I inspected a wood framed dwelling with a crawl space that did not meet building code requirements. As a result, problems had occurred in the building. Moisture had migrated into the wood framing above the crawl space and accelerated wood decay and mould were evident. The Code and Construction Guide for Housing, published in 1999, provides a good illustration of how an unheated crawl space...
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L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
The Oxford Dictionary defines forensic science as relating to, or denoting, the application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation of crime. Forensic engineering involves the application of a variety of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or, in our work, civil litigation.
The forensic work our...
Trevor P. McEwen, P. Eng, C.F.E.I.
How to properly install ceramic floor tiles is a question that I have been asked on many occasions. There have been numerous methods practiced by tile installers over the years and they can vary widely depending on the construction of the building. The most important thing to consider when installing a ceramic tile floor is the construction of the floor...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
The gathering of evidence as part of a forensic investigation is often a challenge due to post loss alterations which have occurred before you attend the loss scene. Such alterations can be due to fire suppression activities, investigation by authorities, or emergency repairs by contractors. Talking to the persons who have altered the condition or state of evidence in combination...
Trevor P. McEwen, P. Eng, C.F.E.I.
Earlier this week I received a new forensic investigation assignment. A toilet had failed over the weekend, releasing thousands of litres of water into a building. Upon discovery of the damage, the building owner called their insurance company. To avoid the potential for spoliation of evidence, the insured was advised by their insurer to not touch anything related to the failed toilet...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
A building sprinkler is either a wet or dry system or a combination of both and is a major component of life safety in a building. In a wet system, water in the sprinkler pipes is released when a sprinkler discharges. Piping in a wet system must not be allowed to freeze because a pipe rupture can result. A dry...
Andrew G. McEwen, P.Eng., CFEI, CVFI
I recently investigated a fire that involved a lawn tractor. Immediately after starting the vehicle, the owner of the tractor noticed a few small flames coming from the base of the engine and assumed that he could put the fire out himself. He backed the tractor out of his shed and went to get an extinguisher from his house. He returned a minute later to find the...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
An interesting aspect of investigating a known cause of an electrical failure or malfunction is defining the resulting damage. When an electrical element within a dedicated component sustains damage and must be replaced, is it necessary to replace the complete component or just the damaged element? The issues of warrantee, extended business interruption and interpretation of like kind and quality...
Trevor P. McEwen, P. Eng, C.F.E.I.
A few days ago I attended a residence that faced a sewage leak resulting from a fracture in plumbing that serviced the home. The spilled sewage spread and saturated an area of soil in the crawlspace below the house. Although sewage is transferred into the ground every day through municipal treatment units or residential septic systems, sewage on the surface of soil may...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
I attended a fire scene yesterday, the morning after the fire, to find that critical evidence had been removed from the fire scene such that a forensic investigation could not be carried out.. Just goes to show that fire scene security is as important as the chain of custody of evidence. This does not happen often but when it does...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
Several weeks ago I was asked to conduct a forensic investigation of 260 feet of collapsed seawall. At a cost of $900,000 to replace, I was intrigued at the construction characteristic of the seawall. Constructed in the 1920s, it was comprised of 3 rows of wood piles capped with a 6 foot wide by 6 feet deep concrete cope. The wood piles...
L. Robert McEwen, P. Eng., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I., M.E.I.C., M.C.A.F.I.
I carried out an interesting structural assessment yesterday of an industrial roof on which a corner had lifted, crashing onto the the adjacent roof (apparently due to high winds). The roof was comprised of a 25,000 sq. ft., pitched, metal clad, wood frame overlay, installed over a 20+ year, built up, 4 ply, flat roof which had exceeded its life expectancy. ...