Part 1 Design and Construction Practices
- Chapter 1. Design-Construction Process
- Chapter 2. Design Codes and Standards
- Chapter 3. Construction Safety Codes, Standards, and Regulations
- Chapter 4. Standard of Care
Part 2 Engineering Response to Failures
- Chapter 5. The First Steps after a Failure
- Chapter 6. The Engineering Investigation Process
Part 3 Causes of Failures
- Chapter 7. Loads and Hazards: Their Nature, Magnitude, and Consequences
- Chapter 8. Design Errors, Construction Defects, and Project Miscommunication
- Chapter 9. Defects, Deterioration, and Durability
- Chapter 10. Temporary Structures in Construction
Part 4 Material-Specific Forensic Analyses
- Chapter 11. Steel Structures
- Chapter 12. Concrete Structures
- Chapter 13. Masonry Structures
- Chapter 14. Timber Structures
- Chapter 15. Building Facades
Part 5 Professional Practice and Legal Aspects
- Chapter 17. Legal Concerns after a Failure
- Chapter 18. Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Chapter 19. The Expert Consultant and Witness
Index
Engineering investigation of the causes of structural failures of buildings, bridges, and other constructed facilities, as well as rendering opinions as to the cause(s) of the failures and giving testimony in judicial proceedings, is a field of professional practice of its own, often referred to as forensic structural engineering.
Design codes and standards, and construction safety regulations have changed somewhat since 2000, the year of publication of the first edition of this book, but more importantly forensic engineering has become a more accepted, more organized, and more active field of practice.
Since nearly all structural deficiencies and failures create claims, disputes, and legal entanglements, forensic engineers need to have at least some familiarity with the relevant legal process, and need to know how to work effectively with attorneys. A special feature of this book is its coverage in appropriate detail of the range of these topics that are all necessary for the successful practice of forensic structural engineering.
New to this second edition are two chapters under "Causes of Failures," "Design Errors, Construction Defects, and Project Miscommunication," and another titled “Defects, Deterioration, Durability."
Nineteen chapters are grouped into five parts:
- Part 1 The Design and Construction Process provides the background for understanding the design-construction process, the design and construction codes, standards and regulations, and the designers’ standard of care.
- Part 2 Engineering Response to Failures discusses the initial steps involved after a failure, and the entire forensic investigation process.
- Part 3 Causes of Failures includes normal and unusual loads and hazards, errors and omissions in design, problems in construction, miscommunication within the project team, and defects and deterioration of materials as they may cause failures of structures in service. A chapter is devoted to the potential problems with temporary structures during construction.
- Part 4 Material-Specific Forensic Analyses provides guidance for the investigation of failures in steel, concrete, masonry, and timber structures, as well as in the building envelope and in foundations.
- Part 5 Professional Practice and Legal Aspects addresses what engineers should know about the legal concerns that arise after a failure, the various forms of dispute resolution, and the qualifications, roles and practices of the expert consultant and expert witness.
The book is intended for use primarily by structural engineers but also by geotechnical, civil, and construction engineers, contractors, attorneys, insurers, and owners and managers of constructed facilities. Although not written specifically as such, given the logical progression and organization of the topics, as well as the case studies included, it is expected that this second edition of the book will continue to stimulate the teaching of forensic structural engineering and will be embraced as the text in academic and continuing education courses.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 528 pages
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2 edition (April 11, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0071761330
- ISBN-13: 978-0071761338
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
List Price: $125.00