EDT was asked to review a proposal to replace a fire alarm system in a large multi-story hotel. The existing fire alarm panel had been damaged when a worker made a wiring error while connecting a new HVAC component to the fire alarm system.
Have you ever arrived at a large loss site and wondered, “how are the engineers going to keep all this equipment straight?” Well, as the old adage goes, “one bite at a time.” But what about keeping track of the machinery as it’s moved and repaired/replaced?
An amusement park was built along the United States’ east coast. The theme park was designed to be constructed in a location both away from and above the floodplain extents, or floodwater spread. However, six months post-opening, during hurricane season, the amusement park general manager discovered...
Have you ever arrived at a large loss site and wondered, “how are we going to help this client keep business while repairs progress?” Well, that’s where a scope of damage consulting engineer with a facilities/process/production background helps.
Even with its long and trusted history, questions can arise regarding the performance of a brick veneer system. When these performance issues arise, the property owner, adjuster, or attorney are often barraged with various terms such as water-resistive barrier, veneer, or exterior wall envelope...
Understanding the odd nature of pre-engineered metal buildings and how to properly assess and determine any damages to them considering how they were made.
Have you ever walked around in your socks at home, stepped onto the air conditioning (AC) vent and your socks got wet? Have you ever noticed water dripping from a ceiling AC vent? You might say to yourself, my vents are leaking water; do I need to call the plumber?
When you hear the word “Turbine” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it is the gas-turbine engine of the last airplane you caught a ride on. The first turbine-powered aircraft wasn’t developed until WW2. That’s when the word “Turbine” entered common usage. Turbines, however, were in...
One day a homeowner exited his home to find water pouring down the driveway. Closer examination revealed water was coming from the water meter box and the plastic threaded connector attaching the transition pipe from the water meter to the house supply line had fractured due to continuous stress...
EDT was asked to investigate a computerized numerical control/analysis (CNC) plasma cutting machine which had been involved in an explosion. The purpose of the EDT investigation was to determine the cause of the explosion.
A tractor-trailer traveling on an interstate, hauling a load weighing an estimated 50,000 pounds, suddenly catches on fire. The culprit? A single wasp.
Many times electrical engineers are confronted with trying to classify damages to electrical and electronic equipment as the result of a lightning strike. More specifically, was the damage the result of a surge or a direct lightning strike? The answer is “maybe neither.” The chances are the damage...
In forensic investigations, engineers may not always have access to all the information they desire. Consider a 70-year old building that was damaged, following a snowfall. In this scenario, the building is one of three attached structures with curved (barrel-style) roofs. So, how did the snow do...
Engineers should never have their heads in the clouds, and a good engineer would never be as subjective as Hamlet and Polonius were when observing the shapes of clouds in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". However, pattern recognition is not just the stuff of playwrights... the ability to see patterns is key...
A portion of a warehouse roof gave way during a snowstorm. Months earlier, solar panels had been installed on the majority of the roof. Concern was raised about the added weight of the solar panels, in conjunction with the snow, on the roof framing. However, that wasn't the case...
