November 13, 2018
For the 2018 Forensic Engineering Congress, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has invited two team members from DeSimone’s Forensics practice to present case studies and best practices to determine root causes and consequences of design errors and construction defects. Presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Congress brings together researchers, designers, project managers, and industry leaders from the United States and abroad.
The Congress will take place in Austin, Texas on Thursday, November 29th through Saturday, December 2nd.
Juan Carlos Araiza, Ph.D., PE
As a panel speaker, Dr. Juan Carlos Araiza will present methodologies for forensic professionals to apply in the field when gathering samples or evidence during the course of an investigation. The session is titled “Sampling Guideline for Construction Defect Investigations – Update from the Committee on Forensic Investigations” with additional presentation topics that include quantitative and qualitative sampling techniques, testing standards, and the ramifications of improper sample sections.
Bradley East, PE
Senior Project Engineer Bradley East will be presenting a paper titled “Wind-Induced Cracks in Gypsum Board Wall Panels”. The paper discusses the possibility of wind pressures creating cracks in gypsum board finishes. As part of the paper, a structural analysis was performed to explore this condition. In the analysis, the provisions given in ASCE 7-10 for determining design wind pressures will be reverse-engineered to determine the wind gust speed necessary to exceed the shear capacity of gypsum board wall panels.