Katrina Marx is a structural engineer in the Design Branch. Marx came to Kansas City District in 2007 from private industry where she worked for a couple of bridge design firms. That unique experience led to her recent selection as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Load Rating Engineer.
The USACE headquarters was instructed to designate someone to oversee all of the bridge load ratings throughout the Corps.
“Based on my experience and my engagement in doing load ratings throughout the Corps over the last number of years, the Corps thought I would be good to fill this new position,” said Marx. “Those years of experience in bridge design that I brought to the Corps is something that not a lot of people have, because they didn’t do that type of work previously. It’s a background that you wouldn’t think the Corps would need, but they do for a large inventory of bridges that we maintain and inspect. I’m excited about being asked to do this.”
In this new capacity, Marx works with districts Corps-wide, in person and virtually, analyzing the bridges to ensure they are safe for vehicles.
“I think maybe the public doesn’t realize the importance of bridges sometimes because it’s an unnoticed benefit,” said Marx. “They are very expensive to build and maintain. Load ratings are not something glamourous like designing a building, but bridges are used by everybody and we are making sure they are safe.”
An interest in engineering took hold of Marx when she was a child fascinated with architecture and buildings. She enjoyed going through houses under construction to explore the layout and design and to see how the house was built. She credits her brother, a chemical engineer, with being an inspiration to become an engineer herself.
When not out inspecting bridges, Marx enjoys reading, gardening, bike riding, being outdoors and playing with her children.