Course Introduction

MODULE 1 – FORENSIC ENGINEERING

This module covers an overview of forensic engineering, including skills and expertise required to practice as a forensic engineer, along with the role of forensic engineers in the legal system from pre-inception to the process of case preparation, which covers information gathering, resource allocation, and inspection equipment readiness. You will also learn about site inspection methods, like site arrival, interviews with property owners, points of contact, interior, exterior, and roof inspections, and evidence collection techniques. Legal and ethical considerations you must follow and the basic terminology of this field will also be taught.

MODULE 2 – STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

This module covers structural analysis fundamentals, focusing on causes leading to structural distress like substandard design and external forces. It examines static and dynamic loads contributing to collapse, structural mechanics, force systems, and Newton's laws. Topics include equilibrium, material mechanics, environmental impacts (wind, snow, rain), and structural integrity. Additionally, cylindrical pressure vessels and load analysis on pilings are explored to enhance understanding of structural stability.

MODULE 3 – VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS

This module explores vehicular accidents, their primary causes, and analytical tools for assessment. It covers converting scene data into event sequences, energy methods in accident reconstruction, and factors like kinetic energy, friction, crushing, rollovers, and elevation changes. Momentum methods and limitations in evaluation techniques are also discussed, offering insights into resolving complex accident scenarios through comprehensive reconstruction methodologies.

MODULE 4 – VEHICLE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

This module gives you an overview of vehicular accidents and factors that lead to such accidents, an understanding of analytical assessment tools, a process for converting scene data into event sequences, accident reconstruction basic principles and energy methods, basic energy methods, kinetic energy, friction energy dissipation, energy dissipation by crushing, roll-overs, flips, and changes in elevation. You will also learn about basic momentum methods, evaluation techniques, limitations, accident reconstruction problems, and ways to handle and reconstruct complex accident scenarios.

MODULE 5 – THE CLASSICAL SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

This module will give you insights into the classical scientific method's application in accident reconstruction, tracing its historical evolution and systematic approach. It highlights how these methods help in discovering factors behind accidents, their importance in legal contexts, and their limitations. The module emphasizes integrating scientific methods into accident analysis to ensure accurate and legally acceptable reconstructions.

MODULE 6 – PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION

In this module, you will learn about photographic methods to document accident scenes, an overview and need of properly analyzing accident scenes, ways to select the best cameras to capture the scene minutely, methods to select items to be photographed, the need and process to effectively document accident scenes, and the subsequent analysis and verification of the photographs. The module also covers the step-by-step process forensic photographers follow to establish the sequence of events that led to the accident by analyzing photographs.

MODULE 7 – FIRE AND ITS BEHAVIOR

This module explores fire behavior, covering fire patterns, origins, and classifications (wild, marine, motor vehicle, incendiary). It examines electricity's role in fires, failure analysis, and tools for fire origin determination (initial reconnoiter, low point, fall-down, and centroid methods, including both weighted and unweighted). Key topics like fire spread analysis, ignition energy sources, fire scene investigation processes, and the legal aspects of fire investigations will also be taught.

MODULE 8 - FIRE INVESTIGATION AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

This module focuses on determining the origin of fires through burn pattern analysis, ignition source identification, and fire dynamics. It covers techniques for collecting, preserving, and documenting fire scene evidence while ensuring chain-of-custody. Methods for systematic examination and debris analysis are discussed to reconstruct events accurately. Additionally, the module also explores legal considerations, including evidence admissibility and preparation for courtroom presentations.

MODULE 9 – STORM LIGHTNING DAMAGE

In this module, you will get an overview of storm lightning damage, beginning with basic lightning facts and its destructive potential. It covers methods to identify and verify lightning strikes, including damage assessment techniques like the two-board shell game. Additionally, strategies for reducing lightning risk are discussed, offering insights into preventive measures and mitigation for safety and property protection in lightning-prone scenarios.

MODULE 10 – ARSON

In this module, you will learn about arson investigations, including key elements like arson precursors (e.g., daisy chains), physical and secondary characteristics of arson incidents, and challenges faced by arsonists. The module also explores profiling arsonists to understand their psychological traits and behaviors. Additionally, the module highlights the importance of chemical analysis in identifying and solving arson cases, providing critical insights for thorough and effective investigations

MODULE 11 – ELECTRICAL SHORTING

This module covers electrical forensic investigations, focusing on the thermodynamics of resistive circuits and the difference between primary and secondary shorting. It explores the causes and consequences of short circuits, beading, and fusing, and the reasons behind their occurrence. You will also learn about common locations where shorting typically happens, offering valuable insights to investigators on managing the complexities of electrical failures and fires in forensic analysis.

MODULE 12 – THE ENGINEER AND EXPERT WITNESS

In this module, you will learn about forensic engineers' ethical duties, claim analysis, and rules of evidence, including relevancy, hearsay exceptions, and privileged communication. It highlights the adversarial legal system, strategies to handle incomplete information, trial phase dynamics, tactics to discredit engineers, and relationships between lawyers and engineers, along with a sample schedule of events in a litigated dispute, offering you valuable insight into the legal process and its stages.