Forensic engineering investigation into construction failures and their documentation

Construction technologists learn how to plan, build, and service projects, but, equally important, they must understand why structures fail and what to do when a failure occurs. Investigating and analyzing case studies on recent construction failures and failure investigative techniques can provide such information for anyone connected with the construction field. To obtain this information this research project collected data from different organizations that are directly related to the construction industry. Data for the research was gathered using a questionnaire that was sent to federal and state safety and health administrators, architects, engineers, construction managers, and contractors. The purpose of using a questionnaire was to learn how the construction industry views the problem of construction failures and construction safety. Twenty-nine case studies of recent construction failures that were investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state Offices of Safety and Health, and consulting forensic engineers were examined to learn how these organizations conducted their investigations, how the accident or failure was described, and what conclusions, if any, were reached by the investigator. This examination revealed that construction failures most often happen because of three causes. Although the present process for conducting a failure investigation may be adequate, a standardized format for documenting failure was developed that can aid in reducing the incidence of construction failures. Suggestions for reporting findings and conclusions in a failure investigation were also developed to help the forensic investigator. The major advantage for using a checklist by the investigator for investigating and documenting structural failures are assurance that vital information about the failure will be collected and the amount of time it reduces in gathering data for determining what happened and why it happened.