Rama Kristam, MS, PE

Civil & Structural Engineer

Rama Kristam, MS, PE, is a Senior Forensic Engineer at DDA Forensics. With over 10 years of experience in structural design and forensic engineering, he specializes in structural failure analysis, major loss assessments, construction defect evaluations, repair and retrofit design, and investigations involving a wide range of perils affecting commercial and residential buildings. He has authored more than 500 forensic engineering reports and developed repair-design drawings for an extensive array of structures.

Rama’s strong foundation in structural design is central to his forensic investigations. He has designed and analyzed multi-story commercial and residential buildings utilizing steel, reinforced concrete, masonry, and wood systems in accordance with New York City and Florida Building Codes. His design background includes rehabilitation and retrofit projects requiring advanced CAD and CAE tools to deliver efficient, code-compliant solutions tailored to complex structural and architectural conditions. His unique combination of design and forensic expertise fuels his precise, evidence-based investigative methodology.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, a Level II Certified Thermographer, and an FAA-Certified Remote Pilot qualified to perform infrared and aerial roof-moisture surveys.

His forensic portfolio includes major-loss investigations on Fort Myers Beach following Hurricane Ian and across the Tampa Bay region after Hurricane Milton, where he evaluated wind and flood-related impacts to commercial and residential structures. He has completed numerous construction-defect evaluations as a plaintiff’s engineer, along with investigations involving slip-and-fall incidents and workplace injuries arising from defective design or construction. His methodology emphasizes clear, evidence-based correlations between observed damage and root cause, leading to concise and defensible engineering conclusions.

Prior to joining DDA Forensics, Rama worked with leading forensic engineering firms, including Intertek (Architectural Testing Inc.), ESi (Engineering Systems Inc.), and Polaris Forensics, where he conducted hurricane-related investigations, building-envelope analyses, and large-loss assessments.

Rama holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo (SUNY) and a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal.