Forensic Engineering Applied to Failures in Concrete Polymer Materials

Abstract

Forensic engineering is a relatively new discipline that is involved with the investigation of probable causes of failures. Failure does not necessarily involve injury or death; failure implies that the structure of component did not perform as intended. The scientific method is recommended for seeking probable causes of failure. Examples of polymer concrete overlay failures are discussed. Typically, these thin overlays delaminate from the surface as the most usual form of failure. In one case, an overlay delaminated from a concrete roadway although a short distance away the same material performed very well. The cause was quite perplexing until a chance remark led to the solution. The third expample concerns the failure of epoxy anchors in the Big Dig in Boston. This was a high visibility failure and it involved many errors by several staff of the construction team. (A)