Forensic Engineering in the Society is represented by the following specializations:
- Mechanical
- Civil
- Electrical
- Material
- Chemical
Forensic engineering can be broadly defined as an overarching area of practice that covers almost all engineering disciplines and involves the application of engineering principles and methodologies to investigate failures, incidents, and/or deficiencies to determine the probable cause(s). It involves preparing a report of findings, which may form the basis for testimony by the forensic engineer in legal proceedings as an expert witness. Unlike traditional engineering practice where focus is on developing efficient designs for new structures and components, forensic engineers spend much of their time on analysis and reverse engineering to identify the root cause(s) for performance deficiencies or failures.
Forensic engineers contribute significantly to enhancing public safety as recommendations to improve designs, revise code requirements, and modify inspection procedures are made based on the findings of their investigations. On occasion, these recommendations are far-reaching, and can have nation-wide implications, in the form of safety notices, or product recalls. For example, several recent changes to the national and provincial building codes to accommodate the increased forces applied to buildings due to the climate change were based on response patterns observed during forensic investigations.
Example of forensic engineering investigations
With the recent concerted efforts to generate cleaner energy, installations of wind farms have substantially increased across Canada and so did the incidents of wind turbine failure.
The combined expertise of forensic engineers in the electrical, materials, and structural disciplines is crucial to investigating the root cause of the failure of these multi-million-dollar wind turbines and to avoiding future occurrences of such failures.
