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Joelle Nelson
A seasoned forensic structural engineer with a diverse range of project experience, Joelle Nelson leads DeSimone’s forensics team, guiding complex investigations and providing expert consulting services across forensic and litigation-related efforts.
As a firm Principal, she brings over two decades of experience in the design, renovation, construction, and forensic investigations of long-span, high-rise, historic, and temporary structures to our global clients.
Joelle serves as an engineering expert for a wide range of disputed matters, including standard of care and cause and origin for construction defect, insurance coverage, and adjacent construction disputes. She has led investigations of catastrophic building and crane collapses and provided technical guidance to shape legal strategy in major lawsuits.
She also sits on numerous building code and standards committees, regularly identifying code misinterpretations as a peer reviewer and as an engineering expert.
As a structural engineer, Joelle played a pivotal role in such projects as the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava on the World Trade Center site in New York City, structural renovations to 195 Broadway, a Landmarked 1916 office and retail in Manhattan’s Financial District, and the completion of a structural analysis of the cast iron dome at the United States Capitol Building to bring it in line with current code standards.
Education:
MS, Civil Engineering – Columbia University
BS, Civil Engineering – Columbia University
Professional Licenses & Certifications:
Licensed Professional Engineer (PE): Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington
OSHA 30 Certification
NYC Qualified Parking Structure Inspector
Memberships & Affiliations:
Member — ASCE 37-24 Design Loads on Structures during Construction Standards Committee
Associate Member / Vice Chair Chapter 29 Task Force— ASCE 7-16, ASCE 7-22, and ASCE 7-28 Subcommittee on Wind Loads
NYC Department of Buildings 2023 Code Revision Structural Committee
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