Forensic Structural Investigation

Finding the 'Why' Behind Building Damages & Failures

Magnifying glass focused on scattered building bricks, symbolizing the detailed scrutiny of forensic structural investigation.

Root-cause analysis

Forensic Structural Engineering

There are many reasons that a structure fails or does not perform as intended. Building damages can range from minor wall cracks to major collapse. When a building shows signs of damage, such as wall cracks, people tend to make a list of all the reasons that may have led to the damage. They will also try to think of all the parties who might be responsible for it. This soon becomes overwhelming as the list of causes grows, and no party is willing to take the blame. This is when Forensic Structural Investigation comes to the rescue. If you are a homeowner, a builder, a building assessor, or a property manager, there may come a time when you need the expertise of a Forensic Structural Engineering professional. Continue to read if you want to know more about Forensic Structural Investigation or Get a free quote!

What Is Forensic Structural Engineering?

Forensic Structural Engineering is a field of professional engineering practice that involves a detailed investigation of building damages and structural failures. The purpose of such an investigation is to identify the most probable causes of damage to buildings and structures. The causes of building damage can be related to one or a combination of several factors. Some examples are natural events or disasters, accidents, human errors, and negligence. Forensic Structural Engineering is, therefore, a meticulous process that should be done with care and precision.

Why Is Forensic Structural Investigation Important?

Every day, we see new buildings and structures that seem to have been built overnight. Cities and neighbourhoods are quickly evolving around us. It is amazing how a complex structure, whether a single-storey house, a high-rise building, or a bridge, is built in a matter of months these days. Although there are many advantages to rapid development and constructions, such as economic growth, there is also a downside to it: building failures happen more often. Moreover, thanks to modern technology and innovation, the more complex the buildings and structures become, the more complicated their modes of failure get. As a result, the need for Forensic Structural Investigation done with precision has notably increased in our modern world.

What Is the Purpose of Forensic Structural Investigation?

The purpose of Forensic Structural Investigation is to:

Find the root causes of building damages and structural failures

Damage to buildings and structures can happen due to one or a combination of various reasons and interrelated defects. Besides, the first signs of damage may become visible either shortly after the construction or several years after the building is built. For new buildings, the causes may be an engineering mistake, poor construction practice, the site conditions on which the building is built, or a combination of all these factors. For older buildings, damages may happen due to poor maintenance, age and long-term deterioration, or sudden changes in the site condition such as planting a tree. The primary purpose of Forensic Structural Investigation is to figure out what has gone wrong and who is responsible.

Propose and design effective solutions to remedy the damages and failures

Finding the answers to why a structural element has failed, or building damage has occurred, is the first step in forensic structural Investigation. The second step is to determine how to repair the damage or how to prevent the damage from getting worse. Finding the best solution to remedy the building damage sometimes several years after construction can be complicated and highly technical. In rare cases, complete demolition and rebuild may be the only option. Whatever the solution is, it cannot be found without proper Forensic Structural Investigation.

Assist the court or tribunal in finding parties who are responsible for the damages

In construction lawsuits, lawyers and judges use the findings of Forensic Structural Investigation to make a judgment on a claim, find the responsible parties for building failures, and resolve disputes. The court can benefit significantly from the outcomes of a forensic investigation that is unbiased, objective, and presented in simple language that is easy to understand by a non-technical person.
Keep reading: Building Disputes

Improve building codes, standards, and construction practices

The ultimate goal of Forensic Structural Investigation is to improve the durability of future building structures. This can only be achieved by learning from past mistakes. Structural engineers should put the lessons learned from failures to practical use and ensure that similar failures do not happen again in the future. The best way to broadcast these lessons to all engineers is to update building codes and standards based on the actual performance of their designs in reality.

Who Is a Forensic Structural Engineer?

Forensic structural engineers are highly trained structural engineers who have at least a decade’s worth of design and construction experience. They possess strong analytical skills and a design background due to their involvement in numerous different building projects. Furthermore, they have invaluable experience in dealing with claims and legal procedures. Forensic Structural Engineers apply engineering and building sciences to investigate, gather relevant evidence, and solve mysteries around structural damages and failures.

Difference Between Forensic Structural Engineer And Structural Design Engineer

Well, they are both structural engineers. Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering that involves analysing and designing structures to support all loads and forces safely. Both forensic structural engineers and structural design engineers have a minimum bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. However, forensic structural engineer’s knowledge comes with many years of hard work and experience. Forensic structural engineers combine their academic knowledge with practical construction experience and building science to inspect, troubleshoot, and assess the damages and find the most suitable solutions. A good design engineer is not necessarily a forensic expert. In contrast, a forensic structural engineer is, in fact, a competent design engineer.

Design engineers often have minimal forensic structural engineering experience. Their lack of knowledge can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and unnecessary expenses that clients will unknowingly pay for. Design engineers do not have the training, nor the expertise, to conduct imperative aspects of a forensic investigation, such as building inspections, accurate measurements, and preparing VCAT compliant reports. On the other hand, forensic structural engineers are highly attentive, with strong attention to detail. That is why forensic structural engineering is known to be the final stage of an engineering career.

Additionally, what sets forensic structural engineers apart from their design engineering colleagues is their communication skills. They are very good at both writing and speaking. They can present deeply technical concepts in simple words so that everyone can understand. This is especially useful in disputes and legal matters when the court’s decision partially or entirely relies on the findings of a forensic structural investigation. Therefore, using design engineers for forensic purposes is not a good idea.

Firstly, it’s important not to jump to conclusions without conducting proper measurements and tests. You first need to make sure that the damage is, in fact, related to soil movement. Only an accurate assessment by a qualified professional can provide the answer to that question. Secondly, geotechnical engineers are not trained to analyse the overall performance of the structure and to comment on what has gone wrong. By engaging the wrong people to do forensic analysis on your house, you are risking not getting the correct answers and solutions. Examples of this are premature recommendations of resin injections and partial underpinning.

However, geotechnical engineers are qualified to advise on the mechanics, properties, and behaviours of soils. When needed, they can work hand in hand with a forensic structural engineer on complex cases to achieve more conclusive results. In that case, the forensic structural engineer should provide a specific and well-defined scope for the geotechnical engineer to follow and carry out the relevant and helpful tests for the investigation. The geotechnical engineer will then report back the test results to the forensic structural engineer for further review.

Duties of Forensic Structural Engineer

There are many steps involved in the process of investigating and finding the actual causes of building damages and failures, which makes the field of forensic structural engineering a highly technical one. The duties of a forensic structural engineer mainly include the following:

Detailed site inspections

Inspecting the crime scene is the first step in every forensic investigation, and the forensic structural investigation is no different. During the site inspection, the forensic structural engineer collects as much data as possible from the site. Every forensic structural engineer has their own routine and methods, which are developed over several years of practice. However, proper site inspection includes the following actions:

  • Interviewing the client,
  • Walking around the building to get familiar with the site and its unique characteristics,
  • Taking photographs of the site and damages,
  • Taking appropriate measurements of the damages,
  • Collecting the documents that are relevant to the structure, such as structural drawings of the building.

Comprehensive desk study and material review

After the inspection, the engineer will conduct an in-depth review of all the information that was gathered from the site. The forensic structural engineer will look for clues within the photographs and design documents to develop a hypothesis to explain the main causes of structural failure and building damages.

Research and test

At this point, the engineer has possibly created a list of reasons why the building has suffered a loss or damage. Depending on the complexity of the issue, the forensic structural engineer will do more research on the matter and arrange for appropriate tests to check the validity of each hypothesis. The engineer may change or discard a theory based on the findings of the tests. The forensic structural engineer must keep an open mind during each of these steps and evaluate every piece of evidence that comes to light objectively.

Report preparation

Finally, it all comes down to separating the assertions and speculations from facts and presenting the results in a short and simplified report. An excellent forensic structural Investigation report is well structured, clear and to the point, and simple enough for a layperson to understand.

Often, forensic structural engineers are mistaken for advocates. For example, a builder has an ongoing dispute case in court that he wants to win, or a homeowner has an insurance claim that he would like to be fully compensated for. Sometimes, they are just looking to blame someone for the damages when, in reality, there is no one to blame. They contact a forensic expert in the hope that the report will support their theories and help them win their cases. Read more about these stories in our case studies.

It is important to understand that forensic structural engineers are not advocates, and they should never act like one. Not only is it not ethical, but also it is not the role of the forensic structural engineer to act as a lawyer and defend their client, no matter what. The forensic structural engineer must form an independent opinion and present it regardless of whether the outcome is in favour of their clients or not.

Who Hires Forensic Structural Engineers?

Forensic Structural Engineers are independent consultants who can provide technical advice to different sectors, such as:

  • Homeowners and Investors: Forensic structural engineers and homeowners are two kinds of people who should have a close relationship. Regardless of whether you’re about to buy a home for the first time or you’ve owned your house for several years, a forensic expert is someone who you should have on speed dial. They are the only experts who are qualified to thoroughly examine a home and determine its condition, the reason for its condition and how to improve. Regardless of the level of damage, the forensic structural engineer’s goal is to provide the knowledge you need about your property so that you can make informed decisions about its care. Learn how Forensic Structural Engineering safeguards your property investment.
  • Builders and Project Managers: There are different scenarios in which builders may need the expertise of a forensic structural engineer. One scenario is before extending and renovating a house. In this case, both the builder and the homeowner should question the existing condition of the structure before it is too late. A forensic structural engineer can assess the structural integrity of the house and recommend necessary upgrades. Builder will then need to include the essential upgrades in the renovation plans. Another scenario is when a builder is accused of poor workmanship or faulty building works. In this case, a forensic structural engineer will review all the documents, the construction sequence, the material used and even the correspondence between the builder and the involved parties. The findings of the forensic structural investigation will then help determine the actual cause of damage and whether the reason for the damage lies in the design stage, construction stage or final inspection stage of the project. Explore how our Forensic Structural Engineering services ensure your projects meet the highest standards of quality and safety.
  • Insurers and Loss Adjusters: When property owners lodge an insurance claim for building damage or loss, the insurer will need to establish the exact causes of damage to determine liability. It is critical to discover if the damage was pre-existing and caused by long term factors or if it was, in fact, caused as a result of an insurable event such as a leak, fire, wind, earthquake, etc. There is no one better than an experienced forensic structural engineer to gather relevant evidence effectively and answer this question with certainty. See how our Forensic Structural Engineering expertise streamlines the insurance claims process.
  • Strata and Property Managers: It is the property manager’s responsibility to maintain the building they manage and keep all homeowners happy. But when several damages within the building start to show, and no repairs and fixes by builders seem to work, alarm bells start to ring. This is when a forensic structural engineer steps in to go through design documents, spot defects in a property, assess the severity of the defects and clarify the causes of the damage. Offering an achievable solution for effective repairs is usually the main purpose of forensic investigation in this case. Unlock expert forensic structural engineering solutions for strata and property management challenges.
  • Lawyers: Disputes over building qualities and workmanship are grave matters and should be handled professionally and thoroughly. For this reason, lawyers always approach forensic structural engineers to use their findings in court as evidence and have them as their expert witnesses if necessary. They also gain a better understanding of the situation by consulting with a forensic structural engineer and will be able to gather a list of relevant questions to ask the opposition during a court hearing. Learn how our Forensic Structural Engineering expertise supports legal professionals in structural damage cases.

How to Become a Forensic Structural Engineer?

Those who decide at the early stages of their engineering career that they want to become forensic structural engineers one day have a better chance of becoming successful. It is because they will be able to map out their career path more accurately, work on the specific skills that a forensic structural engineer needs and take on more challenging tasks to expand their experience further than their teammates. But even if you are in your mid-career, it is still not too late. Consider it to be your next career move. Here are some tips on how to become a successful forensic structural engineer:

  • Improve your computational and analytical skills by working on diverse design projects. Get out of your comfort zone! Try to gain experience in designing different types of structures, such as residential houses, commercial buildings, industrial warehouses, and so forth.
  • Seize opportunities to attend construction sites. Get hands-on experience in the construction process and troubleshooting on construction sites. Have conversations with builders and tradies and learn whatever you can from them.
  • Read, read, and read some more. Stay up to date with news and discoveries in the construction world. Subscribe to engineering, building, and construction journals, papers, and blogs. Also, study and broaden your knowledge about construction materials, their properties, and modes of failure.
  • Work on your communication skills. As a forensic structural engineer, you will need to explain technical terms and theories to people who have no engineering background. Also, you should be able to convince them that you know what you are talking about and that you are conversant with the topic. It is easier said than done, but practice makes perfect!
  • Boost your self-confidence. Speak your mind loudly and often. Arrange public presentations and learn how to manage a hostile audience. This skill is particularly useful in courts when lawyers cross-examine you as an expert witness.

Following these steps can significantly enhance your prospects of becoming a successful forensic structural engineer, equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to excel in this specialised field.
You can also refer to MFS’s roadmap on our About Us page.

When Do I Need a Forensic Structural Engineer?

If you have yet to work with a forensic structural engineer, you may be wondering which scenarios may call for their expertise. Here, we’ll give you a few examples of when you may need a forensic structural engineer:

You are buying a new house.

You are looking to buy a house, either as a first home buyer or as an investor. As you inspect the property, you notice wall cracks in several places that have been patched over. Or maybe the floors don’t seem even, or a retaining wall in the backyard appears to be leaning. The house is beautiful and within your budget, but these issues seem like they may become worse in the future. A forensic structural engineer will be able to pre-inspect the property for you and provide you with a detailed report so that you can make a fully informed decision.

You start noticing unusual defects and damages.

You have bought a house, and after a few months or years of living there, cracks in the walls begin to show up, and you have no idea what has gone wrong. It seems like an easy fix, so you patch them up. However, the cracks return later even more prominent than before. A forensic structural engineer will tell you that the damages are coming back because you are fixing the symptoms but not addressing the root cause. The cracking wall is only one example. Other examples can be a leaking balcony, leaning retaining walls, cracked driveway, and so on. Forensic structural engineers will be able to find the root causes of damage and tell you how to get rid of it once and for all.

Renovating and upgrading your house.

You are planning to renovate and upgrade your home but are unsure what that would mean from a structural point of view. Will you need to upgrade the footings? If you don’t, will they cause damage in the future? What measures should you take to avoid that? What do you need to know about your home before renovating so you won’t get ripped off by contractors? A forensic structural engineer can help answer all of these questions. They can provide you with a report that shows your contractor how the structural works should be done. That’s not all! Remember, we mentioned earlier that forensic structural engineers are competent structural design engineers? Well, you can ask your forensic engineer to design all the required upgrade works, protection works if needed, and the structural elements of your renovation plans.

Having a dispute about building damage.

You are in dispute with your neighbour, builder, the insurance company, or even council regarding building damage and need to know who is right and who is wrong. You want to know the cause of building damage, who is responsible, and whether your arguments can be professionally backed up in the court of law if needed. Forensic structural engineers can walk you through the entire process.

What Are the Benefits of Engaging a Forensic Structural Engineer?

  • They can put your mind at ease. You are maybe panicking because your home has several cracks throughout, or the porch is coming away from the house, or your doors and windows are difficult to open or close. Sometimes, the damages are not as bad as you think, and a simple fix can make them go away. But to ensure that is indeed the case, you should consult with your forensic structural engineer.
  • They have your property’s best interest in mind. Their expert advice might not be what you are hoping to hear, but it is usually the best advice concerning damages to your home or investment. Forensic structural engineers are not here to necessarily make you happy (by siding with you unprofessionally) but to help you find the best solutions to protect your house or investment.
  • They can warn you about bad advice. There are many products and methods out there these days, and more will continue to emerge, which promise an easy and quick fix to all sorts of building damages. Make sure to consult with your forensic structural engineer before wasting money and time on solutions that do more harm than good. If it is too good to be true, it usually is. Read a real story about how bad advice can permanently damage your house.
  • They can help you win your legitimate dispute. Teaming up your lawyer with a forensic structural engineer can be the best decision for your case. Forensic structural engineers methodically examine every scenario to cover every possible explanation and piece of evidence. This information can help the lawyer to build a strong case and reach the best outcome in court.

How to Find a Reliable Forensic Structural Engineer?

If you need a forensic structural engineer, make sure you choose the engineer wisely. Firstly, don’t mistake design engineers or geotechnical engineers for forensic structural engineers. Remember that forensic structural engineers should have technical and analytical skills combined with broad knowledge in construction and building sciences. Design engineers do not have such expertise to diagnose the problems accurately.

Secondly, having an independent engineer who doesn’t care about hurting your feelings and tells you the truth is invaluable. You may be adamant about the causes of damage to your building or about who the responsible party is. Still, an experienced forensic structural engineer will not get intimidated by the clients and their expectations. An honest forensic structural engineer should only focus on providing unbiased opinion even if it doesn’t end up being in favor of the client.

Moreover, make sure to choose a forensic structural engineer who truly cares about your concerns. You can evaluate their ethic and character by seeing how much help they are willing to offer you without any form of remuneration. Give the engineer a ring and have a conversation about your predicament in order to determine whether or not they are qualified for the job.

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