Forensics & Investigation Overview

FORENSIC & INVESTIGATION SOLUTIONS When something goes wrong, you need to know why. And how to get back to full function and use.

Our truly multidisciplinary team has the expertise to investigate and analyze anything – buildings, infrastructure, industrial machinery and process, equipment, tools, products and more.

ENA CHEUNG / THORNTON TOMASETTI

During the evening rush hour on August 1, 2007, a 1,900-foot section of Interstate Highway 35 West bridge between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minn., collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people and injuring 145. We conducted a study to determine the cause of the collapse on behalf of a consortium of 20 Minnesota law firms representing, pro bono, more than 90 victims and their families.

We partner with property and installation owners and managers, design professionals, contractors, attorneys, insurers, manufacturers, and civilian and military government agencies to resolve issues in buildings, infrastructure, industrial installations and more.

DISCIPLINES INCLUDE:

Our team is always searching for better ways to investigate and analyze engineering and design problems and share our results.

Our staff works closely with the firm’s CORE groups to develop new technology – such as simulation and visualization tools and data acquisition and processing systems – that help us better serve you. And through our Edinburgh, Scotland, testing lab, we can delve into experimental mechanics and devise testing protocols for experimental verification.

The bottom line? When you work with Thornton Tomasetti, you’ll always have an expert you can trust to find the answer and explain it clearly.

We are problem solvers. We investigate deficiencies and failures. Discover and document causes. Recommend, design and oversee resolution. Our priority is resolving current problems and preventing future issues.

Want to learn more about our Forensics and Investigation capabilities? Go to: thorntontomasetti.com/forensics.

Structural

Geotechnical

Architectural

Shock & Vibration

MEP

Fire & Process

Façades

Electrical

Acoustics

Mechanical

Site-Civil

Chemical

Sustainability

Resilience

Beyond buildings SECTORS •

Aviation

•

Hospitality & Gaming

•

Commercial

•

Infrastructure

•

Critical Facilities

•

Life Sciences

•

Cultural

•

Mixed-Use

•

Education

•

Residential

•

Energy: Hydro-Electric, Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Solar, Wind

•

Retail

•

Sports & Entertainment

•

Tall & Supertall Buildings

•

Transportation

•

Water & Wastewater

•

Governmental

•

Healthcare & Research

•

Higher Education

Our science-based methods and multidisciplinary expertise apply well beyond the built environment. We can analyze everything from piers to petrochemical platforms. Taxiways to turbines. Subways to submarines. Bridges to bunkers. And more.

We make the complex comprehensible We believe that straightforward communication is as important as technical expertise. With state-of-the-art simulation and graphical capabilities – including advanced material modeling, computational fluid dynamics and 3D/4D forensic information modeling, among others – we create animations and visuals to clearly present our findings.

Anywhere, anytime With offices around the world, we are wherever you are.

Our teams are connected to your communities – with deep knowledge of processes, manufacturing, construction and local building codes. Our proximity to you means that we can rapidly respond to your needs, putting boots on the ground when and where you need them.

Innovative methods: less invasive, more efficient, better data

Thornton Tomasetti conducted a wind flow and comfort study of The Getty Center, located on a 110-acre, hilltop site in Los Angeles, to improve outdoor use and dining for patrons.

The science of why At Thornton Tomasetti, we start with rigorous science and mathematics. Then we add our design experience, forensic skill and advanced analytical and visualization tools to understand, clearly communicate and resolve any problem, large or small.

Analysis rooted in deep design experience We’re investigators who analyze failures in the built environment. But we’re also designers and engineers, with practical knowledge of the design process. Which means when problems arise, we have a better understanding of what caused them and the appropriate standards of care.

We’re always looking for ways to make our forensic investigations faster, easier and smarter by harnessing toptier technology to collect information. Data collection and processing. Laser scanners, thermal cameras, monitoring and data-acquisition equipment, and more. We use these cuttingedge tools to get critical information on the behavior, position and condition of structures, components and processes.

Handheld devices and drones equipped with sensors enable us to collect and process data in real time. And we apply artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to speed up the analysis of data and improve results.

Custom animation We use applied mathematics and mechanics to simulate physical events and determine their controlling parameters.

Graphical animation visually retells an event, and visualizations convert the math into something we can see and more easily understand. Put simply, finding the answer and explaining it clearly is what we do.

Forensic Information Modeling (FIM) We developed a better way to manage and analyze data in a 3D or 4D model. Data is linked to model components for easy retrieval, keyword queries and statistical analysis. Our FIMs can quickly generate reports and visualizations for clear, persuasive communication of complex technical issues.