Vahid Azad · PhD, PE
Engineer and computational modeler working across complex structures, materials, and engineering software, connecting physical systems, numerical methods, and software development to solve challenging engineering problems.
Analysis, design, and evaluation of industrial, waterfront, and specialized structural systems.
Durability assessment and long-term performance of cementitious systems in aggressive environments.
Computational methods and workflows that improve repeatability, auditability, and efficiency of complex analysis.
Professional background, selected publications, and contact.
Practice spans conventional code-based design through advanced nonlinear and dynamic analysis. The objective is to identify governing mechanisms, select appropriate analytical fidelity, and interpret results so they support clear engineering decisions.
Design and verification ranging from standard code-based procedures to high-fidelity nonlinear simulation when demands involve large deformation, contact or impact, or dynamic response. Analytical fidelity is matched to the decision, with assumptions documented for review.
Evaluation of existing structures with attention to governing behavior, uncertainty bounds, and comparison of retrofit alternatives using decision-relevant performance metrics and traceable analytical assumptions.
Analysis of waterfront, pile-supported, dry-dock, and offshore foundation systems in which soil–structure interaction governs stiffness, capacity, and dynamic response. Scope includes nonlinear foundation behavior, soil–pile interaction, and coupled structural–geotechnical models used to support design and retrofit decisions.
Problems are addressed through engineering judgment, simplified bounding analyses, and detailed numerical simulation, each at the fidelity required by the decision. Tooling and automation support repeatable workflows, reduce manual error, and improve traceability.
Conventional analysis and design with CSI software (SAP2000, ETABS, SAFE) for load combinations, design checks, and structural behavior interpretation.
High-fidelity nonlinear analysis with tools such as Abaqus and LS-DYNA for material nonlinearity, contact, impact, large deformation, and nonlinear dynamics.
Pre- and post-processing tools and API-driven workflows for model generation, parametric studies, results extraction, QA/QC, and reporting.
Figures are illustrative only and do not represent actual project models, geometry, or proprietary client data.
Analysis and design of piers, wharves, seawalls, bulkheads, and dolphin systems in accordance with applicable waterfront criteria (ASCE 61, UFC 4‑152, MOTEMS, and POLB Wharf Design Criteria). Nonlinear assessment methods, including FEMA/ATC-style procedures, are applied where required for performance evaluation and retrofit decision support.
Advanced analysis of offshore and nearshore systems, including nonlinear dynamic response, interaction effects, hydrodynamic loading, and impact. Representative applications include wind turbine foundations, submerged energy systems, and offshore anchors (suction, drag, plate, and torpedo), evaluated against international offshore standards (DNV, ABS, and Eurocodes).
Performance-based evaluation using FEMA 356 and ATC-40 nonlinear assessment procedures to characterize structural behavior and inform rehabilitation decisions.
Assessment and rehabilitation planning for existing waterfront structures using criteria including ASCE 61, UFC 4‑152, MOTEMS, and POLB Wharf Design Criteria. Nonlinear displacement-based methods are applied where needed to support retrofit comparisons and operational decisions.
Evaluation and retrofit of Navy and defense-related waterfront systems in which nonlinear response and soil–structure interaction govern behavior. Analyses have employed Abaqus and LS-DYNA with nonlinear material models, advanced meshing, and large-deformation formulations, supported by Python-based pre- and post-processing for repeatable workflows.
Coupled chemistry–transport modeling for durability and long-term performance.
Work in infrastructure materials addresses cementitious systems whose long-term performance is governed by coupled chemistry and transport. Emphasis is placed on model robustness, explicit assumptions, and workflows that connect thermodynamics, reactive transport, and durability mechanisms. This body of work was developed primarily in research settings and is mechanism-driven rather than oriented to project-specific engineering deliverables.
Coupled transport and chemical reaction modeling for multi-species processes in porous media, including cement systems with complex chemistry and evolving pore solution conditions. Work includes development and application of a COMSOL–GEMS reactive-transport interface linking finite-element transport to thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, enabling multi-phase chemistry and extended Nernst–Planck transport in cementitious systems.
Thermodynamic equilibrium modeling to interpret chemical speciation, phase stability, pore solution composition, and binding mechanisms in cementitious systems. Thermodynamics is coupled with hydration models to assess how supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) influence phase assemblages, porosity, chloride binding, and durability-relevant transport.
Investigation of localized electrochemical conditions that control passive film stability at the steel–concrete interface. Modeling of mill-scale crevices with extended Nernst–Planck and Poisson formulations demonstrates how localized pH and Cl⁻/OH⁻ conditions promote depassivation, complemented by studies of passive film electronic properties.
Integrated modeling of hydration kinetics, heat generation, and mass transport to interpret evolving phase assemblages, pore structure, and water distribution during early-age behavior, linking thermodynamics and transport to durability performance.
Simulation tooling, integration, and automation for reliable engineering workflows.
Engineering software work centers on extending and integrating advanced simulation tools for reliable use on complex problems. Scope includes numerical method development, multiphysics coupling, and workflow automation across commercial and open-source platforms, with priority given to correctness, transparency, and repeatability.
Independent development for design software companies, contributing engineering algorithms and extensions within commercial simulation platforms. Work requires close coordination with existing codebases, numerical assumptions, and validation practices.
Engineering automation through software APIs, including SAP2000, Abaqus, LS-DYNA (via Primer), and COMSOL Multiphysics (MATLAB and Java interfaces). Applications include design automation, parametric studies, model generation, and repeatable post-processing.
Custom tools for model setup, data conditioning, and results extraction in large simulations where manual interaction is impractical or prone to error.
Multiphysics interfaces for reactive-transport modeling, including coupling of transport solvers with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Work includes COMSOL-based transport models integrated with geochemical solvers for cementitious systems with complex chemistry.
Contributions to open-source engineering software, including force-based finite elements and nonlinear formulations in OpenSees. Methods are documented in peer-reviewed publications, with emphasis on numerical robustness and physical consistency.
A verification- and validation-oriented approach using benchmark problems, sensitivity checks, and documented assumptions so that numerical results can be reviewed and audited.
Background, publications, and contact.
PhD and Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in California, Oregon, and Texas. Professional experience spanning structural analysis and design, infrastructure materials modeling, and engineering software for advanced simulation and automation.
Practice addresses engineering problems that require rigorous modeling, cross-domain judgment, and clear decision support—from advanced structural analysis and retrofit evaluation to durability-focused materials modeling and software tools that improve repeatability, quality assurance, and automation in complex simulation workflows.
Selected publications are listed below; titles link to the publisher record. Complete lists are available on ResearchGate and Google Scholar.
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