As the condo collapse tragedy in Surfside, Florida moved from rescue to recovery, the process of determining what happened is the domain of a lesser-known discipline: forensic engineering.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers website, “Forensic engineering is the application of engineering principles to the investigation of failures or other performance problems.” It also includes providing legal testimony on the findings.
A statement from the National Academy of Forensic Engineers on the Champlain Towers accident notes that “…lessons learned from previous tragedies shaped our national building codes, design and maintenance best practices, professional licensure standards and jurisdictional policies.”
– Tia Over, The Engineering 100