Forensic engineers often specialize in a particular area such as structures, fires, or accident reconstruction. However, the nature of the work often requires broad knowledge in the interrelated areas of physics, chemistry, biomechanics, and engineering. Covering cases as varied as assessment of workplace accidents to the investigation of Halliburton in the BP oil spill, Forensic Engineering Fundamentals is a comprehensive introduction to the many diverse facets of the field that forensic engineers must be familiar with in their practice. Topics include The role of the forensic engineer Structures, structural distress, and the importance of standards and codes The failure of appliances—the cause of many water- or fire-related losses Slips, trips, and falls of pedestrians and the accessibility of walking surfaces Industrial incidents involving loss of equipment, injury and loss of life, as well as OSHA and MSHA regulations Standard accident reconstruction involving vehicles Electrical incidents and lightning and the effect of electrical energy on the human body Analysis of fires with an emphasis on thermodynamics, testing, and simulation Carbon monoxide incidents and common fire suppression and warning systems, as well as the various NFPA codes Probability and uncertainty, with some basic calculations available to the forensic engineer Applicable standards and protocols that have developed over the years to protect life and property Offering readers real-world experience drawn from the authors’ 25 years of experience, this volume assists newcomers to the field in understanding the engineering basics underlying the cases they will encounter in their practice. It also serves as a reliable reference for those confronted with issues outside their area of expertise.

Forensic engineering is generally defined as the application of engineering principles and methodology to answer questions of fact that may have legal ramifications. This new book provides an introduction to the science, methodology, and engineering principles involved in the diagnosis of some common types of accidents and failures, such as fires, explosions, automobile accidents, storm damage, industrial accidents, slips and falls, arson, water pipe damage and more. Each chapter stands alone and can be read without reference to the others. The chapters have been written so that non-technical professionals can easily digest the information and immediately apply it. The book will also be useful to technical professionals who are unfamiliar with particular investigative methodology or technical points of interest. Introduction to Forensic Engineering will benefit lawyers, insurance investigators, engineers, and other professionals who must handle investigative and legal aspects of accidents or failures.

A comprehensive resource that builds a bridge between engineering disciplines and the building sciences and trades, Forensic Engineering: Damage Assessments for Residential and Commercial Structures provides an extensive look into the world of forensic engineering. With a focus on investigations associated with insurance industry claims, the book describes methodologies for performing insurance-related investigations including the causation and origin of damage to residential and commercial structures and/or unhealthy interior environments and adverse effects on the occupants of these structures. Edited by an industry expert with more than 30 years of experience, and authors with more than 100 years of experience in the field, the book takes the technical aspects of engineering and scientific principles and applies them to real-world issues in a non-technical manner. It provides readers with the experiences, investigation methodologies, and investigation protocols used in, and derived from completing thousands of forensic engineering investigations. It begins with providing a baseline methodology for completing forensic investigations and closes with advice on testifying as an expert witness. Much of what must be known in this field is not learned in school, but is based upon experience since recognizing the cause of a building system failure requires a blending of skills from the white collar and blue collar worlds. Such knowledge can be vital since failures (e.g., water entry) often result from construction activities completed out of sequence.. This book details proven methodologies based on over 7,000 field investigations, methodologies which can be followed by both professionals and laymen alike.

Forensic Engineering, the latest edition in the Advanced Forensic Science series that grew out of recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report: Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward, serves as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching digital forensic engineering, as well as an excellent reference for a forensic scientist's library or for their use in casework. Coverage includes investigations, transportation investigations, fire investigations, other methods and professional issues. Edited by a world-renowned leading forensic expert, this series is a long overdue solution for the forensic science community. - Provides basic principles of forensic science and an overview of forensic engineering - Contains sections on investigations, transportation investigations, fire investigations and other methods - Includes a section on professional issues, such as: from crime scene to court, forensic laboratory reports and health and safety - Incorporates effective pedagogy, key terms, review questions, discussion questions and additional reading suggestions

Much of the knowledge used to design, build, and operate engineered facilities and products is gained by learning from failures. As catastrophic building failures become ever more costly, this book helps readers understand key issues, from determining the causes of failure and isolating failed parts to lessening personal liability through proper contracting, planning, and management.

Concentrating on the natural science aspects of forensics, top international authors from renowned universities, institutes, and laboratories impart the latest information from the field. In doing so they provide the background needed to understand the state of the art in forensic science with a focus on biological, chemical, biochemical, and physical methods. The broad subject coverage includes spectroscopic analysis techniques in various wavelength regimes, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, electrochemical detection approaches, and imaging techniques, as well as advanced biochemical, DNA-based identification methods. The result is a unique collection of hard-to-get data that is otherwise only found scattered throughout the literature.

This collection contains papers presented at the second Forensic Congress, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 21-23, 2000.