Editor’s Note

The Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE) is planning its Fifth Forensic Engineering Congress, to be held in Washington, D.C., November 10–15, 2009. A number of inspiring and informative technical sessions are planned, including a keynote address by Dr. Henry Petroski to be delivered in the historic National Building Museum building. Mark your calendar and watch for further details. Information can be found on the Congress Web site at http://www.asce.org/conferences/forensics09. Forensic engineering congresses are held every three years. The previous congresses were in Minneapolis (1997), San Juan, Puerto Rico (2000), San Diego (2003), and Cleveland (2006).

The Fourth International Conference on Forensic Engineering, sponsored by the U.K.-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), was held in London, December 3–4, 2008. The conference was supported by ASCE and a number of other international organizations. The venue for the conference was the magnificent ICE building in central London. The conference was a sell-out event, with 132 attendees representing 17 countries. Included were many ASCE members, most of them also members of the TCFE. The Proceedings, which will soon be available, contains 71 technical papers.

A preconference Workshop for Engineering Educators was presented by TCFE members Ken Carper, Paul Bosela, and Norbert Delatte. Building on the success of five workshops held throughout the United States, the London Workshop introduced forensic engineering case histories and their use in undergraduate professional engineering education. Resources were provided to attendees, including a new book by Norbert Delatte published by ASCE Press, Beyond Failure: Forensic Case Studies for Civil Engineers. This first presentation of the Workshop to an international audience was considered a great success by all participants. The 42 attendees represented 11 countries and included many practitioners as well as educators. Partial funding for the event was provided by the ASCE International Activities Committee (IAC), for which the TCFE is grateful.

Many projects and activities are under way in the ASCE Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE). New ideas and new members who are willing to contribute are always welcomed by each of the TCFE committees; TCFE maintains an Executive Committee, an Awards Committee, and six standing committees:

All TCFE committees plan to meet during the SEI Structures Congress in Austin, Texas, May 1–3, 2009. If you plan to attend the Structures Congress, this would be an excellent opportunity to attend TCFE committee meetings and initiate membership with the Council.

Should you wish more information on TCFE committee activities or the conferences discussed earlier, or should you wish to discuss a potential paper for the Journal, please feel free to contact me by mail: Kenneth L. Carper, School of Architecture and Construction Management, College of Engineering and Architecture, P.O. Box 642220, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2220; by telephone at (509) 335-1229; by fax at (509) 335-6132; or by e-mail at [email protected].