When disaster strikes, whether it’s natural such as an earthquake, a fire caused by something within your home, or a fault within your home’s foundation, it’s important to get to the root of the issue for a variety of reasons. Structural engineers will be able to:
- Investigate the potential cause of damage
- Determine liability for the failure
- Look closely at foundational, framing and other structural failures
- Provide a detailed report for insurance purposes
What Is Forensic Structural Engineering?
Forensic structural engineering is a component of engineering that investigates the causes of damage after a disaster, as well as potential risks that can lead to structural failure. The practice analyzes collected data to determine the cause of structural deficiency.
If an issue hasn’t occurred and you just want to be sure your home or building is in good condition, a structural engineer can analyze the weak spots in your structure to determine what liabilities are present. If a disaster has already occurred, forensic structural engineers will inspect the incident to determine the underlying cause. By studying what went wrong within a structure or foundation, a well-trained structural engineer will be able to adjust plans for future development to prevent damage from happening in the same way again.
When Do You Need This Service?
Unfortunately, forensic structural engineers are often called upon when the unthinkable happens. If a home crumbles after an earthquake, collapses due to fire or other disasters, you should contact a structural engineer to assess the possible conditions that agitated the damage and to provide a report.
These specialized engineers often help homeowners and building owners who want to be sure that their insurance will cover any losses and help rebuild in the event of a disaster. Determining liability in the event of a disaster could be the difference between your insurance policy kicking in or not.
Who Utilizes Forensic Structural Engineers?
Home and building owners aren’t the only individuals who would utilize a forensic engineer. Anyone who has an interest in a structure, from a contractor to a developer, to HOAs (homeowners associations) to attorneys whose clients have an interest in the outcome of a disaster might all call on a forensic engineer to help get to the root cause of any perceived damage when investigating a structure that has been damaged.
The reason these people may need to use the services of a forensic engineer vary. Attorneys may need to use a forensic engineer’s report to either validate or invalidate insurance claims or to provide testimony in a court setting. Contractors need to make sure the buildings they are constructing are sturdy and can stand up against great forces, so they utilize forensic engineers to pinpoint any weak areas before continuing on with their plans.
No matter why a forensic engineer is called upon, he or she should do their best to provide accurate, unbiased determinations for any cause of damage, without consideration to who their conclusions benefit.
Forensic Structural Engineering Services In Keller, Texas
Disasters are nothing short of worst case scenarios, and in the unfortunate event your home, office or any property you are connected to endures a structural disaster, it’s important to have a qualified and professional team of structural engineers to conduct a forensic evaluation to properly gauge what caused the damage in the first place. At Nortex Structural, our team of forensic engineers will thoroughly gather data to evaluate potential root causes and provide you with a detailed report.
Nortex Structural is proud to serve Keller, Texas and the surrounding areas with expertise around forensic engineering. Call us today at 817-470-5046 to get in touch with our team of forensic structural engineers.
