Concrete exposed to fire
Compared with other building materials, concrete is highly fire resistant. It doesn’t burn, it doesn’t conduct heat well, and it doesn’t emit toxic gases. It retains its strength and stiffness […]
Forensic engineering
Technical writing through the looking glass
In teaching technical writing, I often quote Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. That may seem strange until you realize that Charles Dodge, who […]
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Sampling may be part of a forensic investigation. As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, it isn’t practical to obtain enough concrete cores for a proper statistical representation. Most owners don’t […]
Rendering an engineering opinion
To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, states regulate the engineering profession. We’ve discussed previously what it takes to obtain a license as a Professional Engineer. Public […]
What makes a good explanation?
One summer I visited some Norwegian friends who lived near Stockholm. The husband and their two-year-old son took me to the airport for my return flight. There, Håkon eagerly explored under […]
Horses, not zebras
“When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”—Theodore Woodward, University of Maryland School of Medicine Although this advice originated in medicine, it applies equally well to forensic engineering: Look for […]
Diagnosing scaled concrete flatwork
Exterior concrete flatwork in a freezing climate experiences the most severe freeze-thaw concrete exposure class, F3. It undergoes cycles of freezing and thawing in the presence of water and deicing […]
How engineers came to understand sulfate attack
We’ve discussed the mechanisms of sulfate attack in a previous blog. Soils in the western United States and the prairie provinces of Canada often contain high concentrations of sulfates. The […]
The environmental legacy of coal gas plants
Years ago, I provided litigation support for a consortium of reinsurers of the sites of former coal gas plants. Utilities around the US had inherited these sites. Those in this […]
What can we learn from the Vasa?
In the 1620s, Sweden—at the time a regional power—had concluded its wars with Denmark and Russia, but was still at war with Poland. In 1625, King Gustav II Adolf signed […]