Investigating a wide range of construction matters.
Construction cases require focused expertise. We have experts in architecture; geotechnical and material sciences; civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, marine and highway engineering. They have designed, built and maintained residential, industrial, institutional, municipal and commercial structures.
Our bridge expertise includes design, construction, inspection, maintenance, relocation and rehabilitation of roadway and railroad bridges.
Our professional construction group also has experience working with safety agencies and the standards they enforce and can assist in cases related to personal injury or commercial claims.
- OSHA Construction Fall Protection Reference Guide
Out of 4,114 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2011, 721 or 17.5% were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls. These falls are preventable through proper planning, the use of the right equipment, and appropriately training employees. OSHA 1926.501 requires employees to be protected from falling at heights six feet or more above a lower level.
For your convenience the Civil Engineers at Robson Forensic have compiled the OSHA Fall Protection Reference Guide. This guide covers the construction fall protection standards that are most commonly cited in the course of our casework.
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- Tilt-Wall Braces - Expert Article on Helical Ground Anchors
Structural Engineer, Mark Duckett, PE, authored the attached article regarding the use of Helical Ground Anchors for "Anchoring" Tilt-Wall Braces in the Summer 2010 edition of the Building Officials Association of Florida (BOAF) newsletter.
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- Trailer Unloading - Expert Investigates Construction Site Injury
A construction worker was knocked off a trailer and injured when he was assisting a co-worker unloading pipe from a flat bed trailer.
The opposing expert opined that a dangerous condition existed and that the injured worker was intentionally exposed to that condition. After reviewing depositions, appropriate standards and regulations, and a report by the opposing expert, our expert was able to show that the incident was caused by an inadvertent and unintentional action of a backhoe operator that occurred without any notice. There was no dangerous condition to which the worker was exposed. Our expert was able to show the incident was caused by the backhoe operator failing to stop the hoisting action when the slack had been removed from the load sling. Instead of just removing the slack, the load line was over-tensioned and the load was lifted prematurely before the worker could move out of the path of the load. The unexpected and premature load movement knocked the worker off the truck bed and injured him.
The case resolved favorably. The injured worker obtained a small settlement and the contractor avoided being saddled with an intentional tort action. The settlement was based upon the report prepared by our expert and his strong deposition.
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- Demolition Injury - Expert Investigates Fall through Concrete Deck
A construction worker was injured when he fell through a weakened portion of concrete deck that had been partially demolished via a piece of hydro-demolition equipment.
After reviewing depositions, photographs, appropriate standards and regulations, and a report by an engineering consultant, our expert was able to show the general contractor and the prime subcontractor both failed to exercise reasonable care for the work being performed, specifically that the hydro-demolition subcontractor changed nozzle settings on the equipment. The changed settings caused excessive amounts of concrete to be removed and permitted the demolition work to be performed quicker. The change in nozzle setting by the subcontractor and the failure of the general contractor to control its subcontractor resulted in the dangerous conditions that caused the worker’s incident and injuries.
The case resolved favorably for the injured worker with both the general contractor and demolition subcontractor settling based on the report prepared by our expert.
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- Embankment Failure - Expert Investigates Slip on County Road
An embankment failure caused a road slip on a county road, requiring approximately $25,000 in repairs. The County Engineer claimed that the adjacent property owner’s construction of a horse barn was responsible for the failed embankment and sought financial retribution for the county. Robson Forensic was retained to determine the cause of the embankment failure and whether or not construction of the barn caused or contributed to the failure of the roadway embankment and subsequent road slip.
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- Robson Forensic Case Reports: Construction
Construction cases often require an expert with focused expertise. We have experts in architecture, civil, electrical, mechanical, geotechnical and materials sciences.
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- Robson Forensic Brochure
Robson Forensic has been providing high quality and professional forensic engineering, architectural, scientific and
investigative services throughout the United States since 1987. Robson Forensic provides expertise in a broad range of forensic and technical disciplines.
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