Dr. Ziad Azzi
Director of Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineer
Civil & Structural Engineer
Ziad Azzi, PhD, MBA, PE, DFE, FMPC, PMP, is the Director of Engineering at DDA Forensics. He is a dedicated and innovative Civil and Structural Engineer with over 10 years of experience, and he brings extensive wind engineering and building enclosure expertise to our team. Due to his extensive work and educational background, Dr. Azzi’s expertise encompasses an exceptional mix of capabilities in structural and geotechnical engineering, structural analysis, structural dynamics, earthquake and wind analysis of structures, aeroelasticity, vibration and inspection, as well as evaluation of existing residential and commercial structures.
As Director of Engineering at DDA Forensics, Ziad oversees all aspects of the engineering department. He has published numerous articles and conference papers in prestigious journals as well as delivered lectures and presentations on the wind flow and wind effects on structures.
He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Miami (UM), teaching undergraduate and graduate-level design courses. Prior to that, he also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University (FIU) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Last but not least, Ziad also serves as an Expert Consultant, certifying wind engineering reports pertaining to wind loads on tall buildings and facades obtained from wind tunnel testing.
Prior to joining DDA Forensics, Ziad worked as a Forensic Structural Engineer. He also served as a Research Scientist at the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Wall of Wind (WOW) Experimental Facility at the International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC). Before moving to the U.S., he launched his career in Engineering as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon, while pursuing his MS. At the same time, he worked as a part-time Structural Engineer.
Committed to ongoing education and maintaining industry-leading accreditations, Ziad is a registered PE in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. He has an MS and a PhD in Civil Engineering from Florida International University (FIU) with an emphasis on Wind Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Building Enclosure. He also holds an MS and BE in Civil Engineering from the Lebanese American University (LAU) with an emphasis on Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. He proudly holds a Diplomate in Forensic Engineering (DFE), HAAG Residential, HAAG Commercial, HAAG Wind Damage, and HAAG Master Level Inspector certifications, in addition to industry-leading memberships.
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
- MBA, General Management and Innovation, University of Miami, 2023
- PhD, Civil Engineering, Wind Engineering, Florida International University, 2021
- MS, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Florida International University, 2020
- MS, Civil Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Lebanese American University, 2017
- BE, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanese American University, Lebanon, 2013
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Remote Pilot – Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA), FenestrationMaster® Professional Certification (FMPC)
- HAAG Certified Inspector, Residential Roofs (HCI-R) #992112015
- HAAG Certified Inspector, Commercial Roofs (HCI-C) #992112015
- HAAG Certified Inspector, Wind Damage (HCI-W) #992112015
- HAAG Certified Inspector, Master Level (HCI-Master Level) #992112015
- National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE), Diplomate in Forensic Engineering (DFE)
- Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration (OSHA), 10-Hour and 30-Hour Hazard Recognition Trainings
- Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Tile Roofing Institute (TRI) Florida High Wind Manual Certification Program #0613704
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Alabama
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Florida
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Georgia
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Louisiana
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Mississippi
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of North Carolina
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of South Carolina
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Texas
- Registered Professional Engineer (PE), Order of Engineers and Architects – Beirut, Lebanon
- Certified General Contractor (CGC), State of Florida, USA
- Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC), State of Florida, USA
- Educator Member, American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
- Executive Member, National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers (NABIE)
- Member, American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE)
- Member, American Concrete Institute (ACI)
- Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- Member, American Wood Council (AWC)
- Member, Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA)
- Member, Florida Structural Engineers Association (FSEA)
- Senior Member, National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE)
- Member, National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
- Member, Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Member, The Masonry Society (TMS)
AWARDS
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) SEI Futures Fund Young Professional Scholarship, 2026
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- “Metal Roofing Evaluation,” American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 11th Forensic Engineering Congress, Orlando, FL, USA, 2026
- “Wind vs. Storm Surge Damage: Case Studies from Hurricane Helene,” Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee (FIFEC) Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA, 2026
- “Wind vs. Storm Surge Damage: Case Studies from Hurricane Helene,” Galloway Claims & Litigation Conference, Tampa, FL, USA, 2026
- “From Gusts to Guidelines: Wind Damage Forensics and Crucial Claim Documentation,” Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo, National Harbor, Maryland, USA, 2026
- “Wind vs. Storm Surge Damage: Case Studies from Hurricane Helene,” National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE) Winter Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2026
- “Recognizing Wind Damage: Where & What to Look For,” Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee (FIFEC) Conference, Orlando, FL, USA, 2025
- “Discerning Wind-Related Damage to Residential Roofs: A Case Study of Shingle and Tile Roofs,” National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE) Summer Conference, Ottawa, Canada, 2025
- “Recognizing Wind Damage: Where & What to Look For,” Louisiana Claims Association, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2025
- “Advanced Wind Event Analysis: Property Damage Assessment & Documentation,” Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) Western Regional Adjusters Conference, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 2025
- “Harnessing the Storm: Advanced Wind Science Applications in Structural Engineering,” Florida International University’s (FIU) Wall of Wind (WOW) Experimental Facility (EF) Tour & Class, Miami, FL, USA, 2024
- “Recognizing Wind Damage: Where & What to Look For,” South Florida Claims Association, Webinar, 2024
- Judge, Wall of Wind (WOW) Mitigation Challenge, Florida International University Hurricane Research Center, Miami, FL, USA, 2023-Present
- “Wind Damage: Where, What, How,” Orlando Claims Association, Webinar, 2023
- “Aeroelastic Testing to Evaluate Wind Effects on Transmission Systems,” 14th America’s Conference on Wind Engineering (14ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, 2022
- “Aeroelastic Testing to Examine the Dynamic Behavior of a Single Self-Supported Electrical Transmission Tower Subjected to Downburst Wind Loads,” 14th America’s Conference on Wind Engineering (14ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, 2022
- “Large-Scale Aeroelastic Testing to Investigate the Resiliency of Transmission Infrastructure to Hurricane Storms,” 11th International Conference on Structural Dynamics (EURODYN 2020), Athens, Greece, 2020
- “Determining the Efficacy of a Retrofit Technique for Residential Buildings using Holistic Testing,” ASCE/SEI 2020 Structures Congress, St. Louis, MO, USA, 2020
- “Large-Scale Aeroelastic Testing to Investigate the Performance of Span Wire Traffic Signals,” 5th American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop (5AAWE), Miami, FL, USA, 2018
- “Roof Uplift Under Cornering Winds and Wind Uplift Mitigation,” 5th American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop (5AAWE), Miami, FL, USA, 2018
PUBLICATIONS
- Matus, M., Azzi, Z., and Vutukuru, K. S. (2026). “Wind Damage vs. Storm Surge Damage: Case Studies from Hurricane Helene.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, 999, In Publication
- Azzi, Z., Vutukuru, K. S., and Matus, M. (2026). “Discerning Wind-Related Damage to Residential Roofs.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, vol. 42 (2), pp. 1-22.
- Berlanga, B., Zisis, I., Matus, M., Azzi, Z., Irwin, P. (2025). “Parametric Study to Investigate Span-wire Traffic Signal System Performance during Tropical Storms.” Special Issue, Urban Resilience under Tropical Storm Impact, Frontiers in Built Environment, Wind Engineering and Science, 11.
- Azzi, Z., Al Sayegh, H., Metwally, O., and Eissa, M. (2025). “Review of Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Techniques for Timber Structures.” Infrastructures, MDPI, 10, 28.
- Alawode, K. J., Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2023). “Dynamic Properties of an Aeroelastic Transmission Tower Subjected to Synoptic and Downburst-like Outflows.” Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 242, 105557.
- Jeddi, A. B., Azzi, Z., Shafieezadeh, A., Elawady, A., Chowdhury, A. G., and Irwin, P. (2023). “Revisit of underestimated wind drag coefficients and gust response factors of lattice transmission towers based on aeroelastic wind tunnel testing and multi-sensor data fusion.” Engineering Structures, 278, 115486.
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., Irwin, P., Chowdhury, A. G., and Abi Shdid, C. (2022). “Aeroelastic modeling to investigate the wind-induced response of a multi-span transmission lines system.” Special Issue, Mitigation of Wind-induced Disaster of Transmission Tower and Line Structures under Extreme Loading Conditions, Wind and Structures, 34, 2, pp. 231-257.
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., Irwin, P., Chowdhury, A. G., and Abi Shdid, C. (2021). “Aeroelastic modeling to study the wind-induced response of a self-supported lattice tower.” Engineering Structures, 245, 112885.
- Azzi, Z., Habte, F., Vutukuru, K. S., Chowdhury, A. G., and Moravej, M. (2020). “Effects of roof geometric details on aerodynamic performance of standing seam metal roofs.” Engineering Structures, 225, 111303.
- Azzi, Z., Matus, M., Elawady, A., Zisis, I., Irwin, P., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2020). “Aeroelastic Testing of Span-Wire Traffic Signals.” Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) 2016-2020: Mitigating the Impact of Natural Hazards on Civil Infrastructure and Communities, Frontiers in Built Environment, Wind Engineering and Science, 6:111.
- Feng, C., Chowdhury, A. G., Elawady, A., Chen, D., Azzi, Z., and Vutukuru, K. S. (2020). “Experimental Assessment of Wind Loads on Roof-to-Wall Connections for Residential Buildings.” Frontiers in Built Environment, Wind Engineering and Science, 6:10.
- Azzi, Z., Habte, F., Elawady, A., Chowdhury, A. G., and Moravej, M. (2020). “Aerodynamic Mitigation of Wind Uplift on Low-Rise Building Roof Using Large-Scale Testing.” Frontiers in Built Environment, Wind Engineering and Science, 5:149.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
- Vutukuru, K. S., Azzi, Z., Matus, M. (2026). “Metal Roofing Evaluation.” Proceedings of the ASCE 11th Forensic Engineering Congress, Under Review
- Alawode, K. J., Elawady, A., Azzi, Z., Chowdhury, A. G. (2022). “Dynamic Properties of an Aeroelastic Transmission Tower Subjected to Synoptic ABL and Downburst-like Outflows.” Proceedings of the 8th European-African Conference on Wind Engineering (8EACWE), Bucharest, Romania, September 20-23
- Jeddi, A. B., Azzi, Z., Shafieezadeh, A., Elawady, A., Chowdhury, A. G., and Irwin, P. (2022). “Wind Load Parameters for Transmission Towers Using Wind Tunnel Testing.” Proceedings of the 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, May 17-19
- Alawode, K. J., Elawady, A., Shafieezadeh, A., Chowdhury A. G., and Azzi, Z. (2022). “Aeroelastic Testing to Examine the Dynamic Behavior of a Single Self-Supported Electrical Transmission Tower Subjected to Downburst Wind Loads.” Proceedings of the 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, May 17-19
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., Irwin, P., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2022). “Aeroelastic Testing to Evaluate Wind Effects on Transmission Systems.” Proceedings of the 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, May 17-19
- Azzi, Z., and Abi Shdid, C. (2021). “Seismic Behavior of Unreinforced Concrete Masonry Infill Walls.” Proceedings of the 11th International Structural Engineering and Construction Conference (11ISEC), Cairo, Egypt, July 26-31.
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2020). “Large-Scale Aeroelastic Testing to Investigate the Resiliency of Transmission Infrastructure to Hurricane Storms.” Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Structural Dynamics (EURODYN 2020), pp. 1944-1957, Athens, Greece, November 23-26.
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2020). “Determining the Efficacy of a Retrofit Technique for Residential Buildings using Holistic Testing.” Proceedings of the ASCE/SEI 2020 Structures Congress, pp. 360-369, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, April 5-8.
- Azzi, Z., Elawady, A., Matus, M., Zisis, I., and Irwin, P. (2019). “Buffeting Response of Span-Wire Traffic Signals using Large-Scale Aeroelastic Wind Testing.” Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Wind Engineering (15ICWE), Beijing, China, September 1-6
- Azzi, Z., Matus, M., Elawady, A., Zisis, I., and Irwin, P. (2018). “Large-scale aeroelastic testing to investigate the performance of span wire traffic signals.” Proceedings of the 5th American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop (5AAWE), Miami, Florida, USA, August 12-14
- Azzi, Z., Moravej, M., Habte, F., Elawady, A., and Chowdhury, A. G. (2018). “Roof Uplift under Cornering Winds and Wind Uplift Mitigation.” Proceedings of the 5th American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop (5AAWE), Miami, Florida, USA, August 12-14