scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation Of Dezincification In A Major Corrosion Litigation

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert N. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Zinc Content ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Urban Location ◽  
Home Owner ◽  
Plumbing Systems ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Low Strength ◽  
Engineering Investigation

Zinc-Rich Brasses With The Zinc Content Above 30% Can Be Involved In Corrosion Processes With Catastrophic Results. The Dezincification Results In A Low Strength Copper With A Porous Sponge Like Structure. The Case, Where Dezincification Occurred With Massive Impact, Involved 34,000 New Homes In An Urban Location In Nevada. These Homes Were Constructed Using Building Code Approved Plastic Pex Tubing For Plumbing With Brass Fittings. Leaks Developed In The Home Plumbing Systems After Approximately 3-6 Years. This Failure Resulted In Lawsuits Involving Home Owner Associations, Insurance Companies, Contractors, Plumbers, Architects, Manufacturers, And Suppliers.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation Of A Cruise Ship Fire

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Shefchick
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Cruise Ship ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Engine Room ◽  
Fire Insurance ◽  
Room Fires ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Engineering Investigation

Each Year There Are Approximately 50 Major Fires Aboard Ships, Which Result In Financial Loss, Personal Injury And Death. Financial Loss At Sea Instigated The Formation Of Insurance Companies Such As Lloyds Of London, Which Now Provide Fire Insurance For Most Assets. Over A Nine-Year Period From 1977 To 1986, The Liverpool Underwriters Association Reported That 33 Percent Of The Fires Originated In Machinery Spaces, 3.6 Percent Originated In Electrical Installations And 0.5 Percent Originated In Stores. Between 1991 And 1993, 54 Percent Of The Fires Originated In Engine Rooms. The Engine Room Fires Were Often Initiated By An Explosion Or The Result From An Uncontrolled Release Of Flammable Vapors Or Fuel Into The Engine Room. 40 Percent Of All Fires In Engine Rooms Are Extinguished Using Portable Appliances While 18 Percent Are Extinguished By Fixed Carbon Dioxide Systems. Portable Appliances Are Most Effective In The First 15 Minutes And Carbon Dioxide In The First 30 Minutes...A Case Study Of The Investigation Of A Fatal Passenger Cruise Ship Fire Will Be Utilized To Show How The Burn Patterns Differ, How To Determine A Fires Area Of Origin And Possible Causes Of The Fire.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation Of Distressed Residential Foundations From Plumbing Leaks

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshi Nobe
Keyword(s):  
Clay Soil ◽  
Expansive Soils ◽  
Expansive Soil ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Foundation Design ◽  
Swelling Soils ◽  
Insurance Agent ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Engineering Investigation

The Distress To A Home Caused By A Plumbing Leak Under A Residential Foundation In Expansive Soils Can Be A Great Risk To Homeowners And Insurance Companies. It Was Estimated That Annual Damages In 1983 Due To Shrinking And Swelling Soils Averaged $9 Billion Nationwide, Causing Staggering Economic Loss.1 A Property Claim Resulting From A Purported Underground Plumbing Leak Affecting Moisture Content In Expansive Soils May Involve A Number Of Interested Parties Including: Homeowners, An Insurance Agent, An Insurance Claims Adjuster, A Plumbing Contractor, A Forensic Engineering Investigator, A Public Adjuster, A Foundation Contractor, A Foundation Design Engineer, And Attorneys... This Paper Describes A Step-By-Step Protocol For A Typical Residential Foundation Investigation That May Involve A Potential Legal Challenge As The Result Of The Investigatory Findings As Schematically Shown In Figures 1 And 2. This Paper Discusses The Areas Of Contention Based On Current Technology Involving Expansive Soil Foundations. Expansive Soils Are Clay Soils That Swell Volumetrically When The Soils Are Exposed To Moist Conditions.3 Clay Soil Shrinks When It Dries; Those Soils That Shrink And Swell To Extremes Are Known As Expansive Soils.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation Of Failure Of An Oil Pipeline

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Broz
Keyword(s):  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Weld Repair ◽  
Butt Weld ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Weld Joints ◽  
General Contractor ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Engineering Investigation ◽  
Surrounding Soil

A Below-Grade, Nps 12 Pipeline Serving A Major Commercial Marine Terminal Failed At A Flanged Joint, Causing A Major Leak And Contamination Of The Surrounding Soil. The Gasket At The Failed Joint Showed Evidence Of Localized, Radial Through-Leakage. At The Terminal, The Initial Excavation Of Contaminated Soil Caused Minor Damage To Several Non-Leaking Segments Of Pipe And The Author Was First Tasked To Oversee The Related Inspection, Weld Repair And Corrosion Protection Work. The Author Subsequently Performed A Forensic Pipe Stress Analysis Of The Affected Portion Of The Fuel Oil System Per The Governing Pressure Piping Code. The Results Indicated That The Leaking Joint Failed With Respect To The Code Criterion Of Equivalent Pressure. Further Investigation Revealed That The System As Originally Designed Was Entirely Of Butt Weld Construction With No Flanged Joints, And Would Have Complied With All Code Requirements. The Investigation Determined That The General Contractor Had Made An Unauthorized Substitution Of Flanged Joints For Butt Weld Joints, Without Informing The Owner Or Design Engineer Of Record.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis of Dynamic Forces Created by Pedestrians Impacting Plate Glass at Different Speeds

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kravitz
Keyword(s):  
Impact Load ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
Glass Panel ◽  
Impact Speed ◽  
Dynamic Forces ◽  
Exit Door ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Pedestrian Impact ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the effect of a pedestrian inadvertently impacting a glass panel adjacent to a glass exit door. The glass panel was full length and unmarked, violating the local building code and building commissioner directives. The defense argued that the old building code, to which the college building was constructed, was “grandfathered” and there was no violation. Initial witness and plaintiff statements indicated that the plaintiff was running when he struck the panel, which shattered and caused the plaintiff to incur injuries. The plaintiff testified later, in deposition, that he was walking when he struck the glass. The court needed to establish liability percentage, which is common in civil cases, and it was necessary to determine at what pedestrian impact speed the glass panel would break. The analysis used Timoshenko’s theory of vibration plates, Roark’s stress strain formulas, ergonomics, and human factors to estimate the impact load and stresses on the glass panel that caused failure.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation of Above-Ground Pool Submersion Accidents

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ziernicki ◽  
William H. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Swimming Pool ◽  
Consumer Product Safety Commission ◽  
Adult Supervision ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Product Defect ◽  
Engineering Investigation ◽  
Alternative Designs

In the United States, approximately 35 children under the age of five years old drown each year after access-ing above-ground pools via pool ladders. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data also shows that approximately 486 additional children sustain submersion-related injuries after accessing above-ground pools via pool ladders. In many cases, these events occurred during brief lapses of adult supervision. This paper fo-cuses on potential product defect issues related to child submersion accidents, including the role of user manuals, alternative designs, warnings, instructions, and child behavior testing. The authors examine the issues related to the investigation of above-ground swimming pool submersion accidents. In addition, procedures and steps are outlined that may be useful in analyzing whether the swimming pool is defective and unreasonably dangerous.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation of a Fatal Farm Tractor Incident

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Couture
Keyword(s):  
Head Injuries ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Cad Model ◽  
Small Farm ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Farm Tractor ◽  
Parking Brake ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Engineering Investigation

A farm owner was found unresponsive with crushing head injuries on his property in rural Ontario. His small farm tractor was found 60 meters away down a small incline with the engine running and transmission in neutral. The owner’s son alleged that when the parking brake was engaged (with the engine running and transmission in neutral), this tractor’s parking brake would “pop out,” allowing the tractor to move. Field tests were conducted on the tractor to attempt to duplicate the scenario and to determine if the alleged sequence of events was plausible. Components of the parking brake and one exemplar were assessed with specialized metrology to determine whether they were within the manufacturing specifications on the blueprint. A 3-D CAD model of fit was created, and several variances were identified between the parts and the factory drawing. The results of the analysis concurred with the scenario that these variances led to the disengagement of the parking brake and operator fatality.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Data Collection For Stairway Incidents

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilbur T. Yaxley ◽  
Armstrong Jeffrey D.
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Engineering Data ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Riser Height ◽  
Design Construction

Forensic Engineers Are Often Called Upon To Investigate Injury Events On Stairs. A Significant Number Of Injuries And Deaths Occur On Stairways. With A Background In Design, Construction, And Building Codes, Forensic Engineers Can Identify The Appropriate Codes With Which The Stairs Might Be Required To Comply, Can Determine Whether Deficiencies Exist And To What Extent, And Whether Deficiencies Are Related To The Design Or The Construction Of The Facility. Data Collection On Stairways Can Be Difficult And Tedious. Measurements Of Tread Depths And Riser Heights Must Be Measured With Precision To Compare With Allowable Tolerances. This Paper Presents Various Means Of Collecting Data Related To Stairways, Including Documentation Of Tread Depth, Riser Height, Tread Slope, Nosing, Handrails, And Headroom Clearances. The Paper Will Also Introduce A Device That Was Developed And Validated By The Authors For Measuring Treads And Risers. This Paper Focuses Only On Data Collection Methodologies, And Does Not Present Analyses Or Render Opinions With Regard To Building Code Requirements. The Building Code Requirements That Are Presented Herein Are Only For The Purpose Of Illustrating Typical Code Requirements, To Illustrate Why Various Data Must Be Collected, And To Review Proper Methods Of Data Collection.

scholarly journals A Forensic Engineering Investigation Of a Ladder Failure

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Petrucci
Keyword(s):  
Load Capacity ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Shear Load ◽  
Improper Use ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Left Front ◽  
Engineering Investigation

A Worker (Plaintiff) Fell From A Step-Ladder And Was Injured. The Purpose Of The Forensic Engineering Investigation Was To Determine The Cause(S) Of The Incident, And In Particular, If The Incident Was Caused By A Ladder Defect. The Incident Ladder And A Representative Incident Scene Were Inspected. Various Discovery Documents And The Applicable American National Standards Institute (Ansi) Standard Were Reviewed. A Critique From The Opposing (Defendant) Expert Is Presented And Addressed. The Cause Of The Plaintiff Fall From The Ladder Was Determined To Be Its Sudden Instability Due To The Failure Of A Rivet That Secured The Top Cap To The Left-Front Rail. The Failed Rivet Was Not Recovered. Further Analysis Indicated That The Cause Of The Rivet Failure Was Its Defective Design Coupled With Its Reduction In Shear Load Capacity From Normal And Improper Use Of The Ladder. The Determination Of The Defective Design Of The Rivet Was Confirmed By Subsequent Design Improvements Of The Ladder. The Relevance Of The Analysis Performed Is Discussed. Various Noteworthy Points Are Presented For Consideration For Forensic Engineers Of Various Technical Disciplines.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering And The Scientific Method

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Liptai
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Knowledge Engineering ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Investigative Technique ◽  
Ultimate Objective ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Prevention Methods ◽  
Engineering Investigation

The Scientific Method Is Utilized In Order To Understand The Relationship Among Observations Of Physical Phenomena, While Minimizing The Influence Of Human Bias And Maximizing Objectivity. Specific Procedures For The Application Of The Scientific Method Vary From One Field Of Science To Another, But The Investigative Technique Universally Provides For An Analytical Framework To Acquire, Collect And/Or Integrate Knowledge. Engineering Forensics Involves The Analysis Of The Parameters Or Cause(S) Of Incidents Or Failures And/Or Hypothetical Prevention Methods. Engineering Analysis Of Forensic Problems Is A Multifaceted, Multidisciplinary Pursuit That Is Often Wide In Scope. Forensic Engineering Generally Applies Existing Science In Conjunction With The Knowledge, Education, Experience, Training And Skill Of The Practitioner To Seek Solution(S). The Scientific Method, Including Definition Of A Null Hypothesis, Is Rarely Utilized In Forensics As New Science Is Rarely Required. A Forensic Engineering Investigation Typically Involves The Application Of Long Established Science (Newtons Laws, For Example). Forensic Engineering Encompasses The Systematic Search For Knowledge Necessitating The Observation And Definition Of A Problem; The Collection Of Data Through Observation, Research, Experimentation And/Or Calculation; The Analysis Of Data; And The Development And Evaluation Of Findings And Opinions. The Ultimate Objective Of A Forensic Engineering Investigation Is Uncompromised Data Collection And Systematically Considered, Iteratively Derived And Objectively Balanced Conclusions.

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