scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of A Contractor/Subcontractor Dispute

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
George R. Barbour
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Market Forces ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
The Past ◽  
General Contractors ◽  
Forensic Engineering

Construction Defects And The Resulting Disputes Between Contractors And Their Various Subcontrac-Tors Are Not A Recent Concept. However, With The Proliferation Of Specialized Licensing Requirements, Building Codes, Regulations, And National Standards, Threshold Requirements For The Built Environment Are Now Significantly Better Defined Than In The Past. Market Forces Have Led Most General Contractors To Contract Out Most Of The Actual Work In Lieu Of Self-Performing. As A Result, Construction Dispute Claims Have Become More Common And Complex. The Forensic Engineer Must Consider Not Only The Technical Aspects Of A Claim But The Contractual And Regulatory Requirements As Well, When Tasked With Distributing Culpability Between The Various Parties. The Purpose Of This Article Is To Examine The Component Of The Dispute Between The Contractor And Subcontractor With Specific Focus On The Regulatory And Contractual Requirements.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of A Failed Energy Reduction Method For A Central Steam Distribution System

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klas C. Haglid
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Reduction Method ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Energy Reduction ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
National Reference ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Steam Pipe

A Forensic Engineer Was Asked To Visit The Subject University And While Walking Through The Site Noticed Areas Of The Underground Direct Buried Steam Pipe And The Manholes And Found Many Areas Of Rising Steam, Especially In The Area Of The Manholes. Several Of The Manholes Were Producing Visible Columns Of Steam. Ironically, This Central Steam Distribution System Was Engineered To Save Money, Time, Energy, And Improve The Functionality Of The Existing System. Documents Relevant To This Case Have Been Evaluated And National Standards In The Form Of Ashrae And Astm Have Been Referenced And Reviewed. Pictures, National Reference Standards, Material Data Sheets And Other Peer Reviewed Studies Will Be Used To Explain In Detail How A Large Central Steam Distribution System Started To Fail Dramatically And Catastrophically In A Very Short Period Of Time During And After Installation.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of Building Codes And Staircase Accidents

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kravitz
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
The City

This Paper Will Discuss The Importance Of Determining The History Of A Building Where A Mishap Occurred On Either An Interior Or Exterior Staircase. The Writers Experience Is Primarily In The City Of New York, However, The Research And Types Of Laws Cited In This Paper Can Be Used As A Guide In The Research Of All Cities, Especially Older Cities Such As Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Charleston, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco, Etc. Researching A Buildings History Is The Primary Task Of The Forensic Engineer Whether He Is Preparing A Case For Either The Plaintiff Or Defense. Citing The Correct Codes Will Insure That His Opinion Will Be Accepted By The Court. It Must Be Understood That The Owner Of A Building Is Responsible To Maintain His/Her Building To The Codes To Which It Was Built Unless A Directive Was Issued By The Building Department To The Contrary, Or A Directive That Required The Owner To Comply With Current Codes.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis of a Failed ROPS

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Cowley
Keyword(s):  
Energy Absorption ◽  
Laboratory Testing ◽  
Center Of Gravity ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
Liquid Manure ◽  
The Past ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Protective Structures ◽  
Current Standards

Agricultural, commercial, and some lawn and garden tractors have been known to tip and roll over. Roll-over protective structures (ROPS) are designed to assure seat-belted occupants can survive in a zone of clearance within the structure, during and following a roll-over event. Within the laboratory testing parameters established in the current standards, energy absorption is based on tractor mass alone, apart from any other forces that may be acting on the tractor. Current standards allow tractor manufacturers to determine the “reference mass” used for ROPS testing. Most manufacturers fail to include the mass of any attached implements. When implements remain attached to the tractor throughout the roll-over event, ROPS should still be designed to protect operators. In the past, tractors were mainly employed in soil-engaging or surface-grooming exercises. The center of gravity (CG) of these attached implements was relatively low. Today, however, tractors may tow larger, taller, and heavier implements with high CG on multiple axles, such as large liquid manure tank spreaders. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the physical issues associated with tractors towing high CG implements, such as geometrically tall, articulated steerable axle spreaders operating in sloped terrain that cause an ROPS to fail.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of A Campus Wide Steam Loop Failure

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klas C. Haglid
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
National Reference ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
The Subject ◽  
A Site ◽  
Time And Energy ◽  
Steam Pipes

A Forensic Engineer Invited To Investigate A Heating Problem At A University Recently Made A Site Visit At The Subject University. While Walking Through The Site He Noticed Many Areas Of Rising Steam, Especially In The Area Of The Manholes Provided For Underground Direct Burial Steam Pipes. Several Of The Manholes Were Producing Visible Columns Of Steam. Ironically, This Central Steam Distribution System Was Engineered To Save Money, Time, And Energy And Improve The Functionality Of The Existing System. Documents Relevant To This Case Were Evaluated And National Standards In The Form Of Ashrae And Astm Were Referenced And Reviewed. Pictures, National Reference Standards, Material Data Sheets And Other Peer-Reviewed Studies Will Be Used To Explain In Detail How A Large Central Steam Distribution System Started To Fail Dramatically And Catastrophically In A Very Short Period During And After Installation.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of safety Shooting Glasses subject To Ballistic Impact

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Danaher
Keyword(s):  
Impact Resistance ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
Minimum Level ◽  
Absorbed Energy ◽  
Voluntary Standards ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Current Standards

Currently There Are Voluntary Standards In Place That Outline The Impact Resistance Of Safety Glasses.  although The Standards Set Forth By The American National Standards Institute (Ansi) Outline Testing that Can Be Used To Calculate A Minimum Level Of Energy Which The Lens Should Absorb, Independent Testing has Shown That The Performance Of Modern Safety Glasses Exceed The Minimum Requirements Of The absorbed Energy. This Paper Will Show The Level Of Energy Which A Random Sample Of Safety Glasses Can withstand And Compare The Results To The Current Standards.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis And Daubert Challenges To Prosthetic Fastener Failure

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger L. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Failure ◽  
Bolted Joint ◽  
Engineering Analysis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Lower Case ◽  
Or Methodology ◽  
Legal Competence ◽  
Forensic Engineering

It Has Become Relatively Commonplace In Those Cases Where Trial Appears To Be Eminent That A Daubert Challenge Of An Expert Occurs. Once One Expert Is Challenged, It Is Not Unusual That All Experts On Both Sides Of The Docket Are Challenged. In The Past, Case Value Appeared To Be The Motivating Issue When Considering A Challenge Of An Experts Qualifications And/Or Methodology. The Challenge Is Now Being Utilized More Frequently In All Courts And At Lower Case Value Levels. If An Expert Testifies Frequently The Probability Of The Expert Being Restricted And/Or Struck Increases. Once Challenged, The Expert Is Dependent On His Client To Advise Him Of The Challenge As Well As The Grounds For The Challenge, To Assist In The Preparation Of An Affidavit And To Prepare For Testimony Before The Court. The Expert, Of Course, Is Totally Dependent Upon The Legal Competence Of His Client And The Fairness Of The Court. This Article Is Intended To Document The Forensic Analyses Of A Mechanical Failure Of A Bolted Joint In A Foot Prostheses. Although The Failure Was Relatively Fundamental From An Engineering Perspective, Multiple Daubert Challenges Of Both Qualifications And Methodology Complicated The Case.

Regulatory and sustainability initiatives lead to improved polyaminopolyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) wet-strength resins and paper products

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (09) ◽  
pp. 519-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Crisp ◽  
Richard Riehle
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Wet Strength ◽  
The Past ◽  
Consumer Safety ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
The Impact

Polyaminopolyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) resins are the predominant commercial products used to manufacture wet-strengthened paper products for grades requiring wet-strength permanence. Since their development in the late 1950s, the first generation (G1) resins have proven to be one of the most cost-effective technologies available to provide wet strength to paper. Throughout the past three decades, regulatory directives and sustainability initiatives from various organizations have driven the development of cleaner and safer PAE resins and paper products. Early efforts in this area focused on improving worker safety and reducing the impact of PAE resins on the environment. These efforts led to the development of resins containing significantly reduced levels of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), potentially carcinogenic byproducts formed during the manufacturing process of PAE resins. As the levels of these byproducts decreased, the environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) profile of PAE resins and paper products improved. Recent initiatives from major retailers are focusing on product ingredient transparency and quality, thus encouraging the development of safer product formulations while maintaining performance. PAE resin research over the past 20 years has been directed toward regulatory requirements to improve consumer safety and minimize exposure to potentially carcinogenic materials found in various paper products. One of the best known regulatory requirements is the recommendations of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which defines the levels of 1,3-DCP and 3-MCPD that can be extracted by water from various food contact grades of paper. These criteria led to the development of third generation (G3) products that contain very low levels of 1,3-DCP (typically <10 parts per million in the as-received/delivered resin). This paper outlines the PAE resin chemical contributors to adsorbable organic halogens and 3-MCPD in paper and provides recommendations for the use of each PAE resin product generation (G1, G1.5, G2, G2.5, and G3).

scholarly journals Assessing the Prospects of Transboundary Multihazard Dynamics: The Case of Bhotekoshi—Sunkoshi Watershed in Sino—Nepal Border Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3670
Author(s):  
Suraj Lamichhane ◽  
Komal Raj Aryal ◽  
Rocky Talchabhadel ◽  
Bhesh Raj Thapa ◽  
Rabindra Adhikari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Multiple Hazards ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transboundary Watersheds ◽  
Underlying Causes

The impacts of multihazards have become more pronounced over the past few decades globally. Multiple hazards and their cascading impacts claim enormous losses of lives, livelihoods, and built environment. This paradigm prompts integrated and multidisciplinary perspectives to identify, characterize, and assess the occurrence of multihazards and subsequently design countermeasures considering impending multihazard scenarios at the local level. To this end, we considered one of the most egregious transboundary watersheds, which is regarded as a multihazard hotspot of Nepal, to analyze the underlying causes and cascade scenarios of multihazards, and their associated impacts. In this paper, geophysical, hydrometeorological, and socioeconomic perspectives are formulated to characterize the watershed from the dimension of susceptibility to multihazard occurrence. To characterize the complex dynamics of transboundary multihazard occurrence, insights have been presented from both the Nepali and the Chinese sides. Individual case studies and the interrelation matrix between various natural hazards are also presented so as to depict multihazard consequences in the transboundary region. The sum of the observations highlights that the watershed is highly vulnerable to a single as well as multiple natural hazards that often switch to disasters.

Reexamining the priorities of the National Standards for Foreign Language Education

2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Sieloff Magnan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
National Standards ◽  
The Past ◽  
Five Cs

The National Standards for Foreign Language Education offer goals for student learning. During the past decade, they have been used increasingly as objectives for foreign language teaching. In the Standards document, the five Standards are presented in a hierarchical order: 1. Communication, 2. Cultures, 3. Connections, 4. Comparisons, and 5. Communities. Looking to Dell Hymes's portrayal of communicative competence and building on notions from sociocultural theory and the concept communities of practice, this paper questions this hierarchical ordering especially in terms of the primacy of Communication over Cultures and Communities. It is suggested that, of the five Cs, Communities should be considered the most fundamental.

Adelaide's Heart Transplant 1970–88: 1. Creation, Transfer, and Capture of ‘Value’ within the Built Environment

1992 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A Badcock
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Heart Transplant ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Property Market ◽  
Housing Investment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Residential Capital ◽  
Fiscal And Monetary Policy

The circulation of capital within the built environment, as first formalised by Harvey in 1978, is treated empirically via an analysis of residential capital formation and the transfer of value within the Adelaide Metropolitan Area, in the period 1970–88. Operational concepts of value ‘creation’, ‘transfer’, and ‘capture’ are defined before estimates of housing investment and its redistribution through the medium of the urban property market are derived. These are imputed for eight subregions of Adelaide. It is suggested that the chief beneficiaries from the ‘capture’ of value during the past two decades have been the Inner Adelaide suburbs and homeowners; hence the implication of Adelaide's ‘heart transplant’. Harvey's ‘framework for analysis’ and more particularly his account of the timing and patterning of (dis)investment within the built environment are then evaluated in light of Adelaide's experience between 1970 and 1988. It is decided that urban investment trends and patterns cannot be properly understood without giving much greater deference to fiscal and monetary policy together with the state's urban development programme than Harvey is prepared to in his analysis.

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