Matiyas A. Bezabeh
Ph.D.
Professor Bezabeh specializes in the evaluation and design of timber and timber-hybrid structures for earthquakes and strong winds. Prior to joining 麻豆传媒网站, he worked as a Scientist/Technical Coordinator at . At RWDI, he coordinated the technical teams tasked with developing solutions to challenges in the wind design of tall and complex buildings. These solutions involved wind tunnel testing and dynamic structural analysis. He received his Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. from the , Canada, in 2021 and 2014, respectively. He developed a displacement-based seismic design guideline for a novel steel-timber hybrid structure as part of his M.A.Sc. project at UBC. He spent four years as a visiting research student at and conducted numerous wind tunnel studies at Western's and . His doctoral work developed new performance-based wind design frameworks for tall buildings. The frameworks are included in the new and the , published by . At the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE), he received the in 2018.
Professor Bezabeh is a subcommittee member of and chairs the Reliability-Based Design of Connections Task Group within the same standard.听He also serves on ASCE's 听and is an Associate Editor for the .
Professor Bezabeh's research focuses on promoting resilient and sustainable urban development through tall timber buildings. In particular, he is interested in performance-based wind and seismic design of tall timber and hybrid buildings, seismic risk assessment of mass timber buildings, self-centering systems, uncertainty modelling and propagation, aeroelastic instability of structures, wind directionality, hybrid aeroelastic wind tunnel testing, the inelastic response of tall buildings with supplemental damping systems, and near-collapse behaviour of structures subjected to strong non-synoptic wind systems.
- Ph.D., The University of British Columbia (2021)
- M.A.Sc.,听The University of British Columbia (2014)
- BSc., Addis Ababa University (2011)
- Timber structures
- Wind engineering
- Seismic design听
- Performance-based wind design (PBWD)
- Nonlinear dynamic analysis听听
- Performance-based seismic design
- Experimental techniques in wind and earthquake engineering
- Young Scientist Excellence Award, World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE), 2018听
- Mitacs Accelerated Ph.D. Fellowship, 2016-2019
- Mitacs-JSPS Fellowship, 2018
- University Graduate Fellowship, The University of British Columbia, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016
2026
Zhu, H., Aloisio, A., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2026, April). Development, validation, and application of reduced-order numerical models for post-tensioned cross-laminated timber rocking walls. In听Structures听(Vol. 86, p. 111397). Elsevier.
Maky, A. M., Romanic, D., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2026). Sensitivity analysis of structural response to thunderstorm downburst models.听Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics,听269, 106332.听.
Gholamizoj, K., Zhu, H., Salenikovich, A., Bezabeh, M., & Chui, Y. H. (2026, March). Seismic performance assessment of timber braced frames with dowel connections and slotted-in steel plates: Drift-and energy-based performance indicators. In听Structures听(Vol. 85, p. 111155). Elsevier.
Yang, Z., Liu, Y., Chang, Y., Dai, K., Zhong, J., Huang, E., ... & Bezabeh, M. A. (2026). Wind Tunnel Investigation of Heliostat Field Wind Loads and Load Reduction Measures.听Renewable Energy, 125395.
Calayir, M., Tao, J., Mercan, O., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2026). Multi鈥怘azard Wind鈥怱eismic Vibration Mitigation of Tall Buildings Using Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) and Structural Modification: Numerical Optimization and Experimental Validation.听Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics.
Zhu, H., Bezabeh, M. A., Iqbal, A., Popovski, M., & Chen, Z. (2026). Determination of Canadian Seismic Force Modification Factors for Post-Tensioned Cross-Laminated Timber Rocking Walls.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听152(1), 04025250.
2025
Berile, N. K., Bezabeh, M. A., & Bekele, S. A. (2026). Nonparametric sector dependence modelling for the directional synthesis of local wind climate and building aerodynamic responses: Adaptive kernel-based approach. Structural Safety, 119, 102671. .
Risha, A., Bezabeh, M. A., Rogers, C., Feng, H., & Salenikovich, A. (2025). Life cycle carbon assessment of reinforced concrete, structural steel, and mass-timber buildings in Canada.听Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering,听52(12), 2375-2389.
Aloisio, A., Bezabeh, M. A., Pasca, D. P., Rosso, M. M., Giordano, P. F., Reynolds, T., ... & Kurent, B. (2025). Vibration-Based Wind Design Provisions for Tall Timber Buildings. In听Holistic Design of Taller Timber Buildings听(pp. 115-124). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Gholamizoj, K., Salenikovich, A., Chui, Y. H., Zhu, H., & Bezabeh, M. (2025). Structural performance of dowel connections with slotted-in steel plates for mass-timber braced frames.听Journal of Building Engineering, 113959.
Zhu, H., Bezabeh, M. A., Iqbal, A., Popovski, M., & Chen, Z. (2025). Seismic design and performance evaluation of post-tensioned CLT shear walls with coupling U-shaped flexural plates in Canada.听Earthquake Spectra,听41(3), 2203-2224.
Lin, X., Bekele, B. N., Bezabeh, M., Zhang, B., Yang, P., Li, Y., Tse, T.K.T, & Li, C. Y. (2025). Simulating stochastic wind loads using spectral proper orthogonal decomposition.听Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing,听235, 112876.
Berile, N. K., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2025). Performance-based wind design of tall mass timber buildings with coupled post-tensioned cross-laminated timber shear walls.听Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics,听257, 105981.
2024
Tang, J., Dai, K., Luo, Y., Bezabeh, M. A., & Ding, Z. (2024). Integrated control strategy for the vibration mitigation of wind turbines based on pitch angle control and TMDI systems.听Engineering Structures,听303, 117529.
Zhu, H., Bezabeh, M. A., Iqbal, A., Popovski, M., & Chen, Z. (2024). Seismic performance assessment of post-tensioned CLT shear wall buildings with buckling-restrained axial fuses.听Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering,听51(7), 784-802.
2023
Dai, K., Sun, T., Liu, Y., Li, T., Xu, J., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2023). Seismic performance of RC frames with self-centering precast post-tensioned connections considering the effect of infill walls.听Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering,听171, 107969.
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2022
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2021
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., & Tesfamariam, S. (2021). Nonlinear dynamic response of single-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to along-wind loads. I: Parametric study.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听147(11), 04021177.
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., & Tesfamariam, S. (2021). Nonlinear dynamic response of single-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to along-wind loads. II: Implications for structural reliability.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听147(11), 04021178.
Tesfamariam, S., Skandalos, K., Goda, K., Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G., & Popovski, M. (2021). Quantifying the ductility-related force modification factor for 10-story timber鈥揜C hybrid building using FEMA P695 procedure and considering the 2015 NBC seismic hazard.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听147(5), 04021052.
2020
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., Popovski, M., & Tesfamariam, S. (2020). Dynamic response of tall mass-timber buildings to wind excitation.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听146(10), 04020199.
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., & Tesfamariam, S. (2020). Performance-based wind design of tall buildings: Concepts, frameworks, and opportunities.听Wind Struct,听31(2), 103-142.
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2019
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2018
Bezabeh, M. A., Gairola, A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., Popovski, M., & Tesfamariam, S. (2018). Structural performance of multi-story mass-timber buildings under tornado-like wind field.听Engineering Structures,听177, 519-539.
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., Popovski, M., & Tesfamariam, S. (2018). Probabilistic serviceability-performance assessment of tall mass-timber buildings subjected to stochastic wind loads: Part I-structural design and wind tunnel testing.听Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics,听181, 85-103.
Bezabeh, M. A., Bitsuamlak, G. T., Popovski, M., & Tesfamariam, S. (2018). Probabilistic serviceability-performance assessment of tall mass-timber buildings subjected to stochastic wind loads: Part I-structural design and wind tunnel testing.听Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics,听181, 85-103.
2017
Bezabeh, M. A., Tesfamariam, S., Popovski, M., Goda, K., & Stiemer, S. F. (2017). Seismic base shear modification factors for timber-steel hybrid structure: collapse risk assessment approach.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听143(10), 04017136.
Tesfamariam, S., Loeppky, J. L., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2017). Gaussian process model for maximum and residual drifts of timber-steel hybrid building.听Structure and Infrastructure Engineering,听13(5), 554-566.
2016
Bezabeh, M. A., Tesfamariam, S., Stiemer, S. F., Popovski, M., & Karacabeyli, E. (2016). Direct displacement-based design of a novel hybrid structure: Steel moment-resisting frames with cross-laminated timber infill walls.听Earthquake Spectra,听32(3), 1565-1585.
Bezabeh, M. A., Tesfamariam, S., & Stiemer, S. F. (2016). Equivalent viscous damping for steel moment-resisting frames with cross-laminated timber infill walls.听Journal of Structural Engineering,听142(1), 04015080.
Previous
Dickof, C., Stiemer, S. F., Bezabeh, M. A., & Tesfamariam, S. (2014). CLT鈥搒teel hybrid system: Ductility and overstrength values based on static pushover analysis.听Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities,听28(6), A4014012.
Tesfamariam, S., Stiemer, S. F., Dickof, C., & Bezabeh, M. A. (2014). Seismic vulnerability assessment of hybrid steel-timber structure: Steel moment-resisting frames with CLT infill.听Journal of Earthquake Engineering,听18(6), 929-944.
Current postdoctoral researchers
Daniel Habtamu Zelleke
Xisheng (Eric) Lin
Current PhD students
Nahom K. Berile
Abebaw Abie Mekonnen
Mohammed S. Ibrahim
Ahmed Maky
Kalkidan T. Shewandagn
Lei Liao
Huanru Zhu
Zijian (Jerry) Liang
Current master's students
Sukhveer Singh
Meghan Egan
Karim Basha
Ze Yu (Thomas) Dong
Satria Rainville
Kylie Chan
Sean Cameron
Past students
Huanru Zhu (Master's)
Zijian (Jerry) Liang (Master's)
Aya Risha (Master's)
Simon Cleghorn (BEng)
Po-Yun Cheng (BEng)
- Performance-based wind design (PBWD) of tall buildings
- Seismic collapse risk assessment of mass-timber and hybrid buildings
- Probabilistic displacement-based design of mass-timber buildings
- Mitigation of excessive wind-induced motions in tall mass-timber buildings
- Nonlinear dynamic response of wind-excited tall buildings
- Experimental techniques in wind and earthquake engineering
- Uncertainty modeling and propagation听
- Aeroelastic instability of structures听
- Inelastic response of tall buildings with supplemental damping systems听
- Near-collapse behavior and collapse mechanism of tall buildings under earthquake and extreme wind loads
- Associate Editor of听the .
- Subcommittee member of 听standard.听
- Chair of听the Reliability-Based Design of Connections Task Group within the 听standard.听
- Editorial board member of the .听
- Member of the ASCE of the SEI Technical Activities Division.听
- Member of the working groups 2 and 3,听.听
- Member of the听American Society for Testing and Materials Committee D07 (Wood) and E06 (Performance of Buildings).
- Mentor for the听.