Forensic Engineering Services

A forensic engineer applies engineering principles and the scientific method to find out why something failed: a fire, an electrical fault, a corroded pipeline, a mechanical breakdown or a damaged structure. That answer decides who is responsible, what a policy covers, and how to keep the failure from happening again. Dreiym Engineering is a forensic engineering firm whose licensed Professional Engineers investigate losses for insurers, attorneys and property owners, examine the evidence in our own Texas laboratory, and testify to their findings when a matter is litigated.

Founded in 2014, Dreiym Engineering PLLC is Texas Registered Engineering Firm F-16324, with over 30 years of combined experience and offices in Coldspring, Texas, and Westcliffe, Colorado.

Have a loss to assign? Submit a forensic assignment for a free quote, or request expert CVs and our rate schedule. We typically respond within one business day.

What is forensic engineering?

Forensic engineering is the investigation of failures in machinery, components, materials and structures using engineering principles and scientific methods. It is often compared to reverse engineering: instead of designing something to work, the engineer works backward from a failure to its root cause. The findings matter most where there is injury or property damage, and they are used to resolve insurance claims and lawsuits and to prevent the next failure. We also take on wildfire, explosion and other disaster losses. For a longer look at the field, read What does a forensic engineer do?

How a forensic engineering investigation works

• Intake and conflict check. Tell us the date of loss, location, parties, claim or file number and what happened. We record the questions to be answered, screen for conflicts before anyone travels and send a free quote.
• Scene documentation. We get to the scene as soon as possible. It is photographed as found, and evidence is numbered, photographed in place and tracked from the scene to storage.
• Joint examinations. Destructive steps wait until every party entitled to attend has had the chance, following the consensus practices in ASTM E860ASTM E860, Standard Practice for Examining and Preparing Items That Are or May Become Involved in LitigationBefore any test that could change or destroy evidence, the other interested parties are told what is planned and given the chance to attend.Plain-language summary, not the standard’s wording.See the glossary and ASTM E1188ASTM E1188, Standard Practice for Collection and Preservation of Information and Physical Items by a Technical InvestigatorHow an investigator documents, collects, labels and stores evidence, so its condition and chain of custody can be shown later.Plain-language summary, not the standard’s wording.See the glossary.
• Laboratory examination. Non-destructive examination first, including X-ray imaging, then controlled disassembly or testing under an agreed protocol.
• Analysis. Hypotheses are tested against the physical evidence and the codes and standards that applied, including NFPA, IEEE and NACE International (now AMPP). For fires, we follow a method consistent with NFPA 921NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2024 editionThe reference most fire investigators follow. It is a guide, not a code. It lays out a systematic approach based on the scientific method: gather data, form hypotheses about origin and cause, and test each against the evidence.Plain-language summary, not the standard’s wording.See the glossary and establish the origin before the cause.
• Report and testimony. A report prepared by a licensed PE and PE-stamped where required, with each opinion and its basis, followed by deposition and trial testimony when needed.

Forensic engineering services by discipline

Many losses cross disciplines. An appliance fire can turn on the branch-circuit wiring behind it, and a pipeline leak can turn on stray current from a nearby system. Keeping electrical, fire, corrosion and lab work under one roof lets one investigation follow the evidence wherever it leads. Our main disciplines are pictured below. We also handle:

• Electrical failure analysis: bench-level analysis of failed breakers, wiring, transformers and reclosers to find what failed, in what sequence, and why.
• Mechanical investigation: breakdowns of HVAC, plumbing, natural gas systems and other equipment, performed with our associated forensic engineers.
• Civil investigation: buildings, bridges, garage structures and buried infrastructure, performed with associated civil engineers.
• Forensic lighting analysis: slip-and-fall and workplace accidents where poor lighting may have played a part.
• Drone services: aerial documentation of burned-out roofs, pipeline routes and cell towers where access on foot is slow or unsafe.