Structural Engineering

How can you determine if the property damage in your case (or claim) was caused by vibrations originating from a nearby construction project?

Damages are often expensive, conditions prior to construction activity are not always documented, and the science behind ground vibrations is esoteric.

In this webinar video, Structural Engineer Anthony Volonnino unravels the assessment of construction vibration claims into three main variables: the source of the vibration energy, the distance between the source and the structure, and the nature of observed distress. By reviewing causation in two forensic cases, attendees will learn scientific and engineering principles that can be applied to their own casework.

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.

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.

The structural failure or collapse of a wood utility pole is often the result of advanced rot, vehicle impact, overloading, or some combination thereof. As part of a forensic investigation, experts will often seek to determine the pre-failure condition of the pole to understand if maintenance operations or loading considerations were contributing factors.

In this article structural engineer, Anthony Volonnino, P.E. discusses the engineering involved in utility pole design and some of the technical concepts relevant to their failures.

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

Un-level floors, inoperable windows/doors, and various misalignment issues of cladding and partitions in high-rise buildings are sometimes the result of a phenomenon known as differential column shortening. This article provides an introduction to this topic and discusses the standard of care for structural engineers of record relative to this issue.

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.

Failed structure investigations take many forms: from conventional examples such as buildings and bridges to the less obvious such as traffic signs, tents, trees, and chairs. From a lay perspective, the unifying theme is that something became unstable or collapsed; but from an engineering perspective there was a system failure that caused the structure to not support the loads it was exposed to, and perhaps was intended to support. Structures can fail in different ways and do not always collapse; this article focuses on structures that collapse.

Structural Engineer Anthony Volonnino P.E. sets the stage for looking at the world from the perspective of a structural engineer. For lawyers and insurance professionals, the article attempts to provide a framework for understanding causation, notice, standard of care, and ultimately liability in a broad range of cases where buildings, products, and natural systems fail or collapse.

Cellular towers require frequent service calls to repair, upgrade, or install new communications equipment. They are also subject to routine inspection related to the structural integrity of the tower and associated climbing facilities. In this article, Structural Engineer Anthony Volonnino looks through the lens of a specific fall incident to discuss some of the standards and safety features intended to protect communications workers when working at heights.

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 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 provides an introduction to building guardrail failures from the perspective of a structural engineer.

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, Structural Engineer Anthony Volonnino, P.E., discusses excavation engineering, the common issues that arise with excavations in urban settings, and some of the failure points that we consider in our forensic investigations.

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.

Construction projects in urban and other congested environments frequently require deep excavations and/or the use of heavy vibrating equipment in close proximity to existing structures. These activities require careful planning and engineering in order to prevent damage to nearby buildings and structures.


In this article, structural engineer, Anthony Volonnino discusses the issues relevant to urban construction and some of the precautionary steps that engineers utilize to prevent damage to adjacent structures.

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, Anthony Volonnino, P.E. provides an overview of wood truss systems with a focus on how and why these systems typically fail.

In this article we revisit a case in which a building owner claimed that damage to his building was caused by vibrations associated with a construction project on an adjacent property.

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.