How Forensic Engineers Help with Building Diagnostics

The civil and structural engineering industries are constantly evolving and adapting, sometimes due to new designs and materials or thanks to new technologies. Whether you’re looking at residential or commercial constructions, thorough analysis is always needed to assess damages and understand underlying faults within the structure. Everyone from architects to disaster recovery specialists can potentially benefit from the aid of forensic engineers, not to mention the residents themselves or even city planners. To discover more information about how forensic engineers help with building diagnostics, you can continue reading below. They play an integral role, not only in terms of diagnostics, but also in assisting with the planning and process of remediation.

Diagnosis

The first step to fixing a problem is always detecting and identifying it. Forensic engineers investigate the materials, components, structures, and products that have failed. This data is then collected and analyzed to better understand where the faults lie. Sometimes, it may be something as simple as a termite infestation, whereas other times unrecognized flaws in the construction or design of a structure might be to blame. This investigative process will often involve thorough inspections, collecting an abundance of evidence, making exacting measurements, developing accurate models, acquiring exemplary products, and repeatedly performing a variety of experiments. To people without a background in engineering, this may seem like a bit of overkill. But, exhaustive analysis is ultimately required in order to reach the most accurate and reliable assessments possible.

Remediation

Forensic science plays a key role in civil engineering, but it can also be remarkably helpful in the remediation process. The remediation phase requires a catalog of data to best determine how to rebuild, restructure, and reconstruct existing buildings. The forensic analysis will give valuable insights into fault and failings in the structure. This can aid in determining whether certain materials were insufficient, if there were foundation issues that contributed, or if a retaining wall may have been insufficiently reinforced. Additionally, a fault tree analysis can be immensely in not only helping with remediation efforts but also with redoing designs and remodeling structures for future projects. Alternative materials may also be recommended due to the faults or failings of materials that were previously used. So, forensic science plays an integral and immensely valuable role in building diagnostics.