Page 493 - Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook

13.38 MATERIAL-SPECIFIC FORENSIC ANALYSES

Engineering services in masonry failure investigations may include the following:
• Client contact, initial problem definition, and agreement on engineering services and fees
• Reconnaissance site visit
• Document discovery
• Interviews with craftsmen, contractors, and designers of the original project
• A second site visit for documentation of existing conditions of masonry and for retrieval
of masonry test specimens
• Literature search
• Perhaps a third site visit for in situ testing of masonry
• Research on some aspects of novel problems
• Report preparation for verbal or written presentation to the client or her or his attorney,
establishing mode, cause, and responsibility for failure, and recommendations for repair
methods and their estimated cost
• Negotiation of claim settlement
• Deposition of the investigation engineer and advice by her or him to client attorneys on
preparing complaints, interrogatories, and depositions of adversaries during discovery
and cross-examination of adversaries at trial
• Evaluation of opinions and credentials of adversarial witnesses
• Testimony in administrative hearings or courts, including videotape rehearsal, prepara-
tion of exhibits, and retention of all investigation records and test specimens subsequent
to trial for possible use on appeal

Initial Problem Statement

The initial problem statement provided by the client may be simplistic. For example: The
walls blew over during construction. The walls leak. The walls are cracked and bulging.
The walls fell off the building. The bricks are spalling. Birds are eating the mortar. The
pavement is delaminated and buckled. The red brick turned white. The white brick turned
red or green. The gray brick turned purple when laid.
Clients vary greatly in their knowledge of masonry. Some need only brief conversational
guidance, providing much generalized solutions to generic problem types. Typically, how-
ever, the initial problem statement is erroneous. For example, the masonry walls are not
leaking, rather roof flashing is leaking, or perhaps sealant joints are leaking. Very often, the
initial problem statement is only symptomatic of a much more serious problem. For instance,
red stains may be due to iron oxide in mortar sand, which may only be offensive to finely
honed aesthetic sensitivities; or iron oxide may be filtering through the masonry due to
severe corrosion of reinforcing steel, which may require wall demolition. On the other hand,
the owner’s observation may be quite accurate. Birds have been known to eat mortar. (It con-
tained a little cement and a lot of salt leached from brick formerly used in a brewery.)

Site Visits
At least two site visits are usually necessary, one for reconnaissance and one for data collec-
tion. A third site visit for field testing may also be necessary. If a suit has been filed and the
client is not the building owner, and if the owner is reluctant to grant permission for site visits
or specimen removal, then the client’s attorney may obtain a court order requiring appropri-
ate discovery of relevant facts. Defendants have a right to information necessary to their
defense, as do plaintiffs for their purposes. If the building is under construction and the client
is a party to the construction contract or is an agent or representative of one of the parties, then