01 Electrical power
Study or test a power system
Arc flash, short circuit, coordination and grounding, modeled in ETAP and SKM by licensed Professional Engineers.
Electrical, corrosion and forensic engineering.
Arc flash and power system studies, cathodic protection design and surveys, and fire and failure investigations, from offices in Coldspring, Texas and Westcliffe, Colorado.
IllustrativeOne field equation, three readings: bus bars, current from an anode to a pipe, and a breakdown pattern in insulation.Electric field around three bus bars, slowed for display.Current from an anode through soil, crowding into a holiday in the pipe coating.A breakdown pattern growing from a defect in insulation.
Our three practices
02 Corrosion & CP
Protect a pipeline or tank
CP design, installation, surveys and interference testing, led by a NACE CP Specialist (CP4). We install what we design.
03 Forensic
Investigate a loss
Scene inspections as soon as possible, evidence X-rayed in our own lab before disassembly, and consulting-only retentions accepted.
Not sure which? Call (866) 621-6920. When you call, you talk to an engineer. We typically respond within one business day.
- Projects completed
- 1,100+
- Licensed PEs
- Active and past licensure in multiple states
- NACE CP4
- CP Specialist on staff
- CFEI · CVFI
- NAFI certified fire and vehicle fire investigators
- Since 2014
- Over 30 years of combined experience. PE-stamped where required.
Worked examples Illustrative
See the engineering before you call
Three illustrative models from our practices: a cathodic protection reading, arc mapping at a fire scene, and an X-ray taken before anything is taken apart. They are not field data or case evidence.
PausePlayPause rotation and animationPlay rotation and animation{n} of {t}Choose a toolInteractive engineering tools
MetNot metNeither criterion is met: polarization is under 100 mV and the instant-off reading is short of −850 mV.The 100 mV polarization criterion is met. The instant-off reading is still short of −850 mV.The on reading looks protected, but part of it is IR drop in the soil. Instant-off is short of −850 mV; the 100 mV criterion is met.Both are met: instant-off is more negative than −850 mV and polarization is over 100 mV.Rectifier output {a} amps. On reading {on}, instant-off {off}, polarization {p}. {v} OnOffInstant-off
Pipe-to-soil potential
49 CFR 192 App. DIs this pipe protected? Raise the rectifier output and compare the on reading with the instant-off reading.
On reading−0.913 V
Instant-off−0.793 V
Polarization173 mV
−850 mV instant-off Not met
100 mV polarization Met
The on reading looks protected, but part of it is IR drop in the soil. Instant-off is short of −850 mV; the 100 mV criterion is met.
Indicative model, not field data (native −0.620 V, steady state). Which criterion applies, and how IR drop is handled, is decided for each system by a qualified CP engineer.
Arc survey, two branch circuits
NFPA 921Where did fire first reach these two circuits? Step through the survey.
Circuits mapped2
Arc sites5
Farthest downstreamA3, B2
1. Panel: the survey starts at the panel. Two branch circuits, A and B, served the fire area. The position of each breaker (on, off or tripped) is recorded before anything is moved.
2. Circuits: each circuit is traced from its breaker through the rooms, device to device, to its end. Downstream means farther from the panel along the wire, not on the floor plan.
3. Arc sites: every conductor is examined and each arc site is plotted. Arcing needs an energized conductor, and once it severs one, the circuit beyond that point loses power. So on each circuit the site farthest downstream, A3 and B2 here, generally occurred first.
4. Area of origin: A3 and B2 both point to the living room corner by the bedroom wall, where the fire patterns show the heaviest damage. That supports an area of origin to examine closely. It does not establish the origin or the cause on its own.
Illustration, not a real loss. Arc mapping is probabilistic: a circuit may not arc, an arc may not sever it, and fire can reach a circuit away from the origin. Following NFPA 921, the arc map is weighed with the fire patterns, the whole circuit, witness accounts and fire dynamics.
Real-time X-ray, burned power strip
Before disassemblyCharred on the outside. Step through to see what an X-ray shows inside, before anyone takes it apart.
Findings3
Item examinedPower strip
ConditionAs received
As received: the housing is charred and deformed over the middle outlets. The X-ray shows the inside before anyone opens it.
1. Switch: the contacts appear closed. Their position is recorded before anyone handles the switch.
2. Line bus: severed, with a rounded bead at one end. A bead can indicate arcing; it is examined under the microscope before any conclusion.
3. Outlet 4: plug blades are still in the contacts, so something was plugged in. That item is traced and examined too.
Illustration, not case evidence. In our lab, items are X-rayed as received, before disassembly, so every party sees the same evidence.
Try the physics Illustrative
Three models you can move
Each one is worked out in your browser: a ground grid in a fault, a fracture surface under a moving lamp, and a pipeline under cathodic protection.
- Grounding Where a ground fault puts the voltage Move a person around a fenced yard during a ground fault and watch the touch and step voltages change with the grid mesh, the ground rods and the fence line. Open the touch and step voltage explorer
- Failure analysis Read a broken part by the light you shine on it Drag a lamp around the broken face of a shaft and see where the crack started, how it grew and where the metal let go. Open the fracture reader
- Cathodic protection design Turn up the rectifier and watch the pipeline answer Set the taps, change the coating or add a second station, and see which miles of a 10 mile line meet the −850 mV criterion. Open the rectifier explorer
Who you work with
The engineers who do the work, by name
No call center and no hand-offs. Attorneys and adjusters can request a CV before retaining us.
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Engineering lab
Evidence examined in our own lab in Coldspring, Texas
Cords, controls, breakers, connectors and batteries are X-rayed before anyone takes them apart, and evidence is held in video-monitored storage.
| Real-time X-ray | Nordson Dage Quadra 3, up to 7,500x |
|---|---|
| Part size | up to 20 x 17.5 in, 11 lb |
| 3D capture | Leica BLK360, Matterport |
| Vehicle lift | 18,000 lb |
| Evidence storage | video-monitored |
Project experience
Selected projects
We have completed over 1,100 projects. These are a few examples.
- Houston Arc Flash ProgramElectrical powerGreater Houston, TXArc flash, coordination
- Airport Grounding Testing, NormanElectrical powerNorman, OKGround testing
- Annual Gas Piping CP Surveys at a Power Plant, DentonCorrosion and CPDenton, TXAnnual CP surveys
- New Mexico DCVG Coating SurveysCorrosion and CPPermian Basin, NMDCVG surveys
- Texas Forensic Investigation CaseworkForensicTexasFire and electrical
- Jacksonville Heavy-Equipment FireForensicJacksonville, FLVehicle fires
Insights
Written by the engineers who do the work
Corrosion and Cathodic Protection
Annual Cathodic Protection Survey: What 49 CFR 192.465 Requires and What to Expect
Nov 9, 2026
Electrical
NEC 220.87 Load Study: Using Measured Demand to Size an Existing Service
Nov 6, 2026
Electrical
Fall of Potential vs. Point-to-Point: What Each Ground Test Proves
Nov 5, 2026
Have a project, or a loss to investigate?
We typically respond within one business day.
How a project starts
- 01
Tell us what you have
One-lines, any previous study, the sites and your target date.
- 02
Free quote and scope
A scoped proposal. Nothing starts until you approve it.
- 03
Field work and analysis
Walkdowns, surveys or scene work, then modeling and lab examination.
- 04
A report you can use
Findings and recommendations, PE-stamped where required.
Clients
