Professional Biography
Colby Hietbrink is an engineering consultant specializing in forensic investigations with insurance companies, attorneys, and business owners. He began his career working with a lumber supplier and several prominent residential and commercial builders before starting his general contracting company performing repairs, remodels, and additions.
Colby has performed structural design for residential and small commercial buildings and nuclear power plants. With an extensive knowledge of building envelope construction methods, construction materials, and their material properties, Colby has helped resolve several claims, serving as an expert witness in legal matters.
Credentials & Certifications
- Professional Engineer (P.E.)
- Certified General Contractor
Representative Consulting Assignments
- Equestrian Facility | $500K — Evaluation of storm damage to clay tile roof
- Residential Home | $250K — Conducted structural assessment of a residential home subjected to multiple tree impacts due to an EF-1 tornado
- AM Radio Tower Collapse | $250K — Evaluation of 400-foot guyed AM radio tower collapse
- Manufacturing Facility | $1.5M — Evaluation of storm damage to TPO roof membrane of a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility
- Residential Home | $250K — Conducted flood evaluations in accordance with FEMA guidelines of an elevated single family home
- Hotel | $250K — Conducted an assessment of a failed 8" pipe coupling within a fire suppression test header at a high-rise hotel
- Commercial Building | $500K — Evaluation of water intrusion at multiple locations throughout a 35,000 sq. ft. commercial and warehouse building
- Residential Home | $1M — Structural evaluation of a fire damaged 6,500 sq. ft. two residential home
Professional Experience
- Senior Project Manager | YA Engineering Services | 2023 - Current
- Senior Forensic Engineer | EFI Global | 2018 - 2023
- Structural Design Engineer | K@M Design, Inc. | 2017 - 2018
- Structural Engineer III | AECOM | 2012 - 2017
Practices & Skillsets
- Condition Assessment
- Failure Analysis
- Roofing
- Structural Analysis
Publications and Presentations
- Whelan, M.J. and Hietbrink, C., “Wireless Sensor Network Deployments for Structural Identification in a Tied Arch Bridge,” NDE/NDT for Highways and Bridges: Structural Materials Technology, location: New York, NY
Education
- Bachelors of Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Bachelors of Business Management, Business Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Affiliations
- IIBEC - Member
Professional Licenses
- Professional Engineer - South Carolina - License #35346
- Professional Engineer - Virginia - License #059138
- Professional Engineer - Florida - License #84781
- Professional Engineer - Tennessee - License #127113
- Professional Engineer - Georgia - License #PE049383
- Professional Engineer - North Carolina - License #045304
- Limited General Contractors License - North Carolina - License #76285