FORENSIC ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION By Randall K. Noon

FORENSIC ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION By Randall K. Noon

Contents:

1 Introduction

2 Wind Damage to Residential Structures

3 Lightning Damage to Well Pumps

4 Evaluating Blasting Damage

5 Building Collapse Due to Roof Leakage

6 Putting Machines and People Together

7 Determining the Point of Origin of a Fire

8 Electrical Shorting

9 Explosions

10 Determining the Point of Ignition of an Explosion

11 Arson and Incendiary Fires

12 Simple Skids

13 Simple Vehicular Falls

14 Vehicle Performance

15 Momentum Methods

16 Energy Methods

17 Curves and Turns

18 Visual Perception and Motorcycle Accidents

19 Interpreting Lamp Filament Damages

20 Automotive Fires

21 Hail Damage

22 Blaming Brick Freeze-Thaw Deterioration on Hail

23 Management’s Role in Accidents and Catastrophic Events

Preface:

Forensic engineering is the application of engineering principles, knowledge, skills, and methodologies to answer questions of fact that may have legal ramifications. Forensic engineers typically are called upon to analyze car accidents, building collapses, fires, explosions, industrial accidents, and various calamities involving injuries or significant property losses. Fundamentally, the job of a forensic engineer is to answer the question, what caused this to happen? A forensic engineer is not a specialist in any one science or engineering discipline. The solution of “real-world” forensic engineering problems often requires the simultaneous or sequential application of several scientific disciplines. Information gleaned from the application of one discipline may provide the basis for another to be applied, which in turn may provide the basis for still another to be applied. The logical relationships developed among these various lines of investigation usually form the basis for the solution of what caused the event to occur. Because of this, skilled forensic engineers are usually excellent engineering generalists. A forensic engineering assignment is perhaps akin to solving a picture puzzle. Initially, there are dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, of seemingly disjointed pieces piled in a heap. When examined individually, each piece may not provide much information. Methodically, the various pieces are sorted and patiently fitted together in a logical context. Slowly, an overall picture emerges. When a significant portion of the puzzle has been solved, it then becomes easier to see where the remaining pieces fit.