Assessing the Root Cause of Observed Distress

In this paper, Forensic Engineering experts Charles Hammond and Al Bustamante explore: Why is Forensic Engineering important to facility Owners, Property Managers, and Attorneys? They will provide a background that explains the value of an effective forensic investigation and will discuss the concept of Defect vs Deficiency: Structures can have many defects and not be deficient. They will share why the ability to differentiate between these two concepts is valuable for dispute resolution and to properly solve structural, materials, and architectural problems. Lastly, they will present several examples of forensic investigations, including up-close field observations, material sampling and testing, non-destructive evaluation, and structural analyses. Case studies will include ASR/DEF in precast columns, restrained cracking in a parking deck, and corbel cracking due to construction deficiencies.