LRFD Bridge Software - About Viathor, VBent and VBridge

About Us

Viathor’s principal engineers have extensive experience in both
bridge design and software development. As developers, our
engineers have been involved with multiple bridge software efforts.
As designers, our engineers have designed dozens of bridges,
including precast concrete girder, concrete box girder, and slab
bridges. This unique combination of bridge design and software
development experience provides first-hand insight to the tools
designers need, as well as hands-on experience with many software
design programs.

Clark Verkler, Viathor’s founder, has over 16 years of
experience with commercial bridge design software. In addition
to creating Viathor’s software, Mr. Verkler was the primary architect and developer for Caltrans’ CTBridge program, the LRFD replacement of the immensely popular BDS (Bridge Design System) program. Mr. Verkler also created the user interface for SEISAB, the widely used seismic analysis program. In the early days of the CTBridge and SEISAB GUI projects, Mr. Verkler helped jump-start their development by supplying the GUI graphics, shell, and other common modules.

Mr. Verkler was also the primary program architect and software developer for PennDOT’s ABLRFD program as well as a primary developer for the PAPIER program. In prior employment with Imbsen and Associates, Mr. Verkler was responsible for supporting, maintaining, and enhancing their commercial software, including SEISAB, BDS, RECOL, FAD, and ABUD. In addition, he has used a variety of software programs including non-linear finite element analysis and moment/curvature analysis.

Mr. Verkler is a registered civil engineer with practical bridge design experience. He has been involved in the design, check, and seismic analysis of numerous bridges.

Tim Osterkamp has over 21 years of experience in bridge design and bridge software development. He has been continuously involved with the LRFD specifications since 1993, when development of PennDOT’s box culvert (BXLRFD) program began. Mr. Osterkamp is a registered civil engineer and has been the designer, project engineer, project manager, or checker on over 30 bridge projects. His design experience includes post-tensioned and reinforced box girder and slab bridges, and precast girder bridges.

Mr. Osterkamp’s software experience includes project management for PennDOT’s PAPIER (pier program) and development of the technical specifications for PAPIER and BXLRFD (box culvert) programs. Mr. Osterkamp was also one of the primary developers of the PAPIER program. He has extensive experience with BDS, RECOL, FAD and ABUD, having provided user support and technical program maintenance for these programs.