01. Casey K Hemmatyar, SE – Founding Chair

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As an arbitrator, structural/civil engineer, and expert forensic consultant with nearly four decades of experience, Casey Hemmatyar has provided extensive expert services for defendants’ and plaintiffs’ attorneys on numerous construction litigation matters throughout the United States and Canada.

He has been retained as an expert engineer in over one hundred litigation matters on single and class-action legal cases by the U.S. government, law firms, and insurance carriers at the State and Federal levels, working with both plaintiff and defendant sides.

A partial list of litigation cases is available upon request. His understanding of core engineering and legal concepts has enabled him to assist a wide range of clientele effectively. He brings diversified experience in structural and civil engineering design and forensic engineering, investigation, and evaluation.

He also conducts research, has assisted in the development of building codes and standards, and has supervised the construction of domestic and international projects. His experience includes special structures and new buildings as well as modifications, alterations, seismic/hurricane retrofits, and upgrades to existing structures. He has provided failure analysis, expert consultation, structural forensic investigation, and damage assessment services for numerous litigation and insurance-related matters.

He actively presents continuing education lectures to audiences of licensed engineers, architects, and general contractors on topics of structural and forensic engineering throughout North America. Mr. Hemmatyar has been the principal structural engineer on high-profile projects for prestigious clients, including NASA and other notable organizations.  Currently, he directs PSFEG and has served as Director for SEAOSC from 2011 to 2013.

His work encompasses a diverse range of structures, including hospitals,  educational institutions (including schools and universities), telecommunication centers, aviation facilities, government buildings, laboratories, as well as commercial, industrial, and residential structures.

He is versed in the structural design of concrete, steel, timber/wood, masonry, aluminum, glass, light-gage steel, and other construction materials. His work experience covers performance-based design, seismic hazard evaluation, and mitigation methods, as well as the preparation of reports evaluating essential structures such as hospitals and emergency facilities.

He has been interviewed by public media, including the History Channel (documentary episode: “Collapse of Ancient Structures”) and Reuters (Mexico City school collapse).

Mr. Hemmatyar’s experience also covers:

■ Investigation and evaluation of structural integrity of existing structures,

■ Expert consulting, court appearance, and trial testimony.

Partial List of Registrations

■ SE, PE, California – S5108, C66393

■ SE, PE, Washington – 37443

■ SE, Hawaii – S14571

■ SE, New York – S091118

■ SE, Nevada – 022937

■ SE, Arizona – S49653

■ PE, Colorado – 52814

■ PE, Alabama – 35359

■ PE, Michigan – 6201063078

■ PE, Ohio – 80490

■ PE, Texas – 133339

■ P. ENG, British Columbia, Canada – 19757

■ General Building Contractor, California – 1044945

Partial List of Education

■ BS Structural Engineering, University of Science & Technology (ABET-accredited), 1985

■ MS Structural Engineering Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 1990

■ Structural Engineering Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2000

■ Structural Engineering Studies, Irvine Institute of Technology, Irvine, CA, 2002

■ Juris Doctor Studies, SBV Colleges of Law, CA, 2014

Partial List of Affiliations

■ SEAOSC (Structural Engineers Association of Southern California); Director, 2011 – 2013

■ SEAOSC; Chair – Technology Committee, 2012 – 2017

■ SEAOSC; Chair – Convention Technical Committee, 2013 – 2014

■ SEAOSC; Committee Member – Seismology, 2007 – 2018

■ SEAOSC; Committee Member – Wind Ad-Hoc, 2010

■ BPELSG; California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists –  Professional Licensing – Subject Matter Expert, 2009

■ NCEES; National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying – Subject Matter Expert, 2010

■ City of Los Angeles Existing Building Code Ad-Hoc Committee, 2012 – 2017

■ FEWA Forensic Expert Witness Association; Member, 2010 – 2018

■ CAL E•M•A Registered Post–Earthquake and Disaster Safety Assessment Evaluator – 74169, 2010 – Present

■ SEAOC; SE Member 2003 – Present

■ NZSEE; New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering – Member, 1997 and 2012,

■ AWC; American Wood Council – Member, 2012 – 2018

■ CFSEI; Cold-Formed Steel Engineering Institute – Member, 2012 – 2018

■ GEER; Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance – Member, 2011 – Present

■ ASCE; SE Member, 2021 – Present

■ ASCE Forensic Engineering Division; SE Member, 2007 – Present

■ IALCCE; International Association for Life-Cycle Civil Engineering 2015 – Present

■ EGBC; Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia,  Canada, Advocate Committee, Co-Chair, 1996 – 1998

Partial List of Publications

■ Study of Historical and Design Wind Speeds in the Los Angeles Area, prepared by SEAOSC Ad-Hoc Wind Committee Member, June 19, 2010

■ Recommendations for the “Los Angeles Region Uniform Code Program” (LARUCP) Proposed Amendments to the 2010 California Building Code, “ICC Los Angeles Basin Chapter Structural Code” Committee Member, June 24, 2010

Partial List of AIA Approved Educational Lectures, Live Seminars, and Webinars

The thirty-six (36) courses outlined below have been expertly developed specifically for licensed Engineers, Architects, and General Contractors. These online and in-person courses accommodate professionals working across a spectrum of environments, including both private and public sector entities throughout the United States and Canada. Each course has been meticulously structured to meet the unique needs and challenges faced by these professionals in their respective fields.

These lectures have been presented through Continuing Education Provider Organizations. These courses play an essential role in fulfilling the Continuing Education requirements mandated by the great majority of State Licensing Boards, serving as a key component in the ongoing Professional Development of these professionals:

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2024 How to Analyze Common Construction Defects and Failures, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, January 31, 2024

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2023 Ethical Issues in Structural Engineering administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, December 20, 2023

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2023 How to Analyze Common Construction Defects and Failures administered by  PDHSource – North American Presentation Webinar, October 25, 2023

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2023 How to Analyze Common Construction Defects and Failures, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, July 24, 2023

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2023 Webinar Causes of Structural Failures & Forensic Engineering Process – administered by  PDHSource – North American Presentation Webinar, June 14, 2023

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2023 Ethical Issues in Structural Engineering, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, May 3, 2023

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2022 Forensic Engineering of Infrastructure, administered by HalfMoon Education –  North American Presentation Webinar, December 19, 2022

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Moderator; 9th Forensic Engineering Congress, administered by ASCE | Forensic Engineering – Denver, CO, ASCE Forensic Engineering Congress, November 5, 2022

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2022 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by  PDHSource – North American Presentation Webinar, June 15, 2022

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2022 Structural Forensic Engineering, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, April 19, 2022

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2021 How to Analyze Common Construction Defects and Failures, administered by  PDHSource – North American Presentation Webinar, November 4, 2021

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2021 How to Analyze Common Construction Defects and Failures, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, October 26, 2021

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2021 Structural Forensic Engineering, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, July 27 & 28, 2021

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2021 Deep Dive into Real-Life Construction Failures, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, May 10, 2021

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2020 Structural Forensic Engineering, administered by HalfMoon Education – North American Presentation Webinar, June 15 & 16, 2020

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2020 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Pasadena, CA, Presentation Seminar, April 30, 2020

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2020 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – San Antonio, TX, Presentation Seminar, April 21, 2020

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2019 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education –Boise, ID, Presentation Seminar, November 13, 2019

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2019 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Reno, NV, Presentation Seminar, July 30, 2019

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2019 Designing for Resiliency, administered by HalfMoon Education – Santa Barbara, CA, Presentation Seminar, May 30, 2018

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2018 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Seattle, WA, Presentation Seminar, October 10, 2018

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2016 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Irvine, CA, Presentation Seminar, December 13, 2016

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2016 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Albuquerque, NM, Presentation Seminar, May 19, 2016

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; 2016 Forensic Examination of Structures, administered by HalfMoon Education – Phoenix, AZ, Presentation Seminar, January 21, 2016

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; NAPA’s 6.2 Earthquake and California Building Code ], administered by SEAOC – 2014 International Convention – Indian Wells, CA, Presentation Seminar, September 13, 2014

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Host/Moderator, James Day, SE; Seismic Resistance of a Typical Electrical Supply System Lifeline, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, March 19, 2013

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Overview and Application of 2013 CBC and IBC 2012 Chapter 16, 16A, 17 and 17A, administered by SEOASC – Los Angeles, CA, Presentation Seminar, March 6, 2013

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar – Host/Moderator, Chris Tokas, SE; OSHPD Seismic Retrofit SB 499 Report, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, January 8, 2013

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar – Host/Moderator, Fred H Schott, SE and David Lee, PhD; Seismic Retrofit utilizing Damper Panels, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, July 11, 2012

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar – Host/Moderator, Phil Nelson, PE; Ventura Community Medical Center Replacement Hospital Wing Project, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, March 14, 2012

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar – Host/Moderator, Barry Keller, PhD Seismologist; Atop the Rupture Zone – Chile’s 8.8 Earthquake & Tsunami, administered by SEOASC – Santa Maria, CA, Presentation Seminar, January 11, 2012

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar – Host/Moderator, Nam Young, SE; Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Structures, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, November 9, 2011

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Overview and Application of 2010 CBC Chapter 16, 16A, 17 and 17A, administered by SEOASC – Santa Barbara, CA, Presentation Seminar, September 14, 2011

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Overview and Application of 2010 CBC Chapter 16, 16A, 17 and 17A, administered by SEOASC – Ventura, CA, Presentation Seminar, March 16, 2011

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; Overview and Application of 2010 CBC, administered by SEOASC – Long Beach, CA, Presentation Seminar, January 29, 2011

■ Casey K. Hemmatyar; New Trends in Structural Engineering and 2007 CBC, administered by Society of Iranian American Architects & Planners – Santa Monica, CA, Presentation Seminar, September 27, 2007

Partial List of Awards and Recognition

■ OCEC; Orange County Engineering Council – Outstanding Engineering Merit Award, 2012

■ SEAOSC; Structural Engineers Association of Southern California – Structural Engineering Presentations Award, 2011

■ SEAOSC; Structural Engineers Association of Southern California – Presidential Certificate of Appreciation, 2016

■ CWC; Canadian Wood Council – Structural Eng. Software Development Contribution Award, 1995

■ Ranked 552^nd out of approximately one million entry applicants, was admitted to the University of Science & Technology at the precocious age of 16. This university is renowned as one of Iran’s top three engineering universities and boasts accreditation from the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)

Supplementary Activities and Achievements

■ FAA Registered Aerial System Pilot – 4370646

■ USA Masters Swimming Member – 3314-06XB7

■ Former Iranian National Swimming Champion

■ United States Patent & Trademark (USPTO): Registered Owner – 85250519

■ Founder of Structural Engineer USA, the world’s largest membership organization and an internationally renowned online network association of expert structural engineers encompassing a dynamic membership of over 20,000 professionals worldwide.