Work directly with California-licensed Structural Engineers for stamped calculations, structural drawings, inspections, and plan-check responses across residential, commercial, seismic retrofit, and hillside projects.
PROJECT DETAILS REVIEWED BY OUR ENGINEERING TEAM // DIRECT RESPONSE
COMPREHENSIVE CALCULATIONS | FOUNDATION DESIGN | PERMIT-READY CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Custom structural engineering for luxury single-family homes, multi-story residences, hill slope architectural builds, and extensive structural renovations.
Comprehensive structural design, foundation engineering, and structural alterations for commercial developments, retail centers, and office buildings.
Engineering calculations and structural upgrades to bring soft-story, masonry, and unreinforced buildings into full compliance with city seismic ordinances.
Fast-track structural engineering for Accessory Dwelling Units, garage conversions, two-story standalone units, and junior ADUs (JADUs).
Specialized structural foundation engineering for steep hillside lots, caissons, friction piles, grade beams, and heavy concrete retaining walls.
Engineering analysis, structural calculation, and beam sizing (steel I-beam / PSL beam) for open-concept floor plan modifications.
Independent engineering evaluations, foundation settlement reports, structural damage assessments, framing observations, and peer reviews.
Disciplined structural engineering meeting strict state safety codes, OSHPD healthcare standards, industrial solar framing, and utility specs.
SELECT PARAMETERS TO GENERATE PROJECT TIMELINE & CALCULATION DELIVERABLE SCOPE
Melqart, Inc. is a Los Angeles–based structural engineering firm serving commercial, residential, industrial, and utility projects. Operating with senior S.E. involvement, clear communication, and disciplined execution since 2015.
Every project benefits from senior technical leadership, allowing clients to manage risk, protect schedules, and move forward with confidence.
Richard Daoud, S.E. is the Principal and Founder of Melqart, Inc., bringing 19 years of experience in structural engineering across commercial, residential, industrial, and utility projects.
Melqart was established to provide disciplined engineering supported by exceptional responsiveness. The firm operates with direct senior-level involvement, clear communication, and timely decision-making to keep projects moving from design through construction.
Richard remains closely engaged in technical leadership and project execution, ensuring accountability, consistency, and reliability at every stage.
Dhiraj Swami, S.E. is a California-licensed Structural Engineer and Associate Principal with more than a decade of experience delivering high-performance structural solutions for complex buildings. He holds a Master’s degree in Civil (Structural) Engineering from UCLA and a Bachelor’s degree from Gujarat Technological University.
Dhiraj specializes in the design and execution of wood, steel, masonry, and concrete structures across a wide range of building types, including multifamily housing, hospitality, mixed-use, retail, and institutional facilities such as schools and college campuses. His project experience spans new construction, seismic retrofits, and renovations—often on buildings that require careful coordination.
Dhiraj brings a disciplined engineering mindset and a proactive approach to working with clients, architects, and contractors to solve complex structural challenges. He is dedicated to maintaining high technical standards, prioritizing client service, and delivering practical, constructable designs that keep projects moving forward smoothly while upholding the highest standards of structural safety.
Anupam Khandelwal, E.I.T. is a Senior Project Engineer with extensive experience in structural design, engineering analysis, and finite element modeling for residential, commercial, and mixed-use structures.
He oversees structural calculations, lateral force-resisting systems (LFRS), timber and structural steel framing, and foundation engineering while maintaining continuous coordination with city plan check examiners.
Craig McMillan is the BIM and CAD Manager at Melqart, Inc., directing 3D structural modeling, BIM standards implementation, and multi-disciplinary drawing production across complex architectural projects.
He ensures seamless 3D Revit coordination between structural framing, architectural design layouts, and MEP utility routings, delivering precision permit sets.
Dhruv Sohal, E.I.T. is a Structural Engineer focusing on structural calculations, seismic analysis, and structural detail design for single-family residences, ADUs, and commercial alterations.
He works closely with senior structural engineers to verify load paths, design continuous foundations, and produce permit-ready engineering packages.
Project Manager
Project Manager
Structural Designer
Cost Control
SPECIFICATION: STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PORTFOLIO | SCALE: 1:100 | LADBS / CBC / ASCE APPROVED
Fort Harrison Hospital buildings comprised of a 4-story reinforced brick and a one-story inpatient building. Provided ASCE41 TIER 1 and 2 structural seismic analysis and detailed seismic retrofit engineering recommendations.
Medical Lab upgrade for OSHPD / HCAI facility: Structural anchorage engineering of specialized medical equipment, suspended piping networks, and non-structural architectural components.
Comprehensive medical lab structural upgrades: Seismic anchorage calculations for heavy diagnostic imaging equipment, ceiling support grids, and utility floor reinforcement.
Branch facility expansion requiring perimeter security fence structural engineering, foundation pad design, and construction engineering support.
Medical office expansion requiring removal of interior load-bearing structural walls, installation of steel transfer beams, and targeted seismic retrofit.
Expansion within an existing masonry building. Engineered new large wall openings through CMU block walls and added key structural shear reinforcement.
Conversion of a financial bank building into a state-of-the-art medical office building: Seismic structural review, framing for 14 rooftop mechanical units, and Glulam beam reinforcement.
Conversion of an existing commercial building into a high-capacity VA outpatient facility providing primary care, mental health, and women's health services under strict VA structural standards.
Ground-up 3-story hillside medical treatment facility featuring subterranean concrete foundation levels, offset shear walls, and freestanding cantilevered structural steel columns.
Major tenant improvement converting an existing 2-story concrete tilt-up building with wood floor/roof framing into a modern medical office building.
Tenant improvement of an office building into a rehabilitation therapy center, including structural engineering for custom therapy swings, playground structures, and tilt-up panel penetrations.
Hillside medical rehab center tenant improvement. Reconfigured wood-framed roof ridge line and inserted custom cantilevered structural steel frames to achieve open interior vaulted spaces.
Ground-up 1-story standalone wood-framed building extension with ancillary structures. Designed high open window clerestory framing and vaulted timber rafter system.
100,000 SF 3-building commercial retail center revitalization: Seismic retrofit of tilt-up concrete walls, new decorative parapets, RTU rooftop framing, sitework structural walls, and loading dock expansion.
Structural engineering for commercial studio building improvement in Los Angeles, including interior wall modifications, mezzanine load review, and rooftop unit steel dunnage framing.
Structural engineering for restaurant facility expansion, including suspended heavy commercial kitchen exhaust hood support, rooftop mechanical unit framing, and structural floor reinforcement.
Structural foundation and equipment pad engineering for large-scale utility solar generation facility, including inverter pad designs and high-wind structural equipment anchorage.
Structural engineering for concentrated solar power (CSP) generation facility: Deep foundation piers, heavy turbine generator equipment pads, and thermal storage tank foundations.
Industrial solar manufacturing plant structural engineering: Heavy overhead crane gantry steel framing, precision manufacturing equipment isolation pads, and high-clearance steel framing.
Industrial refinery equipment support engineering: Heavy vibrating machinery pads, pipe rack structural steel gantries, and blast-resistant utility enclosure foundations.
Full structural design for commercial energy center & gas station: Long-span canopy steel structure, fuel bulkrack foundations, masonry perimeter retaining walls, and control building framing.
Comprehensive seismic retrofit of a 100,000 SF commercial facility with concrete tilt-up and CMU masonry walls: Shotcrete shear wall additions, interior steel stud diaphragm break walls, and out-of-plane wall anchors.
Complete seismic retrofit of a 40,000 SF concrete tilt-up building with panelized roof framing: Custom shotcrete wall reinforcement, out-of-plane ledger anchors, diaphragm chord ties, and steel sign towers.
Seismic retrofit engineering for a 20,000 SF commercial CMU building: Shotcrete shear wall reinforcement, roof-to-wall out-of-plane anchoring, and diaphragm sub-diaphragm cross-ties.
Mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit for a 2-story wood-framed apartment building in Los Angeles compliant with LADBS Ordinance 183893. Implemented cost-effective structural steel Strong-Walls.
Friction caissons, subterranean concrete basement, structural steel cantilever deck, and LADBS Hillside plan check clearance for a high-end luxury hillside estate.
Timber load-bearing wall calculations, continuous concrete foundation engineering, shear wall diaphragm design, and fast-track city permit submittal.
PERMITTING PROCEDURES, CODE COMPLIANCE & ENGINEERING CALCULATIONS
In California, a Structural Engineer (S.E.) is a registered Professional Engineer who has passed rigorous additional examination testing on lateral forces, seismic design, and complex structural dynamics beyond basic civil licensure. Only S.E. licensed engineers are legally authorized to design hospitals, schools, and complex multi-story structures.
Standard LADBS structural plan check reviews generally take 2 to 4 weeks depending on the department workload and project complexity. Melqart, Inc. submits comprehensive, stamped calculations and clear structural drawings to minimize plan check comments and expedite permit issuance.
Yes. City of Los Angeles Mandatory Soft-Story Ordinance 183893 requires engineered structural drawings, lateral moment frame calculations, and foundation tie-in details stamped by a licensed California S.E. or P.E.
Our complete permit-ready engineering package includes stamped structural calculations, framing plan layout drawings, continuous foundation details, shear wall schedules, structural general notes, and responses to plan check corrections.
You can send us your preliminary floor plan or photos of the wall. Our team will determine the joist direction, calculate tributary floor/roof loads, size the structural steel or Glulam beam, and provide a direct engineering fee proposal.
PERMIT-READY CALCULATIONS FOR ALL MAJOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL BUILDING DEPARTMENTS
Speak directly with licensed Structural Engineers (S.E.). Submit your architectural drawings or project details for a rapid plan check assessment.
Structural Engineering Firm
714 W Olympic Blvd, Suite 617
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM PST
Serving all municipalities across Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties.
