Sardar Nabi

Growing up in the province of Punjab in Pakistan, known as ‘The Land of Five Rivers,’ Sardar has been fascinated with bridges from an early age. Surrounded by the region’s high-traffic bridges and vast waterways, his career began with a simple question: “Why do bridges vibrate?” It was an enduring curiosity that would inspire him to seek out resources to expand his knowledge, and eventually cemented his decision to become an engineer that specialized in the design of single-span and multi-span bridges and other transportation structures. After completing his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, Sardar moved to New Jersey to graduate with a master’s degree in structural engineering at Rutgers University, one of only six post-secondary institutions that taught bridge engineering as an independent subject at the time.

Throughout his 33-year-long career, Sardar has collected a vast array of experience in the transportation and municipal sectors, from design-build and design-build-finance-operate projects to under-crossings, structural widening, grade separations, drainage structures, walls, and landscape structures. He has served as the bridge practice lead for several multinational engineering firms in the United States and Canada, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, California, and Pakistan.

Now, as Manager of Transportation Structures and Bridge Practice Lead at RVA, Sardar’s main focus is to establish our bridges group as a self-sustaining discipline with industry-wide recognition from coast to coast. A methodical and solutions-driven leader, Sardar believes that the most successful projects are ones that are considered holistically from the start. He focuses on developing bespoke concepts for each project, and believes that taking the time to research and brainstorm from day one ultimately leads to the most thoughtful designs and the highest chance of project success. Tapping into his extensive experience in bridge design, business development, and structural engineering, Sardar enjoys bringing buildable solutions that deliver quality without compromise throughout his work.

When he isn’t in the office, Sardar enjoys exploring the great outdoors through camping, hiking, and skiing, and taking regular trips out in Northern Ontario to discover new landscapes and wildlife. His greatest ambition outside work? To visit every province and territory in Canada – Nunavut is next on his list!