About Us

Parkin

Our engineers have rigorous training. They have four-year degrees from engineering schools, and they have worked under professional supervision for four years since graduation to gain experience to qualify for their license examinations. They have taken and passed their Civil Engineering license exams. After two more years they are eligible to take their Structural Engineering specialty exams. Currently we have two engineers with Structural Engineering licenses, and one with a Civil Engineering License.

Licenses are required in each state where we perform engineering work. We have licensees in: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Hawaii.


History

John Parkin started his consulting business in 1982 after completing his assignment as Project Manager for post-tensioning subcontractor VSL on the Glenn Jackson Bridge, North Channel superstructure.  He had previously worked for VSL in Australia and the USA since 1971, following five years as a design engineer for the Public Buildings Department, South Australia during which period he designed several post-tensioned concrete buildings.  He graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1964, and from the University of Washington in 1966.

His consulting business was based in Clark County, Washington, at various addresses through the years.  He specialized in post-tensioning in both buildings and bridges, but has also structurally designed many wood-framed, steel-framed, concrete, and masonry buildings.  From UBC 1979 through to IBC 2009, the design codes have become more complex, and the permitting agencies have become more demanding of the design and documentation.  Also, of course, there has been a revolution in the use of computers in the design and detailing of structures.

The practice, by then incorporated as Parkin Engineering, Inc., was merged in 2005 into a subsidiary of Smith-Root, Inc., one of his clients.

Michael Daubenberger graduated from University of Portland in 2003, and has worked with John Parkin since.  He is a licensed Structural Engineer in several states.  Michael now is on a sabbatical and will return in 2012.