Don Lee Engineering is a multifaceted Engineering firm founded in 2002 by Don Lee providing Structural, Civil and Forensic Engineering and Litigation Support. The current focus of the Structural Engineering practice is the seismic anchorage of equipment in institutional and commercial settings. This includes MRI's and CAT scanners, X-ray machines and all the attendant equipment for such installations.  We also do the overall design and engineering for standalone surgery centers and Imaging installations.  We currently provide standard calculations to Hologic, a national firm which manufactures mammography machines.

 

Our other division provides machine design and prototype fabrication for various industries.

Our Chief Engineer, Don Lee's Resume'

Don holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from UCLA and is a registered Civil and Structural Engineer in California. His 45 years of experience were gained in the following positions:

  • 2002-Present: Don Lee Engineering

  • 1980-2002 Los Angeles County Architect Engineer Division

  • 1974-1980 Los Angeles County Dept. of Building and Safety

  • 1970-1974 Los Angeles County Coastal Engineering Group

  • 1967-1970 Northrop Aircraft Corporation

These positions allowed him to develop a unique skill set that includes expertise in the following:

  • Extensive experience in structural analysis, design, and preparation of construction documents for new structures, additions, alterations and added loads

  • Building Code enforcement and interpretation

  • Contract disputed and change orders

  • Peer review of major institutional projects

  • Design and supervision of emergency repairs

  • Litigation deposition, expert testimony and technical support

  • Extensive experience in failure analysis, damage investigations and field inspections in these areas:

    • Neglect, abuse and/or overloading

    • Fire, wind, water, waves and earth movement

    • Deterioration

    • Earthquake damage after 5 major earthquakes

    • "Bootleg" construction

    • Contractor errors during construction

His professional activities include membership in the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California, and a lifetime membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Secretary of ACI-SEASC Tack Committee on Slender Walls.

This committee tested 30, 4ft. wide 24ft high, concrete and masonry wall panels for lateral load capacity. The report of the committee formed the basis of the 1985 UBC code change allowing masonry walls to exceed a H/T of 25  using the methods developed in the report.

Awards:

Stephenson B. Barnes Award from the Structural Engineers Association for his work on the Slender Wall Committee.

Internal Services Department Directors Award for outstanding performance in support of the recovery effort following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

Publications:

Overview Paper on L.A. County Beaches presented at the 1986 California Shore and Beach Preservation's annual conference

Test Report on Slender Walls

Tall Slender Masonry Walls

Design of Reinforced Tall Slender Walls

Estimating Curves For Masonry Walls

Associate Engineer Sonya Lee's Resume'

Sonya holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering degrees from California State University, Long Beach. While working on her degrees, she wrote two research papers, "Repair of Reinforced Masonry" and "Structural Failures and Forensic Investigations".

She has worked in the machine shop division as a draftsman, apprentice machinist and machinist. After obtaining her Master's degree, she began to work as an Associate Civil Engineer. She has hands on experience working with steel, timber, concrete and masonry. Has worked in the field obtaining measurements to produce "as-built" drawings and documents. Observing field installation of anchorage bolts for medical equipment. Assisting in structural damage investigations.