1. Gabriel Puerta
Carrera 65f No. 31 – 40 (726), Medellín - Colombia
(+574) 416 3624 (+57) 314 645 1723
gpuertag@gmail.com Puerta Echeverri
Visa Status: Skilled (Migrant) (class VE) subclass 176 Skilled – Sponsored. Granted by the State of South
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Australia on December 6 2010.
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Arrival Date in Adelaide, Australia: August 3 2011.
Profile
Professional Civil Engineer with over 20 years of experience performing as site engineer, senior remedial engineer,
Post-Tensioning engineer and Post-Tensioning project manager. Key projects include 187-unit housing
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development project, structures rehabilitation after 1999´s Colombian earthquake, over 300.000 m Post-
Tensioned slabs, pre-cast tilt-up panels and beams for buildings, bridges, parking stores and warehouses. Fully
conversant with QA/QC ISO 9001 and OH&S plans design & implementation.
Core Competencies
Ability to manage projects to time, budget and OH&S restraints having planned and managed important
construction contracts for the companies I have worked for.
Highly experienced in troubleshooting gained from extensive experience as a team player as well as a team
leader. I have created effective solutions to overcome unforeseen problems for Post-Tensioned structures and
several technical ways to recover damaged concrete structures using Post-Tensioning systems.
Excellent analytical skills having efficiently specified and developed technical documents such as the Technical
Specification for Post – Tensioning Procedures within the company I have been leading since 2005 as well as
effectively estimated and controlled budgets, proposals and schedules.
High sensibility and capability for resources management and optimisation – financial and human resources,
and equipment – .
Demonstrated ability to manage and operate Post - Tensioning equipment having actively participated in every
single project that the company I lead has been involved in.
Demonstrated teamwork skills, as well as the ability to work successfully on my own initiative by having been
both, team member and leader within construction project teams.
Flexibility to work in remote areas and easy adjustment to new environments.
Advanced AutoCAD and Microsoft Office Skills (MS Word, Excel, Project). I have reviewed every single plan for
reinforced and Post-Tensioned structures and based on this, developed and controlled budgets, proposals and
schedules.
Fluent spoken and written English. Native Spanish.
Career Objectives
To boost my technical and managerial skills by getting involved in new engineering challenges such as
infrastructure works.
To improve my structural design skills by getting a position that allows me being in permanent contact with a
design team.
To apply my Post – Tensioned structures construction knowledge by working for a company that either uses or
would like to apply such technology.
To settle myself in a long term job where I will be able to demonstrate and develop my capabilities.
2. Gabriel Puerta Page 2 of 5
Professional History
[1] Employer Sistemas de Postensionado G.P.E.U. (Post–Tensioning Systems supplier for
buildings and bridges in Colombia)
Date November 2005 – Present
Position Owner and Manager
Duties Management
Identify targets, resources and procedures in order to define company´s strategies and
projections.
Management of human and financial resources.
Development and control of proposals, budgets and timetables; estimating work´s
quantities and company´s income, expenses and profit.
Delivering finished Post - Tensioned works to the client and liquidation of contracts.
Liaise with colleagues and other professionals such as architects and OH&S specialists to
ensure a better outcome while performing Post-Tensioning procedures.
Identify potential risks on site and devise solutions to meet OH&S safety standards.
Prepare monthly financial reports to be delivered and analysed by the company´s
accountant to anticipate and correct any deviation over the budget.
Organise and lead weekly project meetings with foreman to review project progress and
ensure that time, quality and waste considerations are met.
Technical
Evaluation and analysis of structural draws and data in order to find out any
incongruence that may represent structural risk.
Recruited and trained the personnel needed for each project within a month before
project´s starting date; each team was fully operational within the month next to that
starting date.
Planning and execution of technical procedures according to technical specifications and
structural draws.
Management, supervision and interpretation of all data collected in technical processes.
Regular inspection of company´s equipment, assessing maintenance plan, foreseeing
needs and preparing solutions.
Coordinate site activities in order to minimise disturbances to other contractors.
Manage rubble and remaining in order to minimise environmental impact.
Prepare technical reports over the Post-Tensioning procedures outcome data and deliver
them to the Structural Designer and inspector or client´s representative.
Achievements
I have positioned the company I have been leading since 2005, within the top 10 most
important Post - Tensioning companies in Colombia.
The company has supplied over 600 tons of Post – Tensioning System for buildings and
infrastructure (including pre-cast segmented beams for bridges and pre-cast concrete
panels for Tilt-Up systems on warehouse facades) for important companies and
institutions in Colombia (www.arquitecturayconcreto.com, www.sistematilt-up.com,
www.grupo-monarca.com, www.estaco.com, www.furel.com.co, www.udea.edu.co)
My workers have raised their standard of living since they have been working for the
company.
Due to the implementation of OH&S plans in every single project none of my workers
suffered an accident on site along these years even though we were frequently working
on towering buildings.
3. Gabriel Puerta Page 3 of 5
[2] Employer Pórticos Ingenieros Civiles S.A. (Leader Construction Company in Colombia).
www.porticossa.com
Date September 1997 – September 2005
Position Budgets and Control Engineer (1997-1998) – Remedial Engineering and New Technologies
Engineer (1998-1999) – Senior Post-Tensioning Engineer (1999-2004) - Senior Site
Engineer (2004-2005).
Duties As Budget and Control Engineer
Request and evaluation of quotations and tenders from suppliers/subcontractors.
Estimation and control of works´ quantities, budgets and timetables.
Estimation of the workforce required for each work´s activity.
Development of financial and technical proposals for buildings and infrastructure.
Development of tenders either for public and private sectors.
Supervise every project and prepare reports about progress, cost, building erection,
man-hours and accounts payable.
Liaise with site engineers.
Prepare and deliver reports & presentations to the work team.
As Remedial Engineering and New Technologies Engineer
Development of budgets and proposals.
Works´ planning and execution according to technical specifications and structural
draws.
Material and personnel requisition for worksites.
Development and control of subcontracts for both workforce and materials supply.
Final liquidation of work contracts.
Planning and execution of field tests to measure slope displacements in Soil-Nailing
works at different depths and locations.
Development of monthly financial and technical reports to company´s owners.
Coordination of site activities in order to meet quality target while keeping project
within budget and timetable.
Implementation of QA/QC plan according to ISO 9001-2000, including procedures and
checklists. QA/QC plan was successfully audited by INALCEC.
Weekly meetings with my foremen to ensure that we met performance goals, time
tables and relevant OH&S regulations.
Examination of contract documents and negotiating modifications with the client.
Assess project’s environmental impact and prepare a mitigation plan.
Prepare invoices according with work´s advances and submit it to client.
As Senior Post-Tensioning Engineer
Planning the Post-Tensioning department´s performance defining targets, resources and
procedures in order to its optimisation.
Estimating works´ quantities, budgets and timetables.
Planning and execution Post - Tensioning works according to technical specifications and
structural draws.
Management of Post-Tensioning equipment, materials and personnel.
Supervision of the assembly and installation of Post-Tensioning works for bridges and
buildings.
Management, supervision and interpretation of data collected at Post-Tensioning
procedures.
Final liquidation of contracts and monthly financial and technical reports to the
Company owners.
4. Gabriel Puerta Page 4 of 5
Implement OH&S and QA/QC plan for every project according to relevant regulations
and ISO 9001-2000.
Negotiate tenders with customer.
Control subcontractors’ payment by completed work assessment.
As Senior Site Engineer
Planning and selection of the right equipment and personnel needed to accomplish each
activity within the timetable and with a high quality performance.
Planning and execution of construction works according to technical specifications and
structural/architectural plans/drawings.
Develop and control projects´ budget and schedule.
Manage and supervise workforce and equipment at the construction site and keep track
of the construction supplies.
Manage liaisons between clients or their representatives with the company and building
inspector and OH&S consultants in weekly meetings.
Perform technical and financial reports for every project to the company owners and
clients on a monthly basis.
Final liquidation of subcontracts.
Achievements
I played an important role while I was working within the costs´ department since the
company was awarded with multimillion dollar contracts for the construction of bridges
and warehouses.
While I was working within the remedial engineering and new technologies department I
was in charge of more than 6 great projects including soil nailing and ground anchors
retaining walls and the updating of old reinforced structures to the recent Colombian
Construction regulations for Seismic Activity Resistance (NSR-98).
I was also in charge of the rehabilitation of several building structures after the
Colombian earthquake in 1999.
While I was working for the Post – Tensioning department, I was in charge of about 10
projects involving bridges, viaducts and buildings.
Due to the implementation of QA/QC plans according to ISO 9001-2000 that I led for
every single project, our department increased its profits, reduced complaints and the
customers were more satisfied.
I was the senior engineer for a residential set with 208 apartments in eight seven-story
buildings.
Managed subcontractors specially dealing with comprehension to details and drawings,
delivering better quality and speeding up progress.
The residential set was delivered on time, with expected quality and within estimated
budget.
I led the design and implementation of OH&S plan. Due to this, no worker suffered
serious accident on site.
Qualifications
Five-year Professional Civil Engineering degree (recognised by Engineers Australia as a Professional Civil
Engineer), Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería 1984-1990 (www.escuelaing.edu.co)
5. Gabriel Puerta Page 5 of 5
Further Training
Internal Quality Audit, Inalcec, Medellín, 1998
Internal Quality Audit, Pórticos Ingenieros Civiles, Medellín, 2003
AutoCad for Engineers, Sena, Medellín, 2000.
Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Microsoft Project 2007
References
Angela Martínez, Post-Tension Department Manager, Pórticos S.A.
postenporticos@une.net.co, (+57) 300 619 9396
Jairo Acosta, Operations Support Engineer, Western Power
jairoacosta@ymail.com, 0422 035 491
Juan Carlos Martinez, Unit 8, 5 Crozier Terrace Oaklands Park, SA 5046.
jmartinez183@yahoo.es, 0466 322 103
Written references and prior jobs will be available upon request