Forensic Engineering
Why structures, machines and materials fail: failure analysis, fractography, structural collapse, fire and explosion, and accident reconstruction.
- 60hours
- 32topics
- 10modules
Foundations and Methodology
What forensic engineering is, where it sits within the engineering and legal professions, and the scientific method that governs every failure investigation from scene preservation through hypothesis testing.
Start module- Scope and Practice of Forensic EngineeringForensic engineering applies engineering science to investigate failures and accidents for civil, criminal, insurance, and regulatory proceedings worldwide.14 min
- The Failure Investigation ProcessA failure investigation moves from scene preservation through evidence collection and lab analysis to a tested, legally defensible final opinion.14 min
- Evidence Preservation and DocumentationEngineering evidence must be documented before it is touched, preserved against alteration, and examined under protocols every litigating party agrees to.15 min
Fractography and Fracture Mechanics
Reading the fracture surface as a record of how and why a material broke. Covers the mechanics of fracture, the visual language of fatigue and overload, and the laboratory tools that decode fracture origin.
Start module- Fracture Mechanics FundamentalsHow cracks initiate and grow in solids, from Griffith's energy balance through Irwin's stress intensity factor to the fracture toughness used in failure work.15 min
- Ductile and Brittle Fracture IdentificationHow to tell ductile from brittle fracture from the fracture surface, with the Alexander Kielland platform collapse as the central case study.14 min
- Fatigue Fracture: Beach Marks and StriationsCyclic loading drives crack growth in stages, leaving beach marks and fatigue striations that reveal load history, illustrated by the Aloha Airlines Flight 243.16 min
Materials and Metallurgical Failure
How the chemistry, microstructure, and environment of metals and engineering materials combine to cause corrosion, creep, hydrogen damage, and wear failures.
Start module- Corrosion Failure ModesCorrosion is electrochemical metal degradation that fails structures in several distinct ways, mapped here with the Silver Bridge collapse as a case study.13 min
- Hydrogen Embrittlement and Environmental CrackingHydrogen embrittlement turns tough steel brittle without warning; this topic covers its mechanisms and the fractographic and chemical methods used to prove it.13 min
- Creep and Elevated-Temperature FailureCreep is slow, time-dependent metal deformation under sustained heat and stress that ends in rupture; this topic covers its physics and forensic interpretation.12 min
- Weld and Manufacturing Defect AnalysisWelds and castings hide porosity, cold cracking, and inclusions that can fail later; this topic centres on the Nimrod XV230 weld-defect investigation.13 min
Structural and Civil Collapse Investigation
How engineers investigate the failure of buildings, bridges, and infrastructure, from load path reconstruction to code compliance analysis.
Start module- Structural Failure Investigation MethodologyA systematic framework for investigating structural collapse, from preserving wreckage through load-path analysis and material testing to the root cause.12 min
- Case Studies: Bridge CollapsesTacoma Narrows, Hyatt Regency, and Ponte Morandi: three landmark bridge failures, each illustrating a distinct mechanism and lessons for engineering practice.14 min
- Case Studies: Building CollapsesRonan Point, L'Ambiance Plaza, Rana Plaza, and Surfside: four building collapses examined as case studies in progressive collapse and long-term deterioration.15 min
- Geotechnical and Foundation FailureHow geotechnical failures, from bearing capacity loss to liquefaction and erosion, are investigated, with the Teton Dam piping failure as the case study.15 min
Fire, Electrical, and Explosion Engineering
The engineering lens on fire origin, electrical faults, and explosion mechanics — distinct from the chemistry and scene-investigation focus of fire/arson forensics.
Start module- Fire Origin Engineering and Heat ReleaseHeat release rate governs how fast a fire grows and where an origin investigation must focus; this topic covers the engineering tools behind scene reading.15 min
- Electrical Fire Failure AnalysisIdentifying an electrical fire's cause means distinguishing primary arc damage from secondary melting and testing scenarios against NFPA 921 and IEEE standards.14 min
- Explosion and Pressure-Vessel FailureBLEVEs, vessel fractures, and overpressure patterns record how an explosion unfolded, connecting deflagration and detonation mechanics to investigation method.14 min
Product Liability and Design-Defect Analysis
The engineering framework for evaluating whether a product failed because of a design defect, a manufacturing defect, or inadequate warning — and how that evaluation reaches a jury.
Start module- Product Liability Engineering FrameworkThe three theories of product liability, design defect, manufacturing defect, and failure to warn, and the engineering frameworks used to evaluate each.14 min
- Design Defect Analysis and Safer Alternative DesignsThe engineering method for evaluating a safer alternative design in product liability, with the Ford Pinto fuel system as a risk-utility case study.13 min
- Manufacturing Defect and Quality System FailureHow engineers distinguish a unit built off-spec from one built correctly to a flawed design, using quality tools and the Therac-25 defect as a case study.15 min
Vehicle and Transport Accident Reconstruction
The physics and engineering methods used to reconstruct vehicle collisions, including speed from crush energy, the role of event data recorders, and the biomechanical injury interface.
Start module- Accident Reconstruction PhysicsHow engineers use conservation of momentum, friction coefficients, and kinematics to reconstruct a vehicle collision before, during, and after impact.13 min
- Crush Energy and Speed from DamageHow engineers convert vehicle crush depth into impact speed using the CRASH3 energy-stiffness model, including its assumptions and limitations.11 min
- Event Data Recorders and Black-Box AnalysisHow automotive and aviation data recorders capture pre-crash parameters, how they are extracted, and the legal challenges around their use in reconstruction.12 min
- Pedestrian and Cyclist Collision AnalysisBiomechanical and kinematic methods for reconstructing pedestrian and cyclist collisions, from throw-distance equations to visibility analysis by jurisdiction.13 min
Aviation and Rail Failure Investigation
The engineering methods and institutional frameworks used in aircraft and railway accident investigation, where statutory bodies lead but forensic engineers provide structural, materials, and systems analysis.
Start module- Aviation Accident Investigation: The Engineering RoleHow structural, systems, and human-factors engineers collaborate under ICAO Annex 13 to reconstruct what failed, when, and why after an aviation accident.16 min
- Rail and Infrastructure Failure InvestigationHow forensic engineers investigate derailments and track-geometry failures, using the 2000 Hatfield crash as the case study for rolling contact fatigue.15 min
Root-Cause Analysis, Standards, and Codes
The formal systems engineering and quality tools used to move beyond identifying what broke to understanding why it was allowed to break — and the standards framework that defines acceptable engineering practice.
Start module- Root-Cause Analysis MethodsSystematic techniques for tracing engineering failures to their origins, from the 5-Whys to probabilistic fault trees used in aerospace and infrastructure work.13 min
- Engineering Standards and Codes in Failure AnalysisHow ASTM, ASME, NFPA, ISO, and Eurocodes serve as evidence of accepted practice, and why mandatory codes differ legally from voluntary standards.14 min
- Safety Management Systems and Systemic FailureHow Safety Management Systems explain why organisations produce accidents despite individual competence, via Reason's Swiss Cheese Model and Deepwater Horizon.17 min
The Expert Engineer and the Courtroom
How forensic engineering opinion enters litigation, what makes it admissible, and the professional and ethical obligations of the engineer who becomes an expert witness.
Start module- The Forensic Engineer as Expert WitnessForensic engineers offer independent technical opinions to the court, not advocacy for whoever hired them; this topic covers the duties and ethics of that role.14 min
- Admissibility of Engineering Opinions: Daubert and BeyondCourts do not accept every qualified engineer's opinion; frameworks from Daubert to the Ikarian Reefer decide which opinions reach the fact-finder.14 min
- Engineering Ethics and Professional ResponsibilityForensic engineers work inside ethical codes and cognitive hazards that can bend sound analysis; this topic covers NSPE and ASCE codes and accountability.16 min