Professional Biography
Joshua D. Moyer is a Senior Managing Engineer at YA Group with more than 17 years of civil and structural engineering experience. As a licensed Professional Engineer across multiple states, Joshua specializes in forensic investigations and condition assessments of residential, commercial, and bridge structures, leading comprehensive forensic evaluations involving structural failures, construction defects, fire and weather-related conditions, water intrusion, vehicle and tree impacts, and long-term deterioration. He provides expert opinions and repair recommendations to property owners, insurers, and attorneys in litigation and insurance matters.
Joshua has extensive experience in bridge engineering and design, developing plans, specifications, and estimates for major bridge projects such as the Billings Bypass Yellowstone River Bridge, the longest steel plate girder bridge in Montana. He has contributed to complex infrastructure projects involving seismic design, historic structures, and fracture-critical structures in settings ranging from the heart of Philadelphia and Chicago to secluded U.S. Forest Service bridges throughout the western United States, and his background includes work supporting the investigation of the high-profile Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in 2024.
With his combined forensic and bridge expertise, Joshua has conducted numerous specialized assessments involving roof failures, ice damming, hail and wind effects, drywall cracking, settlement, vandalism, structural and snow overload, material failures and defects, mechanical equipment defects, and residential and commercial code compliance reviews. He is FAA Part 107 certified for drone operations and is certified for rope access on steep and dangerous roofs.
Credentials & Certifications
- PE
Representative Consulting Assignments
- Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge | Baltimore, Maryland | Insurance Claim Investigation — Identified bridge collapse mechanism, assessed remaining foundation elements, and developed conceptual repair and replacement options.
- Single Family Residence | Three Forks, Montana | Litigation Support — Worked with multiple attorneys and insurance client as an engineering expert in a construction defect case for a newly constructed home.
- Billings Bypass - Yellowstone River Bridge | Billings, Montana | Structural Design — Developed plans, specifications, and estimate package for the longest steel plate girder bridge in Montana.
- Residential Dwellings | Lubbock, Texas | Hail and Wind Damage Assessment — CAT loss inspection involving three hundred nine structures for wind and hail effects with various cladding and roofing material. Historical weather data was reviewed, and inspections were performed to ascertain causation. Repairs were specified as necessary.
- Single Family Dwelling | Missoula, Montana | Roof Blowoff Assessment — Forensic inspection of a newly constructed single-family dwelling where approximately one-third of the roof blew off and across the driveway. Identified construction defects and engineering oversights.
- Gros Ventre River Bridge | Jackson, Wyoming | Structural Design — Developed the plans, specifications, estimate package and seismic design for this three-span structure located near Jackson, WY.
- Grain Elevator & Warehouse Buildings | Hettinger, North Dakota | Structural Assessment — Performed structural inspection and assessment of a grain elevator and two warehouse buildings impacted by a derailing train. Provided replacement and rehabilitation options.
- NIH Biomedical Research Facility | Hamilton, Montana | Insurance Claim Investigation — Inspected a multi-level NIH biomedical research facility to determine the cause of widespread drywall cracking.
- Bank | Missoula, Montana | Pipe Fracture Assessment — Large complex loss investigation into the causation of a fracture in a geothermal piping system.
- Single Family Residence | Yellowstone Club Trail, Big Sky | Slab Settlement Assessment — Preformed the inspection and research necessary to determine the cause of slab settlement for this 8,779 square foot multi-million dollar residence.
- Modular Home | Deary, Idaho | Litigation Support — Forensic inspection of reported water infiltration and associated conditions for this newly constructed modular home.
- Condominium | Yellowstone Club Trail, Big Sky | Insurance Claim Investigation / Litigation Support — Cause and origin assessment and litigation support related to a water effects insurance claim in this multi-million dollar dwelling.
- University of Montana | Bozeman, Montana | Litigation Support / Waterline Collapse Assessment — Worked with attorney in reviewing calculations and submittal packages as well as inspecting this Montana State University building to determine the cause of a 6” stainless steel waterline collapse, which flooded multiple buildings.
- Storage Facility Buildings | Bozeman, Montana | Snow Overload and Water Damage Assessment — Inspected five storage unit facilities to determine the cause of water infiltration into the units. Inspection revealed structural deformations resulting from snow overloading and infiltration due to roof panel separation.
- Multi-story Governmental Office Building | Anchorage, Alaska | Snow Overload Assessment — Inspected the structural roofing system for a three-story governmental office building decommissioned due to reported roof truss distress.
- Apartment Complex | Bozeman, Montana | Water Infiltration Assessment — Investigated water infiltration in this five-story apartment building to determine the source.
- Commercial Building | Helena, Montana | Commercial Roof Repair Plan — Developed a roof repair plan for this commercial building. Determined limits of wind effects and developed repair specifications.
- Residential Structure | Faith, South Dakota | Roof Blow Off Assessment — Determined the extent of distress and repairability of this single-family dwelling after strong winds blew off a large portion of the roof.
- Single Family Dwelling | Wolf Point, Montana | Vehicle Impact Assessment — Inspected a dwelling to determine conditions and assess repairability after it was impacted by a vehicle exiting the roadway at high speed.
- Single Family Dwelling | Powell, Wyoming | Concrete Slab Cracking Assessment — Inspected a newly constructed building floor to determine the cause of widespread concrete cracking and finishing anomalies.
- Vandalism Assessment | Bozeman, Montana | Insurance Claim Investigation — Inspected an apartment building to determine if the loss was consistent with vandalism or building deficiencies.
- Single Family Residence | Florence, Montana | Tree Fall Foundation Damage Assessment — Inspected and developed repair recommendations for an old log cabin that was displaced from its foundation when a large tree uprooted nearby.
- Condominium Complex | Big Sky, Montana | Litigation Support / Water Infiltration Assessment — Assessed this newly constructed four-story condominium complex to determine the cause of repeated water infiltration.
- Building Mechanical Equipment | Cheyenne, Wyoming | Insurance Claim Investigation — Assessed rooftop mechanical units to evaluate wind effects on this three-story supercomputing facility.
- Residential Garage | Miles City, Montana | Wind Damage Assessment — Inspected a detached garage to identify the cause of building racking.
- Single Family Dwelling | Bozeman, Montana | Water Damage Assessment — Inspected residence for water infiltration due to ice damming and evaluated roof system code compliance.
Professional Experience
- Senior Forensic Engineer | EFI Global | 2022 - 2026
- Bridge Engineer | Morrison-Maierle | 2016 - 2022
- Project Engineer | Alfred Benesch & Company | 2011 - 2016
- Graduate Engineer II | CDM Smith | 2009 - 2011
- Civil Engineering Intern | ABS Consulting | 2008 - 2008
Practices & Skillsets
- Drone Pilot
- Failure Analysis
- Roofing
- Structural Analysis
- Condition Assessment
- Construction Administration
- Historic Preservation
- Premises Liability
Education
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Civil Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 2009
Training Courses
- Level I Specific Rope Access, Reality Rope Access, Conroe, Texas (January 2025)
- Trip and Fall Investigations Live Interactive Seminar, EFI Global, Helena, Montana (March 2024)
- Moisture Intrusion 2021 IRC & IECC, Thornburg Code Services, Bozeman, Montana (March 2024)
- Fundamentals of Arctic Engineering, University of Alaska Anchorage, Helena, Montana (February 2024)
- Advanced Roofing Certification, Vale Training, Dallas, Texas (June 2023)
- IRC Roof Construction, Thornburg Code Services, Missoula, Montana (March 2023)
- 2021 Commercial IECC, Shums Coda, Missoula, Montana (March 2023)
- 2021 IRC Structural, Thornburg Code Services, Missoula, Montana (March 2023)
- The Base - IRC Foundation Design, Thornburg Code Services, Missoula, Montana (March 2023)
- Northern Region Bridge Inspection Refresher Training, USFS, Missoula, Montana (March 2022)
- Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges, FHWA-NHI, Baltimore, Maryland (October 2017)
Professional Licenses
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Montana - License #PEL-PE-LIC-49049
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Idaho - License #P-21951
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Wyoming - License #19592
- Professional Engineer (PE) - North Dakota - License #PE-30061
- Professional Engineer (PE) - South Dakota - License #16393
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Utah - License #13705497-2202
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Colorado - License #PE.0063526
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Arizona - License #80903
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Alaska - License #222746
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Texas - License #153370
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Florida - License #100577
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Georgia - License #PE053216
- Professional Engineer (PE) - North Carolina - License #059554
- Professional Engineer (PE) - South Carolina - License #43521
- Professional Engineer (PE) - Washington - License #25001365