Failure Investigation & Litigation Support

WDP provides forensic engineering, expert witness, and litigation support services for structural system failures, performance failures, and construction disputes.

Our recognized expertise positions us as a valuable asset to parties involved in litigation. WDP provides services for both plaintiffs and defendants and is regarded as objective, thorough and capable of communicating complex issues in simplified terms.

The investigation of failures requires comprehensive engineering knowledge and a broad understanding of the behavior of specific materials and systems. WDP understands the importance of mobilizing a team to a failure site quickly to gather time-sensitive forensic data. Our personnel understand the technical protocols and sensitivity required at failure sites. We maintain specialized equipment for performing destructive and nondestructive field testing as well as in-house chemical and physical laboratory testing capabilities.

The expertise of WDP's staff has
been utilized in litigation cases
involving:

  • Steel and concrete bridges
  • Masonry veneers
  • Pavements
  • Concrete, steel, masonry, and timber structural building systems
  • Foundations and slabs
  • Retaining walls
  • Slopes of soil and bedrock
  • Stucco and Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS)
  • Window and Curtain Wall systems
  • Roofing systems

Selected projects where WDP’s
staff acted as Expert Witnesses
include:

  • Masonry high-rise condominiums
  • Masonry schools and universities
  • Stucco and EIFS cladding systems
  • Timber balcony failure
  • Concrete bridge piers
  • Stone masonry retaining wall
  • Brick veneer / steel stud municipal buildings

projects