Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013
  • M.S., Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Alabama, #PE38586
  • Professional Engineer Civil, California, #86843
  • Professional Engineer, Florida, #83097
  • Professional Engineer, Georgia, #PE040101
  • Professional Engineer Structural, Georgia, #SE000979
  • Professional Engineer, Idaho, #P-22501
  • Professional Engineer, Mississippi, #31688
  • Professional Engineer, North Carolina, #045757
  • Professional Engineer, North Dakota, #PE-29003
  • Professional Engineer, New Jersey, #24GE05711200
  • Professional Engineer, Nevada, #028554
  • Professional Engineer, South Carolina, #33859
  • Professional Engineer, Tennessee, #129011
  • Professional Engineer Structural, Texas, #136162
Academic Appointments
  • Lecturer, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-Present, Various Semesters
    • Reinforced Concrete Members (Graduate)
    • Timber/Masonry Design (Undergraduate)
  • Lecturer, San Francisco State University, 2014-2016, Various Semesters
    • Steel Structures (Undergraduate)
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-2012
  • Teaching Assistant, Georgia Institute of Technology, Advanced Steel Design, Advanced Concrete Design, Prestressed Concrete, Timber/Masonry, various semesters
Professional Affiliations
  • American Institute of Steel Construction (Professional Member)
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (Member)
  • Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE (Member)
  • Construction Institute of ASCE (Member)
  • Structural Stability Research Council (Member-at-Large, Executive Committee Member)

As a licensed professional and structural engineer, Dr. Cliff D. Bishop specializes in the holistic evaluation of building and bridge structures. While at Exponent, he has led investigations of concrete, steel, wood, and masonry structures and their interior finishes and building envelope components that were damaged as a result of design/construction defects, construction procedures, and natural hazards, such as wind, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. 

These investigations typically include on-site testing and documentation, analysis of structural and non-structural component response, interpreting and applying building codes and standards, and identification of the most appropriate repair. Dr. Bishop often employs sophisticated engineering analysis and state-of-the-art research in support of these investigations. His sound engineering advice provides the basis necessary for building owners, insurers, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions.

Dr. Bishop received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Civil Engineering (with an emphasis in Structural Engineering) from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Dr. Bishop's academic background includes the incorporation of probability and risk into the design process for steel and concrete structures. This includes experience in structural reliability, dynamics and adaptive smart-structures, and computer simulations of structural behavior using robust nonlinear finite element analysis. Dr. Bishop's research at Georgia Tech focused on bracing for stability of metal building systems where he developed novel software to assess the stability of highly nonlinear steel structures.

Dr. Bishop's investigations of construction defects, structural and non-structural damage, envelope failures, interior finishes concerns, and collapses often take him to the site to capture the critical, sometimes ephemeral, evidence needed to determine the cause of a failure as well as the nature and extent of damage that may require repair. A sample of past investigations include: collapse of a parking deck during concrete placement, stability assessment of steel solar power tower structures, construction defect assessment for concrete and steel structural systems, damage assessment of wood-framed buildings associated with adjacent construction, property condition assessment for changes in tenancy, damage assessment of a hotel due to an earthquake, and structural/building envelope assessment of coastal facilities affected by hurricanes.

Dr. Bishop has investigated building envelope failures including those related to windows/doors, cladding systems, roofing systems, moisture intrusion and those related to building physics such as vapor drive and addressed how these types of failures may have damaged internal building components.

Dr. Bishop has utilized his experience in interpreting and applying codes and standards on several personal injury cases that occurred in and around buildings and commercial spaces including slip, trip, and fall incidents and pedestrian-vehicle accidents.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Bishop worked for a structural design firm in Atlanta, Georgia, where he designed buildings constructed using structural steel, wood framing, conventionally reinforced concrete and post-tensioned concrete. Dr. Bishop consulted on several projects to develop systems and components to protect buildings from blast effects and reduce the risk of progressive collapse.

Dr. Bishop is an active member of the Structural Stability Research Council's (SSRC) where he serves on the Executive Committee and task committees TG02 - Stability of Members and TG06 - Extreme Loads. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineer's (ASCE/SEI) committee on Structural Members.