A sixteen-year-old thermoplastic roof installed on a factory roof in Southern Alabama was reported to have been damaged during a hailstorm. The thermoplastic roofing at the facility was manufactured in rolled sheets, which were installed in parallel overlapping rows. Visual examination of the...
For those who live in hot or cold environments, double pane windows are a great way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Double pane windows consist of two panes of glass that have been sealed together in a frame, with a pane of glass on the interior and exterior surface of the window...
The U.S. exports about 4 million bushels of grain a year, including wheat, rice, corn, soy and other commodities. Grain is typically transferred by rail from farming areas to shipping terminals located on the coast or major waterways. The grain is temporarily stored in silos at the grain terminal...
The job of a forensic or investigative engineer can be fascinating. Each investigation brings its own set of challenges and, at times, gathering facts and background information can be one of the more difficult aspects of a case. In gathering our own observations, evaluations, and examinations of...
With loss investigations, the engineer/investigator will often encounter situations which can present safety challenges and even hazards. In some cases, such as machinery breakdown or fires, many potential hazards exist. The engineer must be aware of the situation; proper safety is critical to...
Threaded fasteners (e.g., bolts, nuts, and screws) are so common that imagining a world without them is hard. Yet, our society is highly dependent on them. Consider the lug nuts that keep the wheels attached to our vehicles while driving or the bolts that hold together structural steel members in...
Do your doors stick and not open properly during the rainy season? Do you have cracks in the drywall that sometimes go away? Have you noticed foundation cracks around your house? One of the first steps toward finding the correct method of repair is determining the soil type around the foundation. It...
The words electrocution and electric shock strike fear in many. However, many people use these two words interchangeably, when in fact they are not the same. An electric shock is when you somehow touch an energized circuit and, as many electricians say, you get "bit". An electric shock can rattle...
Most automobiles and light-duty trucks are equipped with an electronic recording device, also referred to as a “Black Box,” or an “airbag control module” that may contain data related to a crash. The data in a vehicle’s Black Box plays a big role in collision reconstruction. Bosch Crash Data...
Financial losses can be avoided with periodic inspections of the crawl spaces under residential structures. Oftentimes, a homeowner is unaware of issues in their crawl space until damages have progressed into the interior of their residence.
Have you ever turned on the hot water faucet and after a short period of time, heard creaking noises coming from inside the walls or below the floor? While such noises could be unwelcome guests, such as rodents or space aliens, chances are, the noises are being generated by thermal-related pipe...
EDT was notified of an issue regarding conductors overheating in conduits contained in an underground duct bank at a large commercial building. It didn’t take long to notice the cables in the duct bank were undersized and the conduits were overfilled, meaning they had too many cables. The cables...
If a transformer sample shows that gases are present within the oil, is the transformer damaged?”. Key gases are defined as gases generated in oil-filled transformers that can be used for qualitative determination of fault types, based on what gases are typical or predominant at various temperatures...
As summer approaches, air conditioners around the country will start running over time. With that increased usage and warmer weather, instances of water damages related to the operation of “ACs” will increase. In this article, we will review two ways that water damages can occur from an AC.
You may be familiar with the consequences of applying too much air pressure to an item such as a balloon or a tire. Most people intuitively understand that there is only so much air that can be added to your car tires before they burst. Items that are designed to contain pressurized gases or liquids...
