According to the national Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Database there were 37,261 fatalities in traffic accidents in 2008.¹ Significant research has been done to develop investigation techniques that can be used both as a means of possible prevention and also to address insurance liability and law enforcement concerns.

Article First Published in Minnesota Claims: July – August 2009

When evaluating a roof system for storm related damages, the issue of repair versus replacement inevitably arises if storm related damage is determined to be present.  In addition to the quantity of damage and feasibility of repairs, the building codes should be analyzed and consulted prior to making a final determination.  Building code requirements for roof repairs or replacement can be misinterpreted by those seeking greater compensation for storm related damages.  It is important to be familiar with Minnesota State Residential Code requirements for roof repairs and replacement, and the common misinterpretations of these requirements.

Electricity is a powerful and dangerous force that we take for granted in our day-to-day lives.  According to the U.S. Fire Administration, home electrical problems account for 67,800 fires, 485 deaths, and $868 million in property losses during a typical year.  Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances and in urban areas and faulty wiring accounts for 33% of residential electrical fires.  A well installed electrical grounding system is an important part of keeping an electrical system functioning safely.

Deck and stair railings that do not meet code requirements or have excessive deflection present a danger to the public and result in a multitude of insurance and construction-related claims.  As forensic engineers, we typically see common areas of railing design that are deficient to code or serviceability.  In order to understand the construction and design of such systems, thorough research of the topic is required.

The article Holding On (Modern Steel Construction, February, 2009) by Benjamin R. Baer, P.E., S.E., provided a great overview of handrail and guardrail strength requirements.  As stated by Mr. Baer, “There is no single handrail or guardrail design that will work for all situations.”  In this article, we intend to follow-up on Mr. Baer’s article, and review and discuss the subject of guardrail deflection limits.

Home buyers ask themselves a lot of questions:  Can I afford this home?  Is it a good deal? Is this a safe neighborhood? Is the home big enough? Do I really need three bathrooms? But one nerve-wracking question often stands out as the hardest to answer: What don’t I know about this house?

Tile roofs have been used for centuries, and with good reason.  Tile roofs are strong, versatile, and durable.  Available in a variety of styles and finishes, tile adds curb appeal to any home, be it American Colonial, Spanish Hacienda, or French Provincial.  As with any roof type, weather proofing and installation are keys to long-term performance.  This article will provide tips on how to avoid common errors in tile installation. 

Exterior stairs should be designed and constructed such that the service life of the stair assembly is no less than the life expectancy of the building or structure to which they provide access, and are maintainable without non-visible damage occurring.  Increasing the ability of exterior stair assemblies to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture and other deteriorative elements will inevitably extend the service life of the assembly.  It is uneconomical to continuously attempt repairs, or to replace stair assemblies that have degraded to the point that they can no longer function as originally intended.  A typical failure of exterior stair assemblies occurs in stair designs that incorporate the use of a steel pan with concrete fill at the treads or landings.  Manifestation of the damage to this particular type of stair assembly appears as corrosion of the steel liners, freeze-thaw damages to the concrete fill, and structural weld and connection damage.  The corrosion will inevitably progress, causing unaesthetic conditions, decreasing structural performance, and ultimately threaten the public’s safety.  These negative attributes are further exacerbated when the stair system is designed with closed riser and stringer components.

Thousands of homes and businesses every year experience problems stemming from the movement of the floors that support their structures, walls, equipment, and exterior flatwork - differential vertical slab-on-grade movement.  This is a very common insurance claim and most owners do not understand the causes.  Since the soils in Arizona are commonly expansive, but remain relatively dry for the majority of the year, the slightest bit of water infiltrating the soils results in soil expansion with vertical and horizontal forces.  Expansive soils can be defined as any soil or rock material that has a potential for swelling due to a change in water content.  In some areas of the country, homeowners are advised to “water the foundation” to keep a constant moisture amount in the soil.  In Arizona, the soils are dry, and the discussion below indicates the need to keep the soil dry.

Conclusions regarding the cause of a fire, explosion, subrogation issue, or even a construction defect are often made in the absence of physical evidence or proof. The term Negative Corpus is not a legal term, but refers to a loose Latin translation meaning “without the body of the crime.”Many forensic investigators utilize the process of elimination in their examination. Simply stated, they use statements such as “I eliminated all other causes, thus it has to be…….” Or, “via the process of elimination, it is my conclusion that the cause is…..” These statements were acceptable for a long time in the fire investigation industry, but they are now being challenged. There are organizations that are now pursuing the freedom of alleged arsonists who were convicted without positive proof of arson.