David Agri is a civil engineer with a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics. He has more than 10 years of experience in engineering design for mining, oil, and infrastructure projects. He has worked as a project engineer and project manager in the design and development of feasibility studies and basic and detailed engineering of tailings dams and leaching systems. He has experience in soil technical specification preparation, instrumentation, auscultation data analysis, Engineer of Record support, topographic survey and geophysical study interpretation, and technical proposal preparation.
As the Civil Discipline Lead at Knight Piésold Argentina, he leads the technical team of the geotechnical area, directing the execution and development of geotechnical site investigations, reporting, design, and stability analysis. He is also responsible for the geotechnical laboratory of Knight Piésold Argentina, coordinating field and laboratory geotechnical tests.

Why did you join Knight Piésold?
I was looking for a company that would offer me great challenges.
What do you do and is the best thing about it?
I work in geotechnical design. The best part is constant teaching and learning, as well as new challenges.
What do you think makes Knight Piésold stand out from other companies?
The discipline.
How would you describe working with the team at Knight Piésold?
Passionate and with a very high technical level, but most importantly, there are very good people.
How has Knight Piésold made a difference to you, clients, the profession, the industry, and/or the community?
For me, Knight Piésold has given me the opportunity to develop in the geotechnical area and continues to believe in me. For clients and the industry, our technical solutions offer a comprehensive point of view to maintain results over time and reduce risks, and we strive to have a strong relationship with our clients.
How long have you been working at Knight Piésold and what continues to excite you about the company?
I have been working at Knight Piésold for 10 years. I continue to choose Knight Piésold for these reasons: reliability, opportunities, discipline, and trajectory. Based on these principles, we can ensure to be part of the most important projects in Latin America.
What expertise are you known for and how has Knight Piésold helped in your professional development?
The main area I have participated in and continue to participate in is geotechnics. Additionally, I have expertise in other types of tasks, such as Engineer of Record, hydraulic and hydrological design, civil design, etc. When I joined Knight Piésold, we had a small company, and engineers had to do different types of tasks at the same time. As the company grew, Knight Piésold opened its doors to me to develop this area according to my knowledge and wishes. After 10 years of collaborative work, the geotechnical area has a team of geotechnical engineers, including local geotechnical specialists. We have the ability to carry out all typical geotechnical tasks, in accordance with international standards and project needs, such as geotechnical site investigation, laboratory testing, geotechnical modeling, geotechnical civil design, and advanced test definition. Three years ago, we installed our own geotechnical laboratory. It is a strategic point that gives us more flexibility when designing and coming up with solutions fast. Also, we have an extensive network with local and international laboratories, which we stay connected with and provide us support. Knight Piésold helped me grow as a geotechnical engineer and work with a competent geotechnical team in Argentina.
What has been your proudest achievement to date at Knight Piésold?
I have had the opportunity to participate in many projects in Argentina and other countries in Latin America, with different levels of requirements. However, the moment I felt most proud was when we completed a large site investigation program in the midst of the 2019-2020 pandemic. The site investigation included four rigs at the same time, more than 15 people on site, and the risk of the pandemic. Under these extreme conditions, we completed all site investigations without impacting the engineering schedule and any delays. Teamwork was key here not only for the technical area but also for the logistics and human resources areas.
What has been the most interesting project that you have worked on at Knight Piésold?
Throughout my 10 years at Knight Piésold, I was able to observe how geotechnical knowledge was built, mainly through the accumulation of different experiences in different geotechnical areas. The most interesting project that I was able to apply my geotechnical knowledge and leadership was a recent site investigation program for a large heap leach pad, pit, waste storage areas, low-grade stockpiles, and other facilities. The areas under geotechnical investigation were huge. The areas included fail systems, glaciers, and high water levels. The site investigation team consisted of 20 people on site for almost five months, three diamonds rigs, and one sonic rig. The geotechnical office team developed a 3D geotechnical model of these areas as a starting point for the civil 3D design. Furthermore, this model was used to develop the slope stability analysis. The site investigation had a large laboratory testing program that included the Knight Piésold laboratory, as well as external laboratories from Chile and the USA.
What inspires you at work?
For me, challenges, innovation, and drive to stay at the top are everything.
When you are not at work, where can you be found? What is your favorite pastime?
During my free time, I like to walk in nature, like in a park or in the countryside, with my two best friends: my dogs Ivonne and Dimitri. A pastime I took up recently is Cross Fit. I do it every day at 8 a.m. This is the part of the day that I dedicate exclusively to myself.
What is the best thing about the country you live in?
I have been living in Argentina for 42 years and have had the opportunity to live in Europe too. I think that the best part of Argentina is its people, its culture, the passion, the mixture of many European backgrounds, and especially the friendships that you can establish and maintain throughout your whole life.