A woman working at a retail store fell from a ladder and was injured while reaching for a product on one of the shelves. The shelf was 8 feet from the ground, the employee was 5 feet tall, and the 4 foot step ladder could only accommodate a 2 foot climb safely. The decals on … More From the Archives: Ladder Safety, #1
Following a hail storm, a homeowner’s roof damage was reported to their insurer. An ACS engineer investigated and found small regions of lighter-colored aggregate amongst the three tab composition asphalt shingles as well as other regions in which the asphalt protection in the layer below the aggregate was exposed. Other indications of hail damage were … More From the Archives: Hail damage to roof shingles
This month’s (February 2019) Plumbing Engineer magazine featured an article discussing insulation engineering considerations. The general topics covered are the major points that need to be addressed: (a) the basics (b) history of thermal insulation (c) how heat transfer works and (d) applicable codes and standards. This makes it a great reference article. An expert … More “Thermal Insulation for Buildings, Pipe and Mechanical Equipment”, a Complication
A swivel office chair failed while in use causing injury. ACS engineers studied the damage to the chair and found that it had separated between the seat support assembly and the supporting pedestal. Inspection of the insert portion of the seat support assembly showed that the failure occurred on the bottom side of the insert’s … More From the Archives: Chair Failure
A residence in the Gulf Coastal Plain’s Quaternary deposits of sand- and clay-rich soil experienced a variety of structural damages including plasterboard fractures, mortar separation, bulging windows, and foundation fractures. Examination of the upper structure damage, the foundation, and the soil was undertaken. The western portion of the residence was less damaged than the eastern, … More From the Archives: Foundation Damage
Assigned to investigate a residence fire, the effort was made to determine if an active appliance caused the fire. Electrical components of the residence consisted of the circuit breaker panel, the electrical wiring in a pile of debris, and an air handling unit. The circuit breaker panel showed no evidence of malfunction. The appliances formerly … More From the Archives: Indeterminate Fire
The combustion engine relies on its coolant system to function properly. When it doesn’t, the cylinder head can crack due to heat stress, the differential thermal expansion of metal. Naturally, the fracture occurs between the hot area (combustion exhaust) and cold areas of the cylinder. When the metal cracks between these two areas, coolant can … More Cracked Head (Cylinder Head Fracturing)
