Forell | Elsesser utilized its seismic isolation design and passive damping expertise to help with the seismic retrofit of the landmark Coronado Bay Bridge

How to do help make a critical transportation link safer in an earthquake?

With the firm since 1984, Mason is a Senior Principal at Forell | Elsesser. One of Mason’s most effective roles at the firm is orchestrating teams of engineers to leverage their varied areas of expertise, and quickly develop solutions to even the most complex problems. He constantly explores solution concepts and ideas that are outside the norm, leading to unexpectedly elegant and efficient solutions–a practice he encourages with those he mentors. Mason has also had success in crossing lines between engineering disciplines and construction processes to improve existing structural engineering methods to the benefit of F/E’s clients.



As a well-known industry leader, Mason is a resource for in-house staff and colleagues. His engineering expertise includes such diverse areas as sustainable concrete mix design, seismic isolation of new and historic buildings, long-span bridge design, and performance-based seismic design of steel structures. He excels at the analysis, testing, and design for unusual projects that fall outside the scope of traditional building codes. In the early 1990’s, he developed specifications and testing requirements that were used for the U.S. Court of Appeals seismic retrofit in San Francisco, the first federally funded seismic isolation project.&nbsp;Mason is&nbsp;a licensed Structural Engineer in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and licensed Professional Engineer in D.C. Mason earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master of Engineering degree in Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics from UC Berkeley.



Mason’s recreational interests include hiking, fly fishing, cinema, metalworking, and carpentry.  He sometimes integrates the latter two interests into his structural engineering practice by building physical models of structures and structural hardware to quickly enhance the clients’ and colleagues’ grasp of complex structural concepts.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Professional Associations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>University of California Office of the President Seismic Advisory Board (Charter Member, Chair 2017-2022)</li>



<li>Caltrans Seismic Advisory Board</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), Solar Photovoltaic Systems Seismic Committee, Voting Member</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Director (2003-2005); Convention Technical Committee, Former Co-Chair;&nbsp;Program Committee, Former Chair; Subcommittee on Protective Systems;&nbsp;Subcommittee on Non-Building Structures</li>



<li>American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)</li>



<li>International Association for Bridge &amp; Structural Engineering (IABSE)</li>
</ul>

University of California, Berkeley, Archeology Building

University of California, Berkeley, Hildebrand Hall

University of California, Berkeley, Latimer Hall

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Biosolids Digester Facilities Project

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City Main Temple, Seismic Retrofit

GSA, James R. Browning, U.S. Court of Appeals Building

San Francisco Mint, Seismic Evaluation & Seismic Upgrade

Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center

PG&E HQ, 245 Market Street Complex

Meta, MPK 20

345 Brannan, Office Complex

Utah State Capitol Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco City Hall, Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco 911 Emergency Communications Center

Oakland City Hall Seismic Rehabilitation

LLNL, Building 453 Terascale Simulation Facility

Hiram W. Johnson State Office Building + Earl Warren Supreme Court Building

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Mokelumne Aqueduct Seismic Upgrade

JCC, Mono County Courthouse, Mammoth Lakes, CA

San Francisco International Airport Concourse H BART Station

West Cargo Facility

UCSF Mission Bay Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Hall

UC Berkeley, Sutardja Dai Hall, CITRIS HQ

University of California, Berkeley, Simpson Training Center

UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute of Design Innovation

UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium Seismic Upgrade

UC Berkeley, Blum Center for Developing Economies

UC Berkeley Barker Hall Seismic Upgrade

Stanford University, McMurtry Art & Art History Building

Stanford University, Bass Biology Research Building

Lick-Wilmerding High School, Expansion & Renovation

University of California, Berkeley, Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

UCSF Parnassus Ray & Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine

San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge Seismic Retrofit

SFJAZZ Center

Congregation Beth Sholom

Tulare County (Porterville) Courthouse

SFMTA, Central Subway Chinatown – Rose Pak Station

San Francisco International Airport Rental Car Parking Garage

San Francisco International Airport North & South Public Parking Garages

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)

UCSF Parnassus Clinical Sciences Building

Senior Principal

Mason Walters

Aviation + Transportation

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