Forensic Structural Engineering

Belt Engineering provides diagnostic and forensic structural engineering services to Tampa and Orlando, Florida, insurance companies, lawyers, and property owners detailing the cause and origin of damage related to storm events, geotechnical failures, and water infiltration. Forensic structural engineering refers to the professional practice of determining the various causes tied to structural failures to positively identify the parties responsible for the failure.

The practice involves an investigation into the site of the structural failure, as well as all documentation pertaining to the structure’s construction. This will inevitably lead our forensic structural engineers to the root cause of the structural failure. After conducting their investigation, they are ready to render their opinion on the matter.

• Forensic Engineering (Cause and Origin)
  Our structural engineers will evaluate the entirety of the structural failure site with the aim of determining the cause and origin of said failure.
• Damage Evaluation
  We can provide damage assessments that document the needed repairs, the method of repair, the accessibility of the area in need of repair, the specific cause of the damage, as well as an evaluation of the full extent of the damage.
• Detailed Engineering Reports
  This is used for the presentation of defensible conclusions drawn by the forensic structural engineer in regard to the cause and origin of structural failure.
• Construction Defects
  This helps determine whether or not the cause of a structural failure was due to the materials used in its construction.
• Blast Analysis
  Used to simulate a building’s tolerance to different blast loads.
• Roof Evaluations
  This can be used to determine the origins of damages impacting a structure’s roof. We can determine if the damage is the result of the initial construction or just normal wear and tear from wind or hail damage.
• Crack Analysis For Concrete Construction
  Utilized in concrete structural failure investigations.
• Extreme Deflections
  Used to determine deflection problems that may affect concrete structures.
• Waterproofing Issues
  Used to determine the impacts of moisture intrusion on a structure.
• Stucco Analysis
  Used to evaluate any failures tied to stucco or exterior insulation finish systems.
• Advanced Software Modeling
  Belt Engineering’s forensic engineers make use of the best structural analysis software to help in their analysis of structural failures.