Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a structural forensic engineer? Hear from Dan Meyer, Senior Forensic Engineer, on what he enjoys most about his work, what made him interested in forensic engineering, what a typical week looks like, and more.
What got you interested in structural forensic engineering?
When I started my career at Black and Veatch I had the opportunity to work on a project where I went with a more experienced engineer on four week-long trips to Connecticut where we performed a field assessment of existing century old lattice structures that supported the lines powering the metro north railroad from New York to New Haven. That experience got me out of the office and into the field for a full week at a time and I knew that I did not want to be a full-time desk worker after.
What does a typical week look like for you as a forensic engineer?
A typical week involves a mixture of field work and desk work. I try to take one or two days out of my week and set them aside to complete somewhere between 2-4 site visits where I am out assessing existing structures. Then I use the remainder of the week to come into the office and write reports and/or design repairs for the site visits that I conducted the previous week. The remainder of my time is spent chasing down leads and writing proposals.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love the feeling I get when I can confidently identify the root cause of an issue that was not obvious when I made my initial site visit to a building. One of my favorite things I get to do is spend time researching on the internet, in textbooks, scientific journals, etc. Sometimes when you are totally stumped by an issue, you can find the exact right article on Structure Magazine or a paragraph in a textbook that identifies what is causing the observed issues. That moment is extremely satisfying.
What is one of the most interesting projects you've worked on?
I think the most interesting project I worked on in the last few years was the Northland Passage Apartments here in Kansas City. The apartment buildings featured outdoor wood-framed staircases that were exhibiting a substantial "furry" texture on the surface of the wood members. After much research, I identified that the cause of the texture was a phenomenon called salt defibration. That was one of the satisfying "Ah Ha" moments I described above.
What is the process like when you assess a damaged structure?
Sometimes when you arrive for a site visit, things can feel very chaotic, particularly if there was a fire or some other sudden event that caused the damage. After I determine that the building is safe to enter, I focus on understanding and documenting the structural systems. It is hard to know what happened and how to fix it if you do not understand how the building was intended to function in an undamaged state. This exercise also helps to bring order to some of the chaos you feel initially. From there, I'll focus on the damaged portions of the building or the symptoms of distress that caused the client to call us in the first place and then move my way outward and downward to determine if there were any cascading effects to other systems or components outside of the immediate area of damage.
What advice would you give someone considering a career in forensic engineering?
The first step to a career in forensics is building a solid knowledge base as a designer. You must understand why something was designed and built the way it was before you can reverse the process and understand why it failed. The second thing I think you need is a passion for research and lifelong learning. You are highly likely to encounter a lot of antiquated systems, components, and materials in older buildings that will require a fair bit of research to understand. Third would be to work on your writing skills. Report writing is a big part of the job, and you have to at least tolerate it, if not enjoy it.