Page 191 - Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook

5.24 ENGINEERING RESPONSE TO FAILURES

FIGURE 5.18 There was no doubt what triggered this collapse. This tractor-trailer truck, heav-
ily loaded with gypsum board, ventured into a light-duty area of this structure. The author
assisted the contractors in devising a scheme to safely extract the truck.

would be appropriate to include a line of questioning regarding reshoring practices, which
would not be appropriate for a passerby eyewitness.

Who Should be Interviewed

There are several types of people who may be able to provide useful information.
Passerby eyewitnesses may be able to provide some information about the sequence of
the collapse. These witnesses will normally not be familiar with construction terminology
and so may not be able to express their observations in the interviewer’s terms. They also
may be difficult to identify, since they have no association with the project. Project eye-
witnesses are persons associated with the project who saw the collapse. Due to their famil-
iarity with construction, these persons will generally be able to give a more sophisticated
account than a passerby eyewitness.
Project personnel are persons associated with the project, but may or may not have seen
the collapse. These persons may have knowledge about the status of construction, activities
that were underway, the design or construction of the structure, or other useful background
information. Examples include project managers, design professionals, and foremen.

INTERACTION WITH OTHER ENGINEERS

In the initial stages of an investigation, there are often areas of interest that are common to
all parties. These provide opportunities and encourage the parties to pool resources, in order
to avoid duplication of effort, and establish a common knowledge base. Potential areas of
common interest include: