David Chitanava enrolled in the Master’s Degree program in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University in Fall 2019. His graduation is expected in Dec 2020.
David has a BS and MS degree with honors in Civil Engineering from Georgian Technical University. Also, he is an MBA from the Free University of Tbilisi, where he was awarded the status “The student with the highest academic standing”.
David's successful career allowed him to acquire engineering, managerial, and leadership skills in the AEC industry. He is experienced in building and heavy civil engineering projects and has a strong commitment to sustainable development.
David has significant experience in Construction Project Management worked as a Deputy Director of NCC LLC in Tbilisi, Georgia where he was leading the Construction and Operational Department of the company and successfully led more than twenty construction projects. Also, he was Head of the International Project Division at the Georgian Amelioration Ltd, where he had a chance to collaborate with international donor organizations, such as the World Bank, IFAD, and Netherlands Enterprise Agency. David has huge experience in waterproofing, decorative concrete, sport/safety surface, and construction chemistry, which he acquired working as a Superintendent in NCC LLC and a Project Engineer in GRC LLC - Representative of BASF Construction Chemicals in Tbilisi, Georgia at the beginning of his career.
His research interest at the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space program is focused on Corrosion of Structures, which will be based on a specific requirement of the NYC Department of the Parks and Recreation. His main interest in research is caused by his prior experience. He has an aim to widespread his research results nationwide and generally in Construction.
As a Fellow of the Columbia University CBIPS David has completed two research projects:
• Collaborative research projects with NYC Department of Parks and Recreation about waterfront infrastructure, implementation methods for corrosion protection, determination pros and cons with respect to efficacy, installation costs, environmental impacts, maintenance requirements, determine the optimal sustainable design solutions, etc.
• Research and preparation of the publication about the recovery of the AEC industry in NY, US harmed by COVID-19.
In September 2020 David became Program Associate of the Columbia University CBIPS where he participated in the organizing of weekly lecture series dedicated to Social Justice and the AEC Industry.