Highlights of Relevant Technical Expertise

Dr. Gross is a mechanical engineer and computational expert with 40 years of professional experience, including the management of complex technical projects.  Dr. Gross’ technical experience includes risk assessment for earthquakes, studies of explosions and underground structures, underground contaminant transport, fluid flow, and structural response. Specific highlights of this technical experience are as follows:

•   Risk Assessment. Risk assessment for the seismic response of engineered structures and underground openings at the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP).  Dr. Gross was the leader of the team that evaluated seismic-induced damage to engineered structures and to the underground facility, and represented this damage in a probabilistic risk assessment.  Developed performance assessment models for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, an underground waste repository in Carlsbad, NM.

•    Underground Contaminant Transport. Developed simplified hydrologic models for the CAMBRIC underground atomic test at Frenchman Flat and for the CHESHIRE underground atomic test at Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site.  The results with the simplified models were successfully compared with the results from detailed thermal-hydrologic calculations performed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

•    Explosions. Dr. Gross’ experience with high explosives and propellants includes the design, fabrication and testing of explosive drivers and other explosively-driven devices.  Performed experimental studies related to military ordnance, including an explosively driven magnetohydrodynamic generator, a blast muffler system, and a hypervelocity defuser for ordnance.

•    Response of Underground Facilities. Dr. Gross evaluated the vulnerability of reinforced tunnel structures in a variety of geologic settings to the ground shock environment of a nuclear burst.  Results were instru­mental in reevaluating the vulnerability of the Soviet command/control system.  Dr. Gross also developed a model for air drilling that was used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate releases caused by air drilling from the certification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

•    Fluid Flow and Structural Response. Dr. Gross has performed ventilation analyses for underground facilities and developed advanced computational methods to simulate the response of the internal compo­nents of a nuclear reactor during a loss-of-coolant accident. 

University of California, Berkeley – Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 1975

Harvard University – M.S., Physics, 1968

Johns Hopkins University – B.A., Mathematics, 1967

Prior Expert Witness Experience

•     California Sportfishing vs. Calpine Geysers Co. (hydrologic and geologic response)

•     Fletcher vs. Theater Effects Inc. (explosion during a performance)

·         A letter of commendation from Mr. George Dials, former Manager of the Carlsbad Area Office of the DOE, for work related to performance assessment.

·         A Division 6000 Employee Recognition Award from Sandia National Laboratories for participation on the team evaluating spalling releases from the WIPP repository.

·         A meritorious achievement award from Sandia National Laboratories for participation on the Spall Evaluation Team.

·         A noteworthy activity involved development of a spall model for air drilling, where Dr. Gross’ work was used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate releases caused by air drilling from the certification for the WIPP.

Full CV Available on Request: Contact mike_gross@earthlink.net or 415-482-8200;