Basic processes in engineering failure investigations: response, data gathering, testing, modeling, and reporting. Origins of nature and man-made disasters, role of building codes and material specifications, standard of care, ethical standards, and legal issues as related to forensic engineering. Pre: 3684 (C- or better) and ESM 2204 (C- or better) (3H, 3C)

• Characterize major types of natural and man-made disasters and the role of forensic investigations in developing more resilient responses to those events.
• Differentiate between technical and cultural origins of failures in complex systems.
• Formulate key steps in a forensic investigation and its reporting.
• Evaluate impacts of civil engineering and on-civil engineering failures.
• Categorize and describe elements of design, fabrication, construction, and maintenance that lead to failures.
• Apply forensic engineering skills include preservation of perishable dat, on-site data collection and documentation, laboratory tests, and failure analysis.
• Develop and critique forensic engineering technical reports.