The Most Complete and Up-to-Date Resource on Forensic Structural Engineering

Thoroughly revised and featuring contributions from leading experts, this definitive handbook offers comprehensive treatment of forensic structural engineering and expert witness delivery. From exploring the possible origins of errors, through investigating and analyzing failures, to working with the legal profession for assigning responsibilities, Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook, Second Edition covers every important topic in the field.

• The design and construction process
• Design and construction safety codes, standards, and regulations
• Standard of care and duty to perform
• First steps and legal concerns after a failure
• Engineering investigation of failures
• Origins and causes of failures
• Loads and hazards
• Design errors, construction defects, and project miscommunication
• Defects, deterioration, and durability
• Mechanisms and analyses of failures in steel, concrete, masonry, timber, and temporary structures; building envelope; and structural foundations
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• The expert consultant and witness