Dr. Haitham Ibrahim

Structural Engineer, Milestone Inspection & Recertification Division

Dr. Haitham Ibrahim, PhD, PE, is a Structural Engineer at DDA Forensics, where he leads the development and oversight of the firm’s Milestone Inspection and Recertification Division. He manages structural condition assessments, restoration initiatives, and building recertification programs throughout Florida, ensuring full compliance with evolving state and local requirements.

Prior to joining DDA Forensics, Haitham contributed to the evaluation and design of numerous concrete restoration and repair projects. He combines extensive field experience with advanced analytical and diagnostic techniques to evaluate structural performance, corrosion-related deterioration, and material distress in reinforced concrete and steel systems.

In addition to his leadership role at DDA Forensics, Haitham is a Postdoctoral Associate at Florida International University (FIU), where he conducts research in structural and wind engineering. His work focuses on wind effects on coastal homes, hurricane-induced damage assessment, and wind–structure interaction under extreme events.

He is also an active member of the Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network, where he contributed to post-event assessments following Hurricanes Ian, Ida, and Zeta. His academic and research experience integrates large-scale experimental testing, computational modeling, and field reconnaissance data to improve structural resilience and inform modern building codes and standards.

Haitham earned his PhD in Civil Engineering from FIU, specializing in structural and wind engineering. His doctoral dissertation, “Aerodynamics and Fragility Assessment of Elevated Coastal Houses under Hurricane Winds,” combined large-scale experiments at the National Science Foundation (NSF) NHERI Wall of Wind (WOW) with empirical hurricane damage data to assess the wind vulnerability of elevated houses. His research—including analysis of thousands of homes impacted by Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Michael—contributed to proposed updates to ASCE 7-22 provisions. He was awarded the prestigious 2024 Richard Marshall Award from the American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE).

Beyond his expertise in wind engineering, Haitham has extensive experience utilizing advanced construction materials such as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) to strengthen and restore existing structures. He also holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Southeast University (SEU) in China, where his thesis, “3D Finite Element Analysis for the Seismic Behavior of Hybrid Steel–FRP Reinforced Concrete Beam–Column Joints,” advanced the understanding of hybrid reinforcement systems for seismic-resistant frames. His academic excellence has been recognized through multiple honors, including the Dissertation Year Fellowship at FIU and the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) Fellowship for his graduate studies in China.

Haitham has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers published in leading publications, including the Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Journal of Building Engineering. His publications and ongoing research continue to advance understanding in wind engineering, structural dynamics, and the performance of buildings under extreme wind events.

 

Haitham Ibrahim, PhD, PE, Structural Engineer, DDA Forensics, Milestone & Recertification Division

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS

  • PhD, Civil Engineering (Wind Engineering), Florida International University (FIU), 2024

  • MSc, Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering), Florida International University (FIU), 2023

  • MEng, Civil Engineering, Southeast University (SEU), China, 2017

  • BEng, Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering), Sohag University, Egypt, 2013

  • HAAG Certified Inspector – Wind Damage (HCI-W)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Florida
  • Registered Professional Engineer (PE), State of Texas
  • Member, Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Malik, F.N., Ibrahim, H.A., Cao, L., Ricles, J., Elawady, A., Chowdhury A. G. (2026). “Real-time multi-directional aeroelastic hybrid simulation for tall building response under wind loading.” Engineering Structures, 353, 122185.

Ibrahim, H.A., Ahmed, F., Metwally, O., Elawady, A. and Pinelli, J.P., 2025. Balancing protection and risk: Understanding the dual impact of trees on low-rise buildings during extreme wind events. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 265, p.106179.

Metwally, O., Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady, A., Zisis, I., Chowdhury A. G. (2025) “Wind load impact on tall building facades: damage observations during severe wind events and wind tunnel testing”. Frontiers in Built Environment. 2025;10.

Ibrahim, H.A., Ahmed, F., Metwally, O., Elawady, A. and Pinelli, J.P., 2025. Balancing protection and risk: Understanding the dual impact of trees on low-rise buildings during extreme wind events. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 265, p.106179.

Metwally, O., Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady, A., Zisis, I., Chowdhury A. G. (2025) “Wind load impact on tall building facades: damage observations during severe wind events and wind tunnel testing”. Frontiers in Built Environment. 2025;10.

Eissa, M., Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady, A. (2025). Aeroelastic testing of monopole mounted on a high-rise building under atmospheric boundary layer wind. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 264, 106149.

Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady A, Prevatt D. O. (2024).  “Aerodynamic and codification study of low-rise buildings: Part I – Fully elevated structures”. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. 2024;255:105924.

Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady A, Prevatt D. O. (2024). “Aerodynamic and codification study of low-rise buildings: Part II – Partially elevated structures. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. 2024;255:105925.

Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady A, Prevatt, D. O. (2024). “Structural performance and fragility assessment of elevated residential buildings during 2017–2018 hurricanes in Texas and Florida”. Journal of Building Engineering.90:109393.  

Ibrahim, H. A., Fahmy, M. F. M., and Dolati, S. S. K, (2024). “Effect of Weathering Exposure Time on the Flexural Behavior of FRP Strengthened RC Beams” ACI Special Publication (SP) of FRPRCS-16.  

Ibrahim, H. A., Elawady, A., and Prevatt, D. O. (2024). “Empirical Hurricane Fragility Assessment of Elevated and Slab-on-grade Residential Houses”. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.  

Abdelkereem, D. S., Wang, X., Ibrahim, H. A., and Wu, Z., “Effect of connection techniques on the static and fatigue performance of BFRP bolted joints”, Journal of Composites for Construction, ASCE, 2020.  

Ibrahim, H. A., and Fahmy, M. F. M., “Discussion of “Seismic Behavior of GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Interior Beam–Column–Slab Subassemblies” by Shervin K. Ghomi and Ehab El-Salakawy” Journal of Composites for Construction, ASCE, 2020.

Mohamed F.M. Fahmy and Ibrahim, H. A., “Steel-FRP Reinforced Concrete Moment-Resisting Frames Under Effect of Lateral Loads: Numerical Investigation” Journal of Composites for Construction, ASCE, 2019.  

Abdelkereem, D. S., Wang, X., Ibrahim, H. A., and Wu, Z., “Static and fatigue behavior of pultruded FRP multi-bolted joints with Basalt FRP and hybrid steel-FRP bolts” Journal of Composite Structures, 2019.

Ibrahim, H. A., Fahmy, M. F. M., and Wu, Z. “Numerical Study of Steel-to-FRP Reinforcement Ratio as a Design-Tool Controlling the Lateral Response of SFRC Beam-Column Joints”, Journal of Engineering Structures, 2018;172:253-74.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

“StEER: Hurricane Ian Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR),” StEER – Hurricane Ian. DesignSafe-CI, 2022

“StEER: 10 December 2021 Midwest Tornado Outbreak Joint Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report and Early Access Reconnaissance Report (PVRR-EARR),”  StEER – 10 December 2021 Midwest Tornado Outbreak. DesignSafe-CI, 2021

“StEER: Hurricane Ida Joint Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report-Early Access Reconnaissance Report (PVRR-EARR),” StEER – 29 August 2021, Hurricane Ida. DesignSafe-CI, 2021

“25 March 2021 Deep South Tornado Outbreak Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR),” StEER – 25 March 2021 Deep South Tornado Outbreak, DesignSafe-CI, 2021

“Event Briefing“, StEER – Hurricane Zeta. DesignSafe-CI, 2020

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

“Risk and Fragility Assessment of Residential Elevated Buildings Using an Empirical Approach,” 16th International Conference on Wind Engineering (16th ICWE), Florence, Italy, 2023

“Assessment of Wind-induced Nonlinear Response of Tall Buildings Using Real-time Aeroelastic Hybrid Simulation,” 16th International Conference on Wind Engineering (16th ICWE), Florence, Italy, 2023

“Real-Time Hybrid Simulation to Investigate Wind-Induced Vibrations of High-Rise Buildings,” Structures Congress, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2023

“Real-time Aeroelastic Hybrid Simulation Technique to Assess Wind-induced Response of Tall Buildings: Concept and Validation,” 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14th ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, 2022

“Wind Pressure Distribution on the Floor of Partially Elevated Houses,” 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14th ACWE), Lubbock, TX, USA, 2022

“Evaluating Probability of Failure of Urban Trees Under Extreme Wind Events,” 14th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (14th ACWE) , Lubbock, TX, USA, 2022

“Performance and Fragility of Elevated Structures During Hurricane Events,” 6th American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop (online), Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA, 2021

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