Dr. Timothy D Bechtel
Lancaster, PA 17603
Office: 800-273-8839
Dr. Bechtel is geophysicist/geologist, and a world-renowned expert on sinkholes. But not just sinkholes; bedrock conditions, caves, water pollution, and all issues related to karst terranes. Dr. Bechtel has 35+ years of experience in the engineering/environmental industry, as well as faculty positions at Franklin & Marshall College, the University of Memphis and the University of Pennsylvania, and is an appointed member of the International Karst Commission. Dr. Bechtel has been an expert in dozens of sinkole or karst-related cases - often related to causes of sinkholes and/or water problems.
Dr. Bechtel also has expertise and courtroom experience in Unconventional Oil & Gas, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and fracking-industry-related earthquakes, all fields of seismology, seismic hazards, vibration monitoring and analysis, subsidence, soil creep, landslides, rockfalls, non-destructive evaluation of earthen dams and levees, subsurface utility locating and marking, and corrosion of underground structures. He has used non-destructive geophysical subsurface imaging to locate buried weapons caches and other evidence, as well as human remains (e.g. in missing persons cases or to confirm the presence of burials in cemetery plots).
For the past 23+ years, Dr. Bechtel has also been involved in cutting edge research into detection of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Dr. Bechtel has been recognized as an expert by county, state and federal courts, and has never had a successful challenge to his qualifications.
- Aerial Photography
- Coal
- Construction
- Construction Damages
- Construction Site
- Environmental
- Environmental Engineering
- Geology
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Hydrology & Groundwater
- Oil & Gas
- Physics
- Scheduling Delay & Analysis
- Seismology
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: B.Sc., Haverford College, 1982
M.Sc., Brown University, 1984
Ph.D., Brown University, 1989
Registered P.G. (Professional Geologist), 1992
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: International Karst Commission, appointed member
International Association of Hydrogeologists Journal, appointed Associate Editor
Journal of Sensing and Imaging, appointed Associate Editor
Geological Society of America
Association of Engineering Geologists
American Geophysical Union
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Engineering and Environmental Geophysical Society
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Engineers Without Borders
Geoscientists Without Borders - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Adjunct Graduate Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 2000-2016
teaching in geology, geophysics and geocomputation
Visiting Professor, Adjunct Professor, Visiting Scholar, Associate Teaching Professor, Director of Science Outreach, Senior Teaching Professor, Franklin and Marshall College, 2009-present
teaching and research in environmental and engineering geology, UXO and mine clearance, petroleum geology, rock mechanics
Adjunct Graduate Professor, the University of Memphis, 2023-present
supervise graduate student research - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Approximately 150
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Karst Geology and Hydrology (sinkholes, caves, rock pinnacles, water pollution)
Unconventional Oil & Gas (hydraulic fracturing)
Rock Falls (e.g. onto highways)
Landslides
Pipeline Corrosion
Traffic and Blasting Vibration
Disturbance of burials or mistaken burials in cemeteries
UXO Incidents - Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: Approximately 40%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: Approximately 60%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: Approximately 60
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: December, 2023
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: More than 25
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: More than 25
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: More than 32
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, testing, reports, site inspections, document review
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $300/hour (15-minute increments)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $300/hour (15-minute increments)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $400/hour (15-minute increments)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $400/hour (15-minute increments)
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Travel at $230/hour
Driving mileage at $1.50/mile
Per dia (if necessary) at $200/night
Airfare, reproduction, etc. at cost plus 10%
Diana A. Silva
Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP
Three Bala Plaza East
Suite 700
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
(484) 430-2347
DSilva@mankogold.com
Meghan E. Smith
Jones Walker
201 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70170-5100
(504) 582-8709
msmith@joneswalker.com
Mark E. Lovett
Brubaker Connaughton Goss & Lucarelli LLC
Urban Place
480 New Holland Avenue
Suite 6205
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 945-5745
markl@bcgl-law.com
Susan M. Dean
Rawle & Henderson, LLP
Centre Square West
1500 Market Street, 19th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 575-4296
sdean@rawle.com
Daniel Berger
Berger & Montague, P.C.
1622 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 875-3000
danberger@bm.net