal S.E. for the structural and seismic design of this juvenile detention center, facing a higher number of violent offenders in an already overcrowded facility. MFT provided conceptual structural design while producing a grant application to the Board of Corrections for State and Federal funding with Beverly Prior Architects. The team was successful in achieving Phase 1 funding for the remodeling of the existing booking area, adding three beds to the maximum-security housing unit, adding a new recreation yard and a secure vehicle sallyport with newly configured parking. The team is now proceeding with design for construction this year (2000), Phase 2 will include a new 16-bed maximum-security housing unit, a new classroom, a recreation area, special interview rooms and an examination room.
MOTHER LODE JUVENILE HALL, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for the structural and seismic upgrade of this new full-service 60-bed facility with 22,000sf of indoor space. The Counties of Calaveras, Tuolumne and Amador joined together to develop a new, full service juvenile detention facility providing space for juveniles, staff and public, allowing supervision, security, classification, processing and detainment of adjudicated and non-adjudicated juveniles. A site was selected requiring new services, utilities, drainage, roads and landscaping.
SOLANO COUNTY HALL OF JUSTICE – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for structural design of this $4.1M additional and remodel of the Solano County Hall of Justice. The project includes adding two trail courtrooms and one hearing room with all necessary support offices and spaces, including judge’s chambers, expanded jury assembly areas, new parking areas, judges’ secured parking, a new CCTV system and an expanded vehicle sallyport.
HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES SUTTER COAST HOSPITAL, CRESCENT CITY, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for this addition of a Skilled Nursing Facility at the hospital, responsible for quality control and contract administration.
ST. ROSE HOSPITAL, HAYWARD, CA – Principal S.E. of the seismic assessment of the existing hospital facility re the application of SB 1953.
MT. ZION CAMPUS, UCSF, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Principal S.E. for OSHPD-regulated projects including admitting, maternity, central plant, radiology, angiography, dental and oral surgery and nuclear medicine.
GENERAL SERVICES AGENCY, ALAMEDA COUNTY, OAKLAND, CA – Principal S.E. of the firm’s on-call, indefinite quantity contract to provide plan check services for the Alameda County GSA.
PUBLIC/PRIVATE COMPLEXES ST. MARY’S CHINESE CATHOLIC CENTER AND SENIOR INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record on this $30M project. The structure will include a 60,000sf, five-level school for 400 K-8 students, a gymnasium/community center, a chapel and a 17-story apartment building constructed over 3½ levels of underground parking. This project is divided into 3 packages: Package 1 was completed in February 2004, Package 2 was completed in 2005 and Package 3 is on hold waiting for construction funding.
HYATT REGENCY HOTEL/OAKLAND CONVENTION CENTER, OAKLAND, CA – Project Engineer, responsible for structural design for this 21-story structural steel-framed hotel tower adjacent to the Oakland Convention Center. The project included a multi-level atrium, a rooftop swimming pool, and plaza that connected the hotel to the convention center.
MOSCONE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Engineer of Record to design a 500,000sf expansion to the main below-grade convention hall and renovation design of four below-street connector tunnels. Mr. Tarazi also provided structural evaluation of various vertical expansions over the main roof of the convention hall.
DELTA AIRLINES CROWN ROOM PROGRAMMING EVALUATION AND FEASIBILITY STUDY, SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Principal S.E. of the structural design and engineering portion of this $2.5M project. MFT completed a feasibility study to add three floors on top of the existing concourses. MFT also provided preliminary structural and seismic evaluation of three programming plan schemes for Delta Airlines and the San Francisco International Airport. The three plan schemes all involve providing a Club Level on top or at the existing Mechanical Penthouse roof. MFT summarized and evaluated each scheme and the various structural issues affecting each scheme, and assisted Gensler in arriving at a single recommendation (a fourth scheme) for Delta Airlines.
PRIVATE CORPORATION & RETAIL EXPERIENCE GENENTECH CHILD CARE CENTER SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Principal S.E. of Genentech Child Care Center that involved the design of a two story steel moment frame administration building and five one story wood construction child care buildings. Estimated construction cost is $17 million.
ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC., FOSTER CITY, CA – Principal S.E. of EFI’s corporate headquarters campus involving approximately 1,000,000sf of office space built on the shores of the Bay. Mr. Tarazi was responsible for contract administration, budget control, and staff assignment and monitoring for the $30M (Phase 1 only) project.
READ-RITE CORPORATION, FREMONT, CA – Principal S.E. and Engineer of Record for the schematic structural and seismic design of this $10.4M design project for the company’s new, two story, 100,000sf headquarters office building. The major portion of the lower floor is designed for research and development, heavy high-tech laboratory use and future clean room installation.
OPERA PLAZA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Project Engineer for structural design of three 13-story apartment towers of steel-framed construction with averaged less than 11psf in weight. Four-story steel-framed townhouse structures were built between the towers over two levels of reinforced concrete retail and commercial spaces over two levels of below-grade parking. The construction included a post-tensioned podium slab at grade. The project furnished over 430 residential units and totaled over 1 million square feet.
NIKKO HOTEL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Project Engineer on the structural design for this 560,000sf 23-story hotel covering a full city block site. The framing is of ductile moment-resisting steel construction with two levels below grade parking, restaurants, retail shops and service facilities.
CLUB HILTON HOTEL, PLEASANTON, CA – Lead Engineer on the structural design of this 300-room full service, five-story hotel constructed of reinforced and post-tensioned concrete.
CALSPORT, OAKLAND, CA – Engineer of Record for this two-story, 17,000sf structural steel and wood-framed building. This multi-purpose structure was primarily designed for sports medicine offices and featured a large central skylight over exercise, training and physical therapy areas.
NATURE COMPANY CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS SEISMIC UPGRADE, BERKELEY, CA –Engineer of Record
ADDITIONAL PROJECT EXPERIENCE Veterans Memorial Buildings, Alameda, Albany, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, and San Leandro, CA Alameda County Central Health Center, Oakland, CA
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
1988 - 1989 Project Manager, AGS Consultants, San Francisco, CA 1987 - 1988 Project Manager HKA Consulting Engineers, San Francisco, CA 1979 - 1987 Project Engineer Cygna Consulting Engineers, San Francisco, CA
EDUCATION
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, 1978
M.S. Structural Engineering & Mechanics U.C. Berkeley, 1979
