April 1, 2019, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – Knight Piésold welcomes the addition of Gustavo Rocha Vianna as a senior geotechnical engineer and director of operations for Brazil. Based in Belo Horizonte, Vianna joins Octavio Vilas Boas Machado Filho, senior geotechnical engineer and technical director, to lead and support Knight Piésold’s expanding services to the mining industry in the country and worldwide.

Gustavo brings 24 years of experience in geotechnical engineering for deep foundations, mining, and infrastructure projects across Brazil. He is a founding partner of NOVASOLO Engenharia, a foundation investigation and deep foundation construction company, where he was technically responsible for over 110,000 meters of driven piles, settlement monitoring of over 25 large structures, and numerous geotechnical investigations during the construction boom leading up to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic games. Most recently, he was a partner and senior geotechnical engineer for TEC3 Geotecnia e Recursos Hídricos, where he worked on mining application projects, dam safety auditing, and emergency planning studies.

Gustavo earned his Master of Science degree in geoenvironmental engineering from Colorado State University in 2009, following his baccalaureate in civil engineering from FUMEC University in Belo Horizonte. He has taught geotechnical-related workshops, short courses, and graduate courses as an assistant professor, facilitator, and guest lecturer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais and FUMEC University in Brazil. He is a recognized leader in the engineering community in Brazil, recently serving as the president of the Brazilian Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in Minas Gerais (ABMS) and lead organizer for GeoMin 2017 in Ouro Preto, Brazil.

“Gustavo brings an important combination of business expertise and entrepreneurship with a diverse soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering background in mining and other industries in Brazil,” said Paul Ridlen, president of Knight Piesold USA. “He shares Knight Piesold’s commitment to technical excellence, integrity, and client service that fits perfectly with Knight Piesold’s core values. We are excited to welcome him to our team.”