NOTE: See video here: http://bcove.me/12nh03s7
KABUL, Afghanistan - Matt Toton is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civilian employee on voluntary deployment to northern Afghanistan. For structural engineers, this is one of the most highly demanding and career affirming spots in the world.
"We're in one of the highest seismic zones in the world. We're at the confluence of a few different major faults. And if you look at the number of large earthquakes just in a year here it's almost unmatched in the world," said Toton of his assignment in Afghanistan. "So we have to design to the most current earthquake standards and seismic design standards, and if we're going to spend the money here, we have to do it right."
Toton is responsible for the ensuring that the construction of facilities for the Afghanistan National Security Forces in northern and eastern Afghanistan takes appropriate physical security - including seismic design - standards into account. Physical security is critical to the operations of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Toton works out of the Kabul-based Afghanistan Engineer District North.
Structural engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are involved in designing and assess the loads that structures like buildings and nonbuilding structures like bridges, dams, and parking structures can support. Their work is critical to ensuring that U.S. and allied forces operate in and on safe structures. Structural engineers are an integral part to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The job is never boring. And neither are the people in it.
Meet Matt Toton: http://bcove.me/12nh03s7
Related Links:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District - North
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