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Forensic Engineering
Independent Investigation of Engineering Failures
Engineering systems rarely fail without warning or without cause. Whether the issue involves the rupture of a pressure vessel, the collapse of a structural component, or the progressive degradation of materials within an industrial environment, failures typically arise from a complex interaction of design decisions, fabrication processes, materials behaviour, inspection regimes and operating conditions.
Understanding why a failure occurred requires more than surface-level analysis. It requires a structured technical investigation capable of identifying the underlying mechanisms that led to the event.
AHB provides independent forensic engineering services to legal professionals, insurers, loss adjusters and organisations seeking to understand the causes of engineering failures. Our role is to examine the available technical evidence, analyse the mechanisms involved, and establish a clear explanation of how and why the failure occurred.
Our investigations are grounded in practical engineering experience and supported by rigorous technical analysis across the disciplines that most commonly govern the behaviour of industrial systems.
What We Do
Forensic engineering investigations undertaken by AHB are structured to identify the technical causes of failures within complex engineering environments.
Our work frequently involves reviewing engineering documentation, inspection records, fabrication procedures, and operational data to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the failure.
Where required, investigations may also involve assessment of materials behaviour, corrosion processes, fatigue mechanisms, fabrication quality and inspection effectiveness. By examining how these factors interact, AHB develops a clear understanding of the underlying failure mechanisms.
Investigations We Support
The objective is always the same, to establish the technical facts and explain them clearly.
- Engineering failure investigations
- Insurance loss investigations
- Technical disputes between contractors or suppliers
- Regulatory and compliance investigations
- Materials and corrosion investigations
- Structural and pressure system failures
Our Technical Disciplines
Engineering failures rarely arise from a single technical issue. AHB provides integrated forensic analysis across the disciplines most frequently involved in industrial failures:
Welding Engineering
Welding procedures, weld integrity, fabrication quality, defect assessment, repair strategies, and compliance with codes and standards.
Metallurgy
Material selection, physical and mechanical properties, heat treatment, microstructural evaluation, and metallurgical performance.
Corrosion & Degradation
Corrosion mechanisms, environmental exposure, material degradation, coatings performance, and asset integrity assessment.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Inspection methodology, technique selection, interpretation of results, defect characterisation, and evaluation of inspection effectiveness.
Quality Assurance & Quality Control
Quality management systems, documentation, traceability, inspection planning, compliance, and technical governance.
Fabrication & Manufacturing
Manufacturing processes, fabrication quality, workmanship assessment, standards compliance, and supply chain oversight.
Damage & Failure Mechanisms
Fracture, fatigue, creep, corrosion-related degradation, damage evolution, and engineering failure assessment.
Structural & Pressure Retaining Systems
Structural steelwork, bridges, tanks, vessels, pipelines, pipework, pressure systems, and infrastructure integrity.
This multidisciplinary capability allows AHB to investigate complex failures involving multiple overlapping technical factors.
Sectors
AHB has investigated failures and provided technical analysis across a wide range of complex industrial sectors including:
- Oil & Gas
- Petrochemical & Chemical Processing
- Nuclear Power & Nuclear Defence
- Coal-Fired Power Generation
- CCGT & HRSG Facilities
- Waste-to-Energy Facilities
- Renewable Energy & Offshore Wind
- Aviation & Aerospace
- Marine & Offshore
- Infrastructure, Transportation & Civil Engineering
- Pulp, Paper & Industrial Processing
Failures within these environments often involve high-integrity engineering systems operating under demanding conditions, where the consequences of failure can be significant both technically and commercially.
International Reach
Engineering failures frequently occur within international projects involving multinational contractors, suppliers and regulatory frameworks.AHB supports investigations and technical assessments across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America and Asia. Our experts are familiar with the engineering standards and industrial practices that apply across these regions.
Our experience across multiple jurisdictions allows us to investigate failures within the broader context of global engineering practice.
Why Instruct AHB
Effective forensic engineering requires more than academic analysis. It requires practical understanding of how engineering systems are designed, fabricated, inspected and operated in real industrial environments.
AHB combines decades of hands-on industrial experience with advanced engineering expertise and formal technical qualifications. Our experts have worked across nuclear infrastructure, major international power plants, petrochemical installations, pipeline systems, aviation fuel infrastructure and large-scale construction projects worldwide.
This experience provides a practical perspective that is often essential when determining the true causes of engineering failures.
We focus on evidence, analysis and clarity.
Engage AHB
Legal professionals, insurers and organisations seeking independent forensic engineering investigation are invited to contact AHB for a confidential initial consultation to discuss the circumstances of the failure and how we can assist.
enquiries@ahbvitalis.com
+44 (0) 20 7291 4647Head Office in London:
AHB Vitalis Ltd
Ludgate House
107 – 111 Fleet Street
London
EC4A 2AB
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