Page 205 - Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook

THE ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION PROCESS 6.7

examination can be limited, investigators representing parties of different interests some-
times cooperate in the data collection and testing phases of an investigation. In any case, a
practical approach should be used in investigation and remediation. It is important to work
with civil authorities to protect the interest of the public who might not otherwise be a party
to the investigation.

STEPS IN THE INVESTIGATION

From the outset, the forensic engineer creates an investigative plan, the common steps of which
are shown in Table 6.3. However, not all investigations employ all steps, and the investigative
plan is continuously revised to account for new information and evolving theories.

TABLE 6.3 Common Steps in the Investigative Process
Commission of forensic engineer by client
Definition of objective of investigation
Collection of background information
Preliminary document review
Initial reconnaissance site visit
Eyewitness interviews
Formulation of investigative plan
Formation of project team
Comprehensive collection of documents
Document review
Site investigation
Sample collection
Theoretical analyses
Laboratory analyses
Development of failure hypotheses, analysis of data, synthesis of information,
and formation of conclusions
Determination of procedural responsibilities for failures
Report writing

One must always be alert for a client’s attempt to influence the engineering opinions
expressed as a result of an investigation. An independent expert engineering opinion should
be just that. An expert should not be an advocate for a client’s position in litigation.
The process of investigating failures does not follow standard procedures, since each inves-
tigation is different and requires a tailored approach. Nevertheless, there are some useful guide-
lines for conducting investigations. The most noteworthy are found in Refs. 4 through 9.
Case studies of individual failure investigations as well as articles on particular failure
issues can be found in the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, published
quarterly by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), as well as in other engi-
neering publications.

Field Investigations
Initial field investigations should focus on quickly gaining an understanding of the big pic-
ture issues involved. Has a collapse occurred? Is additional collapse likely (Fig. 6.5)? If a
beam has failed at a certain connection, how many similar connections exist throughout the