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Following 4 years as an assistant professor in the Maritime Systems Engineering department at Texas A&M University – Galveston, Dr. Vazquez began his “industry” career at Bennett & Associates. As its Technical Director, he was responsible for maintaining the quality and scope of all engineering analyses. He later became its Technical Director & CEO, and eventually President & CEO, continuing to be responsible for all technical matters for the company.
While at Bennett, he worked on jackup technology, co-authoring the Jack-up Primer and a number of papers on RPD. He also lead the team that designed the MinDOC 3 hull – for the first dry-tree floating production unit designed to post-Katrina standards.
Dr. Vazquez’s experience includes overseeing and directing the design work of structural engineers, naval architects, hydrodynamicists and project managers to ensure compliance with engineering and construction practices as well as regulatory agencies. He is well versed in structural dynamic and motion/mooring analyses as well as in the design of jackups,
Jose H. Vazquez, Ph.D.
Vice President Strategic Consulting
3Dent Technology is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ocean Power Technologies. Based in Houston, Texas, 3Dent’s engineers and naval architects are uniquely suited for high-level offshore engineering, providing consulting engineering and design services to offshore wind developers, offshore construction companies, drilling contractors, major oil companies, service companies, and engineering firms.
liftboats, semisubmersibles and deep draft production facilities. He has also developed proprietary software to bridge the gap among software packages from different engineering disciplines, and for monitoring in-place vessel performance (motion response and fatigue damage).
As co-founder of 3DENT, Dr. Vazquez is responsible for new technology and client relations. He also teaches part-time in the graduate program at the University of Houston’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.
Dr. Vazquez is a graduate of the University of Houston (BSCE ’89, MSCE ‘ 90 and Ph.D. CE ’05).
Bart Grasso is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas, with a keen awareness of the intricacies and challenges of the offshore industry. Throughout his career he has had broad based responsibilities in the development of offshore structures from concept to installation. Mr. Grasso began his career in the offshore industry as a Field Engineer for Schlumberger Oilfield Services moving on from there to join Bennett & Associates. He currently serves as the Director of Engineering for 3DENT and is responsible for the management of all technical staff and related engineering activities including structural engineering, hydrodynamics, and naval architecture consulting services. Mr Grasso is also responsible for the development of concept and basic designs of offshore structures with a focus on jackups, liftboats, and semi submersibles, and the assurance that calculations follow applicable laws, standards, and codes including SNAME, ISO, AISC, API, ABS, and DNV. Mr. Grasso has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tulane University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University.
Bart Grasso, P.E.
Director Strategic Consulting
Frank "Sandy" Strachan is a registered professional engineer in the state of Louisiana. He has a wide range of experience, skills, and education that provides the tools to meet the challenges of office, shipyard, and offshore work environments. Mr. Strachan’s greatest asset is his ability to work closely with clients, operators as well as technical, and non-technical personnel to solve complex engineering and design issues. Having worked closely with regulatory agencies on a multitude of projects both in the office and field, Sandy has an in-depth knowledge of the approval requirements and process. He has been involved in the designs of jackups, semisubmersibles, liftboats and small boats. Mr. Strachan obtained a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and then a M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of New Orleans. His past experience and knowledge allow great flexibility to work in the constantly changing environments of the offshore energy industry while meeting the client’s needs and expectations.