BELLEVUE, WA — Robert Wallner joins HNTB Corporation’s national tunnel practice as Principal Engineer and Director, Tunnels and Underground Structures. He is based in the firm’s Seattle-area office and serves as a resource to clients and projects across the nation.

With more than 25 years of experience, Wallner’s expertise includes design and construction supervision of foundation and underground projects in soil and rock utilizing sequential excavation method, tunnel boring machine, and cut-and-cover methods. He also has experience in quality assurance and quality control, material testing, and verification and validation of systems for compliance with various standards and specifications.

“Robert is recognized nationally and internationally for his outstanding technical skills as well as proven leadership ability on the most complex tunnel and underground projects,” said Sanja Zlatanic, PE, HNTB National Tunnel Practice Chair, Senior Vice President and HNTB Fellow. “Adding him to the growing HNTB team brings another elevated level of expertise, experience, and service to our private and public clients.”

Wallner previously served in project leadership roles for another consulting firm on California and Taiwan High Speed Rail Projects, Sound Transit Beacon Hill Station Project, and Caltrans Caldecott - 4th Bore Project. He served as Resident Technical Engineer on the Transport for London Crossrail Project and Senior Tunnel Engineer on the New Jersey Transit Trans Hudson Express Tunnels.

Wallner earned his MAS in business management from Salzburg University; M.Sc. in engineering management from Oakland University; and M.Sc. in engineering geology from Technical University Graz/Karl-Franzens University Graz. He is a registered Consulting Engineer with the Austrian Association of Consulting Engineers and a member of the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations.