Forensic Engineering

Global phases of the life-cycle of technical systems

1.Develop
2.Produce
3.Utilize
Develop Phase
The develop phase is the very start of a technical system coming to existence, but the
develop phase cannot exit on its own. It is closely related to the other phases, they
dictate how the design should be made.

● Rules and regulations

● Requirements from the utilize phase ( Safety, usability)
● Requirements from the produce phase (materials and processes)

Only when all requirements have been met, can the design be considered ready for
production.

Produce Phase
This is the phase in which a technical system is realized into a real-life product. The produce
phase must go according to the design drawing and use the materials stated in the
specifications of the design, following rules and regulations.

1. The parts and components are constructed or manufactured.

2. The parts and components are assembled into a final product.
3. A verification step is done to check if everything is put together, connected and fixed as
it should be.
4. Finalization steps to be ready for the Utilize phase.

Utilize Phase
The utilize phase is where the technical system is made for, to be used.
However, the system also has to be set up, maintained and sometimes repaired.

● Rules and instructions have to be met to use a technical system appropriately. (IFU-
instructions for use)
● Government rules and legislations must be obeyed.
Treehouse of failures
 The Forensic Engineering Investigation
Investigation steps

Orientation - Information, scope and resources.

- Objective of investigation
- What are the investigative questions?
- What is the composition of the investigation
team?
- Initial information available.
- Data collecting strategy.
Data collection - Collect relevant data.
- Field investigation.
- Desk research.
Hypothesis Generation - Develop multiple
hypotheses.
- Sequence of events.

Hypotheses testing - Test hypotheses.

- Sequence logic.
- Determine causal relationship.
Findings reporting - Report findings and answer the main investigation
questions.
Recommendations - Write recommendations.
Mind set

The six steps in forensic engineering have to be applied correctly, in order to deliver quality work.
This is of utmost importance because the results will usually impact any involved party, leading
to consequences. Conclusions have to be sound.

Ring of trustworthiness
Pitfalls
● Being objective can be hard. Favoring a certain hypothesis can leave data out and
disregard hypotheses. Outcome bias.
● Findings in a report are not always reproducible, the data that was collected may not be
properly documented.
● Findings and observations in a report cannot always be verified, for instance, when
essential data is missing in the report.
● Jumping into conclusions can lead to conclusions being based on only observation, thus
it is not very sound and verifiable.
● A report is not always complete, sometimes data is lacking. If you don’t look for
something, you will not find it.
● Findings are not always correct, mistakes in measurements can be made, etc.

Tips and Tricks

● Avoid mixing facts and opinions.
● 4 eyes principles.
● Systematic approach.
● Follow rules of logic - established / validated test methods.
Forensic Civil and Structural
Engineering
Forensic structural engineering focuses on failure and damage of civil structures and
buildings.

The focus of the investigation lies first on the integrity of the product. A structural failure can
occur when a structure cannot fulfill its requirements related to stiffness, stability and
strength.

● Stiffness relates to how deformable a material is against a set of loads. Large

deformations occur when a structure is not stiff enough.

● Stability is the capability of a material to maintain its initial place regarding a set of loads.
Large displacements occur when a structure is not stable enough.

● Strength talks about the capacity a structure or material has to sustain a set of loads. If
said structure has insufficient strength, it cannot bear the loads that are acting upon it.
 Aerospace Engineering
Aircraft are designed for a variety of purposes, for example passengers or cargo transport.
The aircraft shape and size may vary depending on the type of the aircraft.

Major components

Wings

The wings can be positioned in various places, such as

high on the fuselage. (high wing aircraft)

When the wings are located in the middle or at the

bottom of the fuselage, the wing configuration is called
mid-wing or low-wing aircraft.
 Fuselage

It’s the main area for the flight crew, passenger and
cargo.

Empennage

The empennage is the designation for the aft part of

the aircraft which consists of the horizontal and
vertical tail surface.

Landing gear

Tricycle gear configuration: One steerable front wheel

and two main wheels behind.
Tail dragger: A steerable wheel at the end of the tail
and two main wheels in front.

Powerplant

The power plant houses the engine and propeller.

However the powerplant can also be a jet engine.

Movement - Four forces of flight

 Thrust - force generated by the propeller.
Drag - Resistance by airflow.
Weight - gravity.
Lift - The wings create a force which overcomes
the weight of the aircraft.

Movement - Rotations

Pitch - Rotation is about the axis running from wing to

wing. ( Nose goes up or down)

Roll - Rotation is about an axis which runs from nose to

tail. ( Motion is the result of surfaces on the
wings )

Yaw - Rotation runs up and down through the aircraft

centre. (Nose goes from left to right)

Failure and damage

Failure - is a state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended function of the object
or material.

Damage - is a physical discontinuity in object or material.

Fatigue

In material science, fatigue is the weakening of a material caused by repeatedly applied loads.
Because of this cyclic loading, a failure can occur below the maximum applied load.

Stages of fatigue failure :

1. Large cycles create initial microscopic cracks, which grow into macroscopic cracks.
2. Development of macroscopic crack in each cycle until a critical crack length.
3. Macroscopic crack development cannot sustain the peak load, and failure occurs.
Forensic Biomechanical Engineering
Bacteria can be transferred from patient to patient in a hospital. This could
happen because they got left behind in a medical device, even though it is cleaned and
disinfected after each use.
 Multi-resistant bacteria
Why is it such a problem if a few bacteria are transferred from one patient to another? In a
hospital, many patients are already very weak and can’t fight even minor infections.

It is becoming more and more important to limit the use of antibiotics and to consider
antibiotics as a last resort.
Cleaning cycle