Douglas Gadow, P.E., S.E., F.ASCE, a structural engineer and founder of Linchpin Structural Engineering, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Linchpin is a practice serving public and private clients throughout the western United States. With over 25 years of engineering experience and an additional decade of construction experience, Gadow’s work spans new structural design, seismic rehabilitation, structural investigation, and specialty structures in regions characterized by high seismic demand and significant snow loading.
Gadow has performed more than 300 seismic evaluations of existing buildings, including mid-rise and high-rise structures, and has consulted on over 250 registered historic structures at the national, state, and local levels. His projects have included rehabilitation work within Yosemite National Park and at Hearst Castle. His work spans both historic and contemporary structures, focusing on practical seismic solutions that improve life safety and structural performance.
In addition to rehabilitation and investigation, Gadow leads structural design efforts for steel-framed buildings, reinforced masonry (CMU) structures, cast-in-place and posttensioned concrete systems, high-end residential projects, public and recreational facilities, and specialty structures in mountainous and environmentally sensitive regions. His work regularly addresses complex load combinations associated with seismic forces, extreme snow loading, and challenging site conditions.
He has also engineered numerous custom tree-supported and elevated specialty structures, applying disciplined structural analysis to architecturally ambitious and unconventional designs. These projects require careful consideration of connection detailing, long-term movement, durability, and occupant safety.
Gadow is licensed as a structural engineer in multiple western states, enabling practice across diverse seismic and climatic environments. At the national level, he serves as a voting member of the ASCE 7 Building Design Loads–Snow & Rain Load Committee for the 2016, 2022, and upcoming 2028 editions, contributing to structural load provisions incorporated into the International Building Code and adopted throughout the United States.
He is committed to development of the next generation of structural engineers. Within his firm, he has created a practice environment designed to provide early-career engineers exposure to diverse structural systems, materials, and regulatory frameworks. He has also provided one-on-one mentoring to engineering students at the University of Nevada, Reno.
His professional service includes leadership as chair of the Town of Truckee Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, service as a planning commissioner for the Town of Truckee, and board membership with the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe.
Through leadership in structural design, seismic evaluation, national load standard development, and mentorship, Gadow contributes to the advancement of structural engineering practice and the resilience of the built environment.
