Forensic Investigation

Grass Key, Florida
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hankamer, Texas
Harrisonville, Missouri Hillsboro, Oregon

Hitchcock, Texas
Hoodsport, Washington

Hoquiam, Washington
Houston, Texas

Humble, Texas

Ingleside, Texas

Interlake, Washington

Islamorada, Florida

Issaquah, Washington

Kaneohe, Hawaii

Kansas City, Missouri

Katy, Texas
Kent, Washington

Key Colony Beach, Florida

Kingwood, Texas

Kirkland, Washington

La Conner, Washington

La Marque, Texas

La Pine, Oregon

La Porte, Texas

Lakewood, Washington
Las Vegas, Nevada

League City, Texas

Longview, Washington

Lowell, Massachusetts
Lynnwood, Washington

Magnolia, Texas

Magnolia, Washington

Manvel, Texas

Maple Valley, Washington

Marathon, Florida

Marco Island, Florida

Marshfield, Massachusetts

Marysville, Washington

McCleary, Washington

McKenna, Washington

Medina, Washington

Mercer Island, Washington

Locations Of The Cases Above:

Cause of Failure

Structure Collapse-Feed Storage
Structure Collapse-Asphalt Batch Plant
Roof Collapse-Commercial
Roof Collapse-Warehouse
Ceiling Collapse-Hotel
Fire Sprinkler Discharge-Commercial
Personal Injury-Mobile Zip Line
Personal Injury-Automatic Door
Personal Injury-Sitting Chair
Swimming Pool-Residence
Sewer Backup-Commercial Building
Vinyl and Rubber Flooring-Clean Room
Ground Slope-Residence
Water Intrusion-Residence
Water Intrusion-Residence Roof
Water Intrusion-Apartment Complex
Water Intrusion-Warehouse Roof
Water Intrusion-Church
Water Intrusion-Apartment Building
Water Intrusion-High-Rise
Water Intrusion-Condominiums
Water Intrusion-Crawlspace
Excessive Beam Deflection-Residence
Drainage Curb and Fence-Residence
Storage Tank Settlement-Industrial
Basement Wall Lean-Residence
Ceiling/Wall Cracks-Residence
Foundation Cracks-Residence
Crawl Space Water-Residence
Ice Storm-Commercial Building
Foundation Cracks-Residence (Flood)
Wall/Ceiling Cracks-Residence (Flood)
Roof Damage-Residence (Wind, Hurricane Harvey and Irma)
Foundation-Residence (Old Iliamna Earthquake 2016 with 7.1 magnitude)

Structural Integrity Evaluation

Foundation Cracks-Residence
Foundation Settlement-Residence
Brick Masonry Wall Bulge-Commercial
CMU Wall Bulge-Warehouse
Crane System-Warehouse
Deck-Residential
Pedestrian Railing-Bridge
Water Heater Support-Warehouse
Tiny House Relocation-Residence
Retaining Wall-Residence
Food processing plant-Industrial
Brick Masonry Cracks-Residence
Structural Framing-Miscellaneous Bldg.

Forensic Investigator, Forensic engineer, forensic expert, expert witness, concrete x-ray, cocnrte scanning, forensic structural engineer

Forensic Investigations - FAQs

Jensen Engineering & Construction Services, LLC

Structural Home Inspection - FAQs

Copyright © 2023 Jensen Engineering & Construction Services, LLC

Ruston, Washington
Sacramento, California

Saint Augustine, Florida

Salem, Oregon

Salisbury, Massachusetts

Sammamish, Washington

Sandy, Oregon

Santa Barbara, California

Scituate, Massachusetts
Scottsdale, Arizona

Seabeck, Washington

Seabrook, Texas
SeaTac, Washington
Seattle, Washington

Sedro Woolley, Washington

Sequim, Washington

Shawnee, Kansas

Shelton, Washington

Sherwood, Oregon

Shoreline, Washington
Spokane, Washington

Spring, Texas

Springfield, Missouri

Steilacoom, Washington

Sugarland, Texas

Summerland Key, Florida

Suquamish, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tavernier, Florida

Trinity, Texas
Tukwila, Washington

Tumwater, Washington

Unalaska, Alaska

University Place, Washington
Vidor, Texas

Wallula, Washington

Washington, Pennsylvania

Wenatchee, Washington

Westport, Washington

Whidbey Island, Washington

White Center, Washington

Woodinville, Washington

Woodvilee, Texas

Yakima, Washington

What is a Forensic Engineer?

Forensic engineering is a specialized field of engineering that involves the investigation of failures or simply unwanted issues that require an engineer to define a feasible remediation plan. An engineering failure is not always catastrophic, but involves a product, component or system that does not perform as intended. Based on the nature of engineering failures, attorneys and insurance companies are frequently involved. For this reason, Forensic Engineers typically have training related to litigation and insurance claims, in addition to their design experience, in order to provide expert consulting that meets client expectations.

Should I consult with a Forensic Engineer?

While some engineering design firms have been successful consulting for engineering failures, not all firms understand the needs of the legal and insurance industries. We frequently read reports that fall short of expectations in the jurisprudence system. In addition to meeting the minimum requirements to become a design engineer, Forensic Engineers also have experience and training related to failure investigations, forensic report writing, data collection, testing, and nuances of insurance claims. This additional training benefits forensic reporting needs and communication with attorneys and insurance companies in an adversarial environment. Engineering failures can be expensive and an experienced consultant can significantly reduce the cost for the liable party.

A frequent situation we consult on follows real estate transactions when a new property owner discovers a condition that requires significant remediation costs. The situation typically arises from having a home/property inspection that does not report conditions which require costly remediation in the short term and sellers misinform buyers. These conditions have included ground movement, cracked or deformed foundations, bulging walls, tilted buildings, water intrusion and more. At times, the circumstances lead to official requests for financial compensation.

Another common situation is when an owner/owners representative has tried to fix an issue using contractors/designers that have implemented a "fix" that only addresses the symptoms of the underlying issue and not the underlying cause. This happens too often. To make a more permanent repair, the root cause should be determined and well understood. Frequently we get calls from owners that have spent tens of thousands in remediation efforts only to have a continued issue and the root cause conditions unchanged. This situation is frequent for ground slope movement, foundation settlement, fractured roof framing, sagging roofs, water intrusion, mold/mildew growth and other symptoms. Spending thousands of dollars on mold/mildew remediation without addressing the underlying issue of excessive moisture that is contributing to the biological growth is an expensive way to address an issue. If you have an issue that needs a root cause determination, a forensic engineer could assist.

In our experience, forensic engineers have experience and expertise investigating issues that provides a unique perspective and insight that is valuable when it comes to determining the root cause of an issue. The nature of the forensic investigation work ensures that these engineers are exposed to many types of failures and therefore begin to see reoccurring issues in the failures. These reoccurring issues help inform the next investigation. If you are in a situation where you are incurring significant remediation costs following a real estate transaction, have an issue and do not know how to fix it, have tried to fix an issue without succeeding, or have an engineering failure in general, you may benefit from consulting with a Forensic Engineer.

Why should I consult with JEC Services for forensic engineering failure investigations?

1. Wide-Ranging Investigation Experience. JEC Engineers has traveled around the United States to complete or assist with 600-plus failure investigations in 20-plus states, including collapsed structures, damage from wind, flood and fire, fire suppression systems, earthquakes, water intrusion/mold/mildew, wood rot, foundation and wall cracks, bulging or sagging components, sewer systems, ground slope failures, soil settlement, code and accessibility evaluations, safety assessments, slip and falls, explosions, zip line failures, automatic doors, sitting chairs, construction defects, design defects, product defects, personal injuries and more.

2. Time-Tested Guidelines and Strategies. JEC Engineers have adopted time-tested investigation guidelines and strategies that have allowed forensic industry leaders to excel for more than 40 years. JEC continues to be successful for the same reasons. These guidelines are related to investigation procedures, report writing and defending conclusions against attacks from opposing attorneys and experts. JEC establishes solid conclusions based on hard facts and presents those facts in a clear and organized manner with sufficient supporting documentation.

3. Multi-State Licensing and Certifications. JEC maintains Professional Engineering licenses in nine states and will acquire additional licenses as requested by clients or as necessary to meet local regulations. We are also certified in commercial and residential roof inspections.

4. Wide-Ranging Design and Construction Experience. A broad understanding of all aspects of project delivery including design decisions, risk matrices, building codes and regulations, product manufacturing, construction, cost estimating and contracts is of paramount importance to determining the cause of failures and defending expert qualifications. JEC engineers have wide-ranging design and construction experience providing an overarching understanding of industry expectations and responsibilities from concept to construction and beyond. Projects involve bridges, buildings, structures, highways/roadways, drainage, stormwater, geotechnical analysis, domestic water, sewer systems, manufacturing and more.

How much would it cost to have a Forensic Engineer on my file/project?

Cost varies significantly depending on the scope of investigation required, the extent of testing and reporting necessary and the type and scale of the failure. JEC Services can tailor a scope of work that meets your specific needs and are available to make recommendations based on our experience. If the scope of work is understood, we can provide a not-to-exceed cost for services.

Contact us today for a cost of service estimate or to schedule a site examination.

What types of failures does JEC investigate?

Based on our licensing, wide-ranging experience in design and failure investigation, JEC is qualified to complete a wide variety of failure investigations and have completed investigations related to bridges, buildings, structures, residences, mechanical systems, soil movement, foundations, retaining walls, ground slope, safety, slip and falls, code evaluations, accessibility, Americans with disability act regulations, amusement parks and rides, zip lines, hydraulics, construction cranes, sewers, flooding, pressurized water systems storms, building envelope, water intrusion, wind, hail, seismic, construction defect, design defect, standard of care, professional liability, product failures such as siding, doors, roofing, flooring and more. JEC does not pursue files outside of our expertise and will gladly refer you to a qualified expert in those instances in which we are not qualified by experience, education and regulation. The following is a partial list of investigations completed by JEC Engineers to convey our breadth of investigation experience:

Code & Accessibility Evaluation

Personal Injury-Medical Facility

Code Evaluation

Structure Collapse-Concrete Batch Plant
Water Heater Support-Warehouse
Tiny House Relocation-Residence
Retaining Wall-Residence

Safety Evaluation

Personal Injury-Slip and Fall
Basement Wall Lean-Residence
Framing Movement-Residence
Foundation Movement-Residence

Code and Contractual Obligation Evaluation

Basement Extension-Residence

Cause of Damage

Wood Rot-Residence
Wall Cracks-Residence
Wall Cracks-Residence
Retaining Wall Cracks-Residence
Wind-Mobile Home Roof
Vinyl Siding-Residence
Low-E Windows-Residence
Tile Floor-Residence
Foundation Settlement-Residence
Basement Extension-Residence
Building Envelope-Apartments
Building Envelope-Condominiums

Repair Recommendations

Structure Fire-Concrete Batch Plan
Fallen Tree-Mobile Home
Fallen Tree-Residence
Foundation Cracks-Residence
Ground Slope-Residence
Beam Fracture-Residence
Food Processing Plant-Industrial
Car Impact-Commercial Building
Snow & Ice-Residence
Roof Framing-Attic Fire
Chimney Fire-Residence
Floor Unlevel-Residence (Flood)
Floor Unlevel-Apartments (Flood)
Floor Unlevel-Condominiums (Flood)
Foundation Cracks-Iliamna Earthquake
Sheathing-Hurricane Harvey (Flood)
Roof-Hurricane Harvey (Wind)
Roof-Hurricane Irma (Wind)
Residence framing-Hurricane Michael (Wind and Storm Surge)
Residence Foundation- Hurricane Michael (Wind and Storm Surge)

Cost of Repair

Structure Collapse-Asphalt Batch Plant
Wood Rot-Residence
Water Marks-Residence Roof
Foundation Settlement-Residence
Swimming Pool Cracks-Residence
Vinyl Siding-Residence
Masonry Bldg., Vehicle Impact-Commercial
Impact Damage-Concrete Clinker Storage Silo
Resilient Flooring-Educational Facility

Scope of Damage

Wind/Hail Storm-Condominium Complex
Fallen Tree-Residence
Siding-Residence
Furnace Blast-Residence
Structure Leveling-Residence
Retaining Wall-Residence
Vehicle Impact-Residence
Vehicle Impact-Commercial Building
Vehicle Impact-Brick Residence
Facility Fire-Industrial Building
Wave Impact-Condominiums
Flood-Residences, Apartments, Condominiums and Commercial, Including Beachfront
Wind-Residences, Apartments, Condominiums and Commercial, Including Beachfront
100-plus files-(Hurricanes Harvey and Irma 2017, with 160+ mph wind gusts, up to 11-foot high interior flood levels and interior flooding present up to two weeks)
10 files-Hurricane Michael with maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 mph and 18-foot tall storm surge)