Forensic Engineering

Airbag deployment thresholds can be a useful metric
of collision severity in accident reconstruction applications.
The National Automotive Sampling System
(NASS) has provided a publicly-available database of realworld
motor vehicle collisions, including more than 10,000
event data recorder (EDR) reports retrieved from airbag
control modules. These reports typically indicate the airbag
deployment status and the corresponding Delta-V of each
recorded event. A prior study analyzing crash data in the
NASS database demonstrated the airbag deployment threshold
varies between vehicle manufacturers and over time. However,
the analysis was limited to Ford and GM vehicles due to insufficient
data. This paper expands on the prior study of frontal
airbag deployment thresholds by analyzing newer years of
NASS EDR data (4,000 additional reports). We found that the
Delta-V threshold for a 50% probability of deployment event
is higher for Toyota than for GM and Ford vehicles. Moreover,
SUVs and pickup trucks had higher deployment thresholds
than sedans. An increase in Delta-V thresholds was observed
for more recent vehicle model years. A higher Delta-V is
required for frontal airbag deployment in underride collisions,
in which a sedan contacted a vehicle with higher ground clearance
(SUV, pickup truck, or van), compared to collisions with
direct bumper-bumper engagement. Based on the findings,
we developed a logistic regression model that predicts the
probability of frontal airbag deployment with a known change
in velocity (ΔV = 0 to 45 mph), vehicle manufacturer (GM,
Toyota, Ford), vehicle type (sedan, SUV, pickup truck), model
year (1994-2001, 2002-2016), and impact configuration
(underride, bumper-bumper) with 82% accuracy. This study
provides information about airbag deployment behavior
beyond what is reported in owner’s manuals and National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) guidelines.

Engineering codes are a key method to guide designs to safe and reliable outcomes. Many such codes have prescribed calculations where the user provides specific inputs in a series of calculations, often using charts or tables, to get specific outputs. The design margins, units, and underlying theory are not always apparent. Engineering codes may not be suitable for reverse engineering an incident or providing a failure prediction. This article examines a criminal negligence case in which an initial forensic analysis incorrectly applied the ASME Pressure Vessel Code to use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of a failed pressure vessel section. The flaws in the original analysis were revealed by applying reverse engineering using conventional stress calculations and understanding basic material science. This emphasizes the need to understand the underlying theories with both engineering codes and numerical modeling. Subsequent FEA provided an accurate analysis report that was successfully used in court. These same methods can be applied to many other engineering codes and standards. "Although most people do not realize it, standards and the methods used to assess conformity to standards are absolutely critical. They are essential components of our nation's technology infrastructure-vital to industry and commerce, crucial to the health and safety of Ameri-cans, and basic to the nation's economic performance 1 ."

The study of the structures' failure is very much essential. Apart from judicial or professional necessity, the failure case study is also essential in learning lessons. With the advancement of theories and technologies in various interdisciplinary branches of science, it is now possible to know the root cause of failures of various structures. Forensic Engineering is amongst the examples of such interdisciplinary science. A systematic study and interdisciplinary research is carried out in this paper, in structure failure analysis in view of forensic science. According to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) many amongst cases are reported of structure failures and hence, the cases are tackled by chemical analysis of various building materials like Cement, Mortar, Concrete, Steel, etc. The systematic procedure of chemical analysis for these building materials is carried out and report is finally submitted to the court. In this paper, the significance of chemical analysis for Cement and its various mix products (i.e. concrete, mortar, etc.) is discussed in advocating the reasons of the failure.

The paper reviews the rising incidence of building accidents in rapidly urbanising settings – its implications for urban sustainability, the knowledge required to inform intervention efforts especially in the developing world where they mostly occur. It finds that the policy questions the phenomenon raises are beyond the scope and intervention prescriptions of the organisational aetiology of vulnerability for failures – the extant dominant approach to the study of construction risks. It, hence, makes a case for a much deeper level of analysis that places measures to ensure building safety within a comprehensive understanding of the vulnerabilities they are supposed to reduce.

Engineering failures are hard to define. They may form catastrophic disasters that are serious threats to public safety; yet, at other instances, they may be a shortcoming in the behavior or function of structures. A functional shortcoming, unforeseen and unplanned for, of an engineered element, may sometimes be considered a failure while at other times seen as tolerable or even advantageous. Engineers always regard failures as their greatest enemy; ironically, failures may be considered as their foremost teacher as well. Without failures, much of the current advances in design would not have been gained. Studying well-documented failures is important as the findings can be used to improve the designs and performance of structures. In this article, the different aspects related to failures and their prevention are explored. A conceptual model for the cost of failures is also presented. Additionally, some of the well-documented case histories of failures encompassing a wide range of geotechnical practices are highlighted and the learnt lessons are emphasized. It is demonstrated that failures may be substantially reduced by carrying out proper geotechnical site investigations, adopting flexible designs that incorporate observations during construction, applying strict site supervision, implementing geotechnical instrumentation programs and embracing risk management principles.

Tulisan ini merupakan hasil dari penyelidikan bangunan miring yang mengambil kasus rumah tinggal di Jln. P.I. Kesuma Jaya No.14 Kotabaru yang bangunannya mengalami kemiringan dan pondasinya mengalami perbedaan penurunan. Penyelidikan yang dilakukan menggunakan cara pengamatan visual (kualitatif) yang merupakan pengamatan awal sebelum dilanjutkan dengan pengukuran secara kuantitatif melalui pengukuran kemiringan dan penurunan bangunan. Dari hasil dari penyelidikan dapat diketahui bahwa tingkat kerusakan struktur bangunan masih dalam kategori ringan, sehingga masih dapat dilakukan perbaikan atau perkuatan terhadap struktur bangunan. Kata kunci: assesment bangunan, bangunan miring Pendahuluan Bangunan Rumah Tinggal bertingkat 2 yang sekarang didiami oleh Bapak Gunadi dan Bapak Heriyanto dibangun pada tahun 1995 berukuran 8 x 30 cm, bangunan tersebut struktur utamanya terbuat dari Kayu Ulin dengan ukuran 17x17 cm dan balok 6x12 cm dengan lantai dasar dilapisi keramik 30x30 dan lantai 1 yang terbuat dari papan kayu ulin, dan dinding terbuat dari bata 2 tingkat, serta struktur atap terbuat dari kayu ulin dan penutup atap dari genteng metal. Kemudian kolom dilapisi dengan beton bertulangan utama dan geser sehingga menjadi berukuran 40x40 cm (lihat Gambar 1). Pada tahun 2007 orang ke-3 Toko Harapan Jaya yang yang bersebelahan dengan rumah Bapak Heriyanto membangun ruko yang terbuat dari struktur beton bertulang tingkat 3 dengan ukuran bangunan 8 x 30 m. Setelah itu pada awal tahun 2009 bangunan rumah Bapak Gunadi Utomo dan Bapak Heriyanto mengalami retak-retak dan mengalami kemiringan dan penurunan bangunan. Sehubungan dengan permasalahan tersebut diatas, maka perlu dilakukan pemeriksaan dan pengkajian terhadap bangunan tersebut, agar dapat disimpulkan seberapa jauh pengaruh kemiringan dan penurunan terhadap kondisi bangunan.
Kata kunci: assesment bangunan, bangunan miring

Desde hace décadas, los científicos reclaman insistentemente la necesidad de que los laboratorios forenses abandonen, en la formulación de las conclusiones de los informes periciales, el paradigma de la individualización –que confía en la capacidad de las pruebas científicas para identificar plenamente a un individuo o a un objeto a partir de vestigios– y lo sustituyan por el de la verosimilitud. El presente trabajo pretende ilustrar sobre la trascendencia de este nuevo paradigma y argumentar en favor de este cambio.

A wide range of nuisance wildlife dwells in proximity to and within earthen dams and levee systems. Burrowing animals often dig tunnels and holes inside earth structures for habitat or grub and flatten the external slopes for maneuvering and in search for food or preys. Other animals and cattle have less invasive effects on earthen structures. Most of these detrimental activities result in altering external and internal geometry of earthen structures. Damage caused by wildlife in earthen hydraulic structures is typically associated with internal and external erosion and sometimes boils. Animal burrows have an adverse impact on the hydraulic performance and structural integrity of the earthen dams. In addition to their direct damage, wildlife activities could have serious influence on human life, public health and safety, agriculture, food chain, environmental balance, and ecology. Several federal , state, and local agencies in the United States and other agencies and organizations worldwide have reported information on observed wildlife activities in earth dams and levee systems. This information, however, is generally incomprehensive and often sparsely published in local periodicals and maintenance reports. The consequences of animal presence and their activities on earthen structures are recognized by some involved agencies; however, they appear to be generally given disproportionate attention. As such, the majority of the pertinent literature addresses wildlife damage to earthen structures as a nuisance issue that require more efficient management plans and proper maintenance procedures. This review article summarizes published articles as well as internet cited material on nuisance wildlife behavior in earth dams and levee systems. More emphasis is placed on the animals that pose imminent threats to the performance and functionality of earthen structures. Common characteristics of animal burrows and intrusions in earthen dams are discussed and summarized. Documented damages and reported failures of earth structures initiated by animal activities are compiled. Current wildlife management techniques are discussed. Available estimates of cost of damages and failures due to wildlife intrusions are also highlighted.

Il presente contributo è basato sull’idea che la ricostruzione di una crisi strutturale (semplice rottura o collasso vero e proprio) sia basata su una chiara, corretta, e profonda conoscenza e
comprensione delle basi di progetto che portano alla concezione di una costruzione e del processo di analisi che ne verifica la sicurezza e le prestazioni.
Partendo da questa idea, l’articolo cerca di presentare in modo sintetico, ma ordinato, nell’introduzione l’orizzonte temporale e la traiettoria di vita che una costruzione può esperire, evidenziando nel successivo paragrafo il carattere sistemico di una struttura, ovvero enfatizzando la organizzazione gerarchica degli elementi strutturali che la formano: da questa ultima descrizione, si possono coerentemente valutare i livelli di crisi che si possono manifestare, giudicarne la gravità e indagarne i motivi.
Successivamente, una riflessione necessaria riguarda la natura delle azioni che possono cimentare una costruzione, con le loro origini e caratteristiche in termini di intensità, probabilità
di accadimento e gravità di conseguenze. Questo è un aspetto delicato, che dà il giusto rilievo agli accadimenti e agli approcci di analisi e di indagine necessari: questo punto è analogo all’idea che in una costruzione non tutti gli elementi hanno le stesse caratteristiche e la stessa importanza. Queste considerazioni generali non appaiono adeguatamente rimarcate dal quadro normativo corrente, spesso più attivo nelle descrizioni di dettaglio.
Nel quarto paragrafo, si esamina la complessità di un problema strutturale (adattando uno schema noto in letteratura dai lavori di Perrow) e i differenti tipi di situazioni di progetto: evolutivo o innovativo. Questa distinzione è importante al fine di rendersi conto delle conoscenze
(competenze) che si devono avere nell’affrontare il progetto: competenze che se mancanti o deficitarie possono essere origine di crisi strutturali.
Esaminati seppur brevemente questi punti (orizzonte temporale e prestazionale di una struttura, sua organizzazione sistemica, natura delle azioni che possono cimentarla, possibili ragioni della complessità del problema strutturale associato), nel quinto paragrafo, si riporta il modello generale della genesi e dello sviluppo di un fallimento strutturale secondo Reason.
L’ultimo paragrafo fornisce, infine, indicazioni sulla ricostruzione dell’evento e la risalita alle responsabilità dal punto di vista ingegneristico.

La Ingeniería Geotécnica Forense (IGF) trata los casos en los que durante la construcción o la vida útil de un proyecto, se han presentado fallas asociadas a la interacción suelo-estructura. En este trabajo, se presenta un caso de IGF ocurrido en instalaciones industriales localizadas en Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, durante 2017. En dichas instalaciones se registraron asentamientos de hasta 180 mm en varias estructuras soportadas por fundaciones aisladas con un empotramiento Df = 3 m. Mediante la aplicación del Método Científico, y a partir del análisis de la información topográfica disponible, de la realización de perforaciones, calicatas y mediciones de densidad in situ en varios sectores del área estudiada, así como de ensayos de compactación en laboratorio a diferentes niveles de energía, se descubrió y confirmó la existencia de un relleno no controlado por debajo de la cota de asiento de las fundaciones. Posteriormente, se recomendó el recalce de las fundaciones con micropilotes, instalados y conectados a los apoyos existentes. Finalmente, se verificó el diseño geotécnico y el método constructivo empleado para los micropilotes por medio de pruebas de carga, a fin de asegurar la funcionalidad de las estructuras con el nuevo sistema de fundaciones, durante la vida útil del proyecto.

Engineers and architects have not yet developed a model for predicting when and where a building may collapse. However, the odds are high that any such incident(s) may occur in an urban setting, particularly in a developing country. This review bemoans on the public safety implications of the rising urban vulnerability to incidents of building collapse for our ever-urbanising world. It acknowledges the proactive turn that construction and building safety research has taken- i.e. the shift from, hitherto, ex-post facto analysis of trigger events to identifying and neutralising organisational preconditions that create vulnerability for failures to occur. It, nevertheless, contends that the questions that urban vulnerability to building collapse incidents raise, such as what web of forces are at play, why is it predominant in developing in contrast to advanced countries and their corollaries, are beyond the current scope of causes of vulnerability for construction failures research. It...

https://www.ijert.org/utilizing-event-logs-of-windows-operating-system-in-digital-crime-investigations

https://www.ijert.org/research/utilizing-event-logs-of-windows-operating-system-in-digital-crime-investigations-IJERTV10IS070327.pdf

Microsoft Windows uses Windows Event Logs extensively to store detailed logs of events generated by the operating system, services, and core Windows applications. Many third-party applications also use Windows Event Logs to store details of their internal events. Based on the logged events, certain user actions may also be identified. Hence, analysis of Windows Event Logs is a critical skill required by a digital forensics investigator. While digital forensics products do provide a range of features to examine Windows Event Log entries, an investigator must understand the nature of these entries and the underlying mechanisms. This paper explores these aspects in detail and presents several important Windows Logs areas that are relevant for a digital forensics investigator

The case of an excavation for the deep foundation of a housing building located in the area of hills of Mexico City is presented, the excavation is solved based on a retaining system of shotcrete, complemented by a system of tension anchors. During internal audits carried out on the work site, multiple reiterative deficiencies in the quality of the construction procedure were detected. It is worth mentioning that the system lacked preventive drains that allowed the pore pressure to be reduced in the event of saturation of the medium. This case shows that the poor quality of the construction procedure and the lack of necessary drains in the rainy season were the most likely factors that caused the structural failure of the earth retaining system. Finally, comments are included on the lessons learned from all those aspects of relevance detected to contribute to the reflection of a better professional practice.

in maniera elementare i concetti,
i metodi e gli strumenti della ingegneria
forense nei casi riguardanti
le strutture, facendo riferimento a
casi concreti e specifici.
In senso stretto, l’ingegneria
forense applica i principi e i metodi
scientifici dell’ingegneria alla soluzione
dei problemi tecnici in ambito
giudiziario: in effetti, in una visione
più ampia, questa disciplina vuole
ricostruire i motivi per cui un’opera
di ingegneria non è risultata
conforme alle aspettative, potendo
arrivare a produrre danni alle cose
e alle persone, finanche, a causa
della gravità delle conseguenze, a
produrre disastri.
Due aspetti immanenti alle problematiche
dell’ingegneria forense
sono la varietà dei punti da cogliere
e la contrapposizione delle parti.
Infatti, da una parte, la ricerca
delle ragioni di un fallimento di una
costruzione, che sia più o meno
grave, comporta considerare aspetti
legati alle persone e ai comportamenti
umani e professionali, aspetti
materiali e sostanziali, e aspetti
formali e normativi. Dall’altra parte,
i danni alle cose o alle persone,
con le relative individuazione di
responsabilità e determinazione
di indennizzo, portano a situazioni
conflittuali, con potenziali pesanti
risvolti sul piano personale e
professionale.

This research investigates the influence of various construction qualities and their corresponding building distribution on the seismic vulnerability assessment. The selected index building has been simulated based on a real case typical mid-rise masonry infilled steel frame structure. A realistic representation of construction details, such as variation of infill material properties, type of connections and built quality have been implemented in the models. The correlation between variation in modelling details and the structural response has been quantified by means of nonlinear static push-over analysis. By employing a simplified capacity spectrum fragility analysis method, the fragility curves are generated following the damage states defined in the guidelines and a suite of seven earthquake accelerograms representing the seismicity of the building’s location. According to the building distribution and construction cost, the losses have been estimated following intensity-based a...

The last few years has been recorded an uncontrollable increase in music distribution over the Internet. This phenomenon is common in many countries and therefore involves many issues such as: Methods for distribution, music production organization, copyright issues, file and media formatting at the final stage for the audiovisual products to be circulated. The revolution in music prototyping (especially the MP3 music format and the MPEG-4 combined audio-video type for archiving) urged many people to turn to the Internet for free and easy-to-find music. Music files can be downloaded easily from the Internet anywhere in the world and be burned into a CD or DVD or transferred to a friend via USB sticks. Music is also widely available as streams in Internet through various services such as MySpace, YouTube and iTunes. Internet also is full of questions on what is legal and what is not, because the phenomenon of massive file exchange is hard to supervise and the laws valid in assorted countries diverge. Mathematical modelling of illegal distribution can be used for providing forensic services in an attempt to distinguish facts from speculation, evidence from erosive communication and trafficking. The technical, social, financial and legal parameters of this battlefield are examined in this paper under the prism of networked economies.

Earlier work by the author developed a two-dimensional
car-following model by taking into account the lateral
discomfort experienced between the neighbouring vehicles
moving in the same direction. This incorporation of lateral
friction in car-following theory may offer a potential
breakthrough in the field of microscopic simulation.
However, that model was based on a small-scale scrutiny in
which the interactions between only two or three vehicles
were analysed in isolation. The treatment of the problem
with many vehicles in a stream of traffic, say, on a link, was
not made. The present paper, therefore, develops a
simulation model with various types of vehicular
interactions, including lane changing, and performs certain
verification checks. The results show that the simulation
behaves rationally giving credibility to the approach
introduced. Although a number of comparisons with
empirical observations are made in the paper, complete
validation and experimentation are left for further work.
Furthermore, the paper draws research attention to the
area so that various existing car-following models can be
modified in a similar way to mimic non-lane-based car
following in multilane traffic flow. Potential practical
implication of the work for traffic engineers is mainly
capacity assessments especially in places where the
discipline of lane-based-driving is weak.

Background: Road traffic accident (RTA) is one of the commonest causes of death among the healthy population and it’s among the leading cause of death due to human errors. Globally, it has contributed significantly to reducing the workforce as well as increasing the family expenditure on preventable health conditions. It is grossly underreported with no clear data on annual death reports, especially in most developing countries. Objectives: To determine the rate of death from a head injury due to road traffic accidents, risk factors; the commonly injured anatomical regions and immediate cause of death from autopsy examination of victims. Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study in which 86 victims with CORONER FORM D were sampled recruited for the study. Primary data were obtained using the Crash Report Form (CRF) from the Federal Road Safety Corps, oral interviews from deceased relatives and security personnel who brought the victims, and subsequently, Coroner form D was ...

Splitting cracks are prone to happen in anchorage zones of post‐tensioned structures, so it necessitates rational reinforcement design methods for anti‐cracking in such regions. This paper presents a generalized method to calculate bursting forces in post‐tensioned anchorage zones. ...