A Practical Guide to Engineering Failure Investigation has been written with the specific purpose of helping those involved in serious engineering failures. When mechanical plant fails, the technical, legal and contractual issues become very involved and complicated, and deciding causation can be difficult and prolonged. The principles and methodologies explained here will help engineers to link their technical knowledge to the commercial realities of working with insurers, loss adjusters and their representatives. This book is essential reading for consultants, expert witnesses and all…mehr
A Practical Guide to Engineering Failure Investigation has been written with the specific purpose of helping those involved in serious engineering failures. When mechanical plant fails, the technical, legal and contractual issues become very involved and complicated, and deciding causation can be difficult and prolonged. The principles and methodologies explained here will help engineers to link their technical knowledge to the commercial realities of working with insurers, loss adjusters and their representatives. This book is essential reading for consultants, expert witnesses and all engineers who may become involved in commercial failure investigations. CONTENTS INCLUDE: * How to use this book * Professional roles and responsibilities * Strategy and tactics of failure investigation * The inspection visit * Doing a design and operation appraisal * Mechanisms of failure * Deciding causation * How to present your conclusions * Insurance investigations - deferring failure 'events' and proximate cause - subrogation.
Clifford Matthews has worked throughout the world on IJV projects in business sectors as diverse as engineering, food distribution and project management.
Inhaltsangabe
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xi
PART I
Chapter 1 About this book 3
Failure investigations - for what purpose? 4
An effective approach 5
Using the book 6
A reminder - your product 7
Chapter 2 Important concepts 9
Types of investigation 9
Core content 11
The damage/causation framework 'model' 12
Key point summary 25
Chapter 3 Roles 27
Investigation - opposing roles 28
A closer look - offence and defence 29
Professional responsibilities 31
The role of money 35
Victory and defeat 36
Key point summary 39
Chapter 4: Strategy and tactics 41
Strategy 42
Tactics 44
Basic skills 54
Key point summary 67
Part I Rewind 69
PART II
Introduction 75
Chapter 5 Getting started - The inspection visit 77