Fire Investigation
Fire Scene Evidence Preservation: A Checklist for Insurers and Attorneys
Fire scene evidence preservation after a loss: notice to interested parties, joint scene exams, labeling, chain of custody and lab exams.
10 min read
Topic
Forensic
Forensic engineering analysis for attorneys, insurers, and property owners: electrical failure investigation, origin-and-cause support, and expert consulting.
At a glance
- Articles
- 49
- With a live demo
- 1
- Published per year
- 20191 articles
- 20203 articles
- 20211 articles
- 20224 articles
- 20232 articles
- 202410 articles
- 202514 articles
- 202614 articles
- Subject Matter Experts
- Brian J. Brackensick, M.S., P.E.
Stepan V. Eero, M.S., P.E.
Start here
Longer guides that explain the methods and the codes behind this work.
- What Does a Forensic Engineer Do?
12 min read
- Frye vs. Daubert: Modern Standards for Forensic Engineering Testimony
16 min read
- What Is an Open Neutral? Symptoms, Dangers and a Live Demo
12 min readInteractive
Articles
1 to 24 of 49
Electrical
Why Dust, Dirt, and Contamination Can Cause Electrical Equipment Failure
Dust, metal fines, and damp residue can lead to electrical equipment failure. Learn the 5 ways it happens and why compressed air can make it worse.
9 min read
Forensic
Digital PE Stamp and Seal Fraud: Rules in 55 Jurisdictions
What the seal rules of 55 US licensing jurisdictions require of a digital PE stamp, how seal fraud works, and how to verify a sealed PDF.
92 min read
Electrical
What Is an Open Neutral? Symptoms, Dangers and a Live Demo
An open neutral can push half a home's circuits far above 120 V. See what it means on an outlet tester, the symptoms, what to do and a live demo.
12 min readInteractive
Forensic
How Licensed Electrical Engineers Evaluate Electrical Damage After a Lightning Strike
How licensed electrical engineers assess electrical damage after a lightning strike, from hidden surge failures to grounding problems.
7 min read
Forensic
Why Utility Coordination Failures Create Major Engineering Liability During Construction
Utility coordination failures cause roughly $30 billion in damages, delays, and liability each year. Learn why they happen and how engineers reduce risk.
6 min read
Forensic
What Engineers Look for After a Transformer Failure
After a transformer failure, engineers trace the root cause: overheating, insulation breakdown, or external faults. See what a failure analysis covers.
6 min read
Fire Investigation
Fire Suppression System Failure: What Businesses Need to Know Before It’s Too Late
Fire suppression system failures trace back to mechanical faults, electrical issues, and skipped maintenance. Learn the causes and how to reduce your risk.
6 min read
Forensic
How Climate-Related Conditions Are Changing Forensic Engineering Investigations
Climate conditions are reshaping how forensic engineers investigate failures: heat, moisture and soil changes now factor into root cause analysis.
6 min read
Electrical
Investigating Electrical Failures After Flooding or Water Intrusion
Electrical failures after flooding often surface when power returns. The warning signs, and how forensic engineers investigate flooded systems.
6 min read
Electrical
What Happens to Electrical Systems When Buildings Sit Vacant Too Long
Vacant buildings quietly develop electrical hazards like corrosion, moisture, and degraded wiring. Learn the risks and preventive steps owners should take.
6 min read
Corrosion and Cathodic Protection
Choosing a Real-World Electrical & Corrosion Engineering Expert Witness
What separates a field-tested electrical and corrosion expert witness from paper-only opinions? Get screening questions and a retain-or-pass checklist.
8 min read
Forensic
Electrical System Warning Signs That Insurance Inspectors Take Seriously
Insurance inspectors flag breaker trips, grounding problems, and missing records first. See the electrical warning signs to fix before your next inspection.
6 min read
Forensic
Why Commercial Renovations Often Create Hidden Electrical Safety Risks
Commercial renovations shift electrical loads and hide new hazards: legacy panels, arc-flash risk, grounding gaps. Learn what to check before reopening.
7 min read
Forensic
Cyber-Physical Risk: How IoT Faults Can Trigger Electrical Fires in Industrial Networks
IoT fire risk in an industrial plant comes from hacked controls, alarms that reach no one, loose terminations and overloaded circuits. What we check.
6 min read
Forensic
What Does a Forensic Engineer Do?
What does a forensic engineer do? How these engineers investigate failures, fires and collapses, and when to hire one for litigation or insurance claims.
12 min read
Electrical
Integrating PD Detection in High Voltage Gear After Fire Exposure
PD detection, or partial discharge testing, after fire exposure finds hidden insulation damage in high voltage gear before it is re-energized.
6 min read
Electrical
Worried About a PC or Computer Fire? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Is my computer on fire or just hot? Smoke, a burning plastic smell or sparks mean act now: unplug only if safe, use a Class C extinguisher, never water.
12 min read
Fire Investigation
Why Thermal Transient Analysis in Electrical Enclosures Matters for Post-Fire Inspections
Thermal transient analysis models how heat moved through electrical enclosures during a fire, helping investigators pinpoint origin and assign liability.
6 min read
Electrical
Looking at the Root Cause of Electrical Appliance Fires Using Forensic X-Ray and Thermal Imaging
See how forensic X-ray and thermal imaging reveal the root cause of electrical appliance fires, without destroying evidence insurers and courts rely on.
8 min read
Fire Investigation
What to Do Post-Electrical Fire: Ensuring Safety and Recovery of Property
Electrical fire recovery starts with securing the site and calling insurers, then a fire investigation and a recovery plan that protects your claim.
8 min read
Forensic
The Hidden Dangers of Electric Heaters: Essential Safety Considerations
The dangers of electric heaters are fire, burns and malfunctions. Placement rules, the safety features to look for, and the carbon monoxide facts.
12 min read
Corrosion and Cathodic Protection
How Corrosion Threatens Residential Water Supply and What We Can Do About It
Corrosion in water infrastructure leaches lead into taps and drives main breaks. How cathodic protection and testing protect a residential water supply.
7 min read
Fire Investigation
Keeping Your Agricultural Facility Safe from Electrical Fire and Damage
Electrical safety for an agricultural facility: spot DIY wiring, overloaded circuits and rodent damage before they start fires in barns and outbuildings.
7 min read
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