The Kleinfelder Blog

What comes to mind when you think about Geotechnical Engineering? Most would say soils and rocks, but it’s so much more. Janna Bonfiglio, PE, a Geotechnical Project Engineer and Project Manager in our San Diego office, says one of her favorite things about her job is the variety of projects she gets to work on – including bridges, water infrastructure, high-rise structures, hospitals, and schools, just to name a few.

“I like being able to work on challenging technical designs in the office and also being able to get some field time in, both during the field investigation stages and the construction stages,” she said. “It’s really cool seeing a design you worked on be built and come to life.”

One of those designs – and one of her favorite local projects – is the $900-million-plus, high-caliber Mid-Coast Corridor Transit project for San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), which extends San Diego’s trolley service 14 miles, from Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego to the University City community.

Janna standing in front of a reinforcement cage during work on the Mid-Coast

“This was a high-profile project for the San Diego region and was one of those projects where we got to see our designs come to life,” she said. “I observed a lot of drilled pile installations, allowing me to learn about different construction techniques relating to pile installation.”

“It’s one of my favorite projects because several bridges and viaducts for the trolley extensions were constructed all around town, and I get to point out to friends and family that I helped build that!”

Janna primarily focuses on projects with deep foundation elements or site-specific seismic hazards and says she is thankful for Kleinfelder’s expertise in the seismic engineering field.

“I have significantly expanded my seismic engineering capabilities and have learned a lot about this field since starting with Kleinfelder almost four years ago,” she said. “Having started my career on the East Coast, I found seismic engineering to be interesting but wasn’t able to put my interest to work. Making the move to join Kleinfelder in San Diego allowed me to pursue this interest and expand on my skills.”

Rob Torres, Kleinfelder Senior Program Manager, said that since joining Kleinfelder, Janna has shown a strong willingness to assist wherever help is needed and a desire to improve her technical skills.

“Working in the field logging borings or during construction on the Mid-Coast Corridor project has helped her understand the local geologic conditions necessary for proper analyses and the ability to provide our clients with sound, practical geotechnical solutions,” he said. “By developing her technical expertise in seismic engineering Janna has contributed greatly to Kleinfelder and is relied upon for those skills throughout the entire company.”

He added that, as an officer of the San Diego chapter of Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), she has become a well-respected geotechnical and seismic engineer in the local engineering community. “Kleinfelder is very pleased to have Janna as one of our key geotechnical professionals.”

And Janna’s advice to anyone interested in or just starting out in the field? “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s how you learn and grow as an engineer and ensures quality work is being delivered.”

Interested in a geotechnical career with Kleinfelder? Check out open opportunities here.