Articles by Mark Duckett

The root cause analysis in many structural failure investigations leads directly to a failed connection, and ultimately to a failed fastener. The failure of a connection often leaves a structure vulnerable to global failure or collapse due to load path discontinuities, rendering the structure unstable and incapable of withstanding the intended loads or forces or even supporting its own weight safely. In many cases, the root cause for the failure is that an improper fastener was used.

In this article, structural engineer Mark Duckett focuses on the standard of care for fastener selection as it relates to structural failures. In doing so, he will introduce critical technical concepts including types of loads, material characteristics (fastener and base material), and application-specific choices regarding fasteners.

Construction guardrails used around elevated work surfaces are relatively simple systems, but are critical to worker safety on the job site. In this webinar, Structural Engineer, Mark Duckett, P.E. reviews the anatomy of a typical construction guardrail, the standards relevant to their construction, and some of the failure modes that are known to occur.

This presentation is intended for attorneys and insurance professionals involved in personal injury matters, to broaden their understanding of relevant safety standards and gain insight on the process for determining failure causation.

In this article, Structural Engineer and Special Inspector, Mark Duckett describes the role of the special inspector within the context of construction claims investigations. The article leverages text directly from Florida Statutes to provide a reliable point of reference.

In this webinar video, structural engineer Mark Duckett, P.E., S.I., provides an overview of wind dynamics, focusing on the way wind interacts with buildings and various structures and products. He discusses the design methodologies employed by structural engineers to ensure that systems are safe and resilient against expected wind forces.

Using case examples, Mark demonstrates the broad range of investigations where wind engineering is relevant and provides tips for recognizing wind damage.

In this webinar video, a cross functional team of construction experts will discuss processes, procedures, and pitfalls associated with the shop drawing process. Framed within the context of construction claims investigations, the discussion covers the importance of shop drawings and the responsibilities of the various parties throughout the construction process. The impact of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on the shop drawing process is also explored.

Many forensic cases involve objects that fell from an elevated position and were affected, in some part, by the wind. Whether the end result was injury or property damage, there is frequently some dispute over the direction, force, and path of the falling object.

In this article, structural engineer Mark Duckett provides insight on the process of reconstructing these incidents through the lens of a particular incident.

In this article, the civil and structural engineers at Robson Forensic provide an introductory lesson on concrete spalling. They address the common causes and why spalling is a problem.

In this article, Structural Engineer, Mark Duckett, P.E., S.I., discusses the topic of construction guardrail failures. Through video, he introduces a properly designed and constructed guardrail, and performs testing on that system to demonstrate the inherent and robust safety of a properly engineered system.

In this article, structural engineer, Mark Duckett, P.E. discusses roof failures associated with snow loads. Topics of discussion include reasonable loads that roofs are designed to support and the role of a forensic expert in determining the cause of failure.

In this article we explore the engineering issues associated with the load requirements of atypical structures, referred to in building codes as other structures.

In this article, structural engineer, Mark Duckett discusses building demolition and the concept of “reverse” construction.

In this article, structural engineer, Mark Duckett provides an introduction to building guardrail failures from the perspective of a structural engineer.