Brian Cates is the founder and president of CATES ENGINEERING, LTD. He has a diverse background of design and construction experience that enables him to obtain a proper perspective for each project. Mr. Cates' design philosophy allows the firm to be innovative while providing designs that are both economical and up to date with current construction techniques.
Mr. Cates strongly believes the role of the consulting engineer is to give the most efficient structural system possible for each project while allowing freedom for the architect. This approach leads to a positive work environment between the architect and engineer and assures that the design intent will not be compromised.
Mr. Cates is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a major in structures. He was enrolled in the Cooperative Education Program with VPI and employed by a large Architectural/Engineering firm located in McLean, VA. After obtaining his engineering degree, Mr. Cates returned as a structural engineer with the same A/E firm where he was involved primarily in the design of large commercial and institutional buildings. During this time he was able to obtain a great variety of design experiences and became a project manager before leaving to work for a structural consulting firm. His role at the consulting firm as a project engineer and manager enabled him to see each job through concept to completion. Mr. Cates was responsible for numerous commercial, industrial, institutional and residential projects and was exposed to all types of building systems and materials. He also performed field investigations, completed renovation projects and provided expert witness testimony for litigation purposes. Recognizing a market for innovative and high quality engineering services, he established CATES DESIGN in 1988 and CATES ENGINEERING, LTD. in 1997.
Mr. Cates is currently president of Cates Engineering Ltd. and oversees the day to day operations of the firm. He is involved directly with the conceptual design and working drawings for each project and is able to maintain a high level of unification over the design team. He has considerable experience with computer-aided design and finite element applications. Mr. Cates has also provided construction review services in many new jobs and renovation projects. He is familiar with government procedures and requirements for design professionals and currently maintains a security clearance with a branch of the Federal Government.
Mr. Cates is licensed as a professional engineer in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia and Washington, DC. He is a member of SEA/CASE?MW, SERMC, BOCA, AISC, AWC and ACI.