Sponsored by the Technical Council on Forensic Engineering of ASCE. Guidelines for Forensic Engineering Practice, Second Edition, describes the technical, ethical, business, and legal components of the professional practice in forensic civil engineering in the United States. The practice of forensic engineering includes the investigation of buildings, bridges, and other constructed facilities that fail or do not perform as intended. It also involves rendering opinions as to the causes of failure or underperformance and testifying in judicial proceedings. Topics include: competencies and qualifications of forensic engineers; standard of care; investigations and reports; ethics; the legal forum; and the business of forensic engineering. The ASCE Code of Ethics is included in an appendix. Civil engineers of all disciplines, including structural and geotechnical engineers, will consult this book for guidance on the effective and ethical practice of forensic civil engineering. This book serves as a primer for engineers new to forensic practice and as a useful reference for seasoned practitioners. Written for civil engineers, including structural and geotechnical engineers, this volume outlines the technical, ethical, business, and legal components of the practice of forensic civil engineering in the US. It covers the competencies and qualifications of forensic engineers, including issues of advocacy, objectivity, and bias; the standard of care of engineers; investigations and reports; ethics, including the American Society of Civil Engineers Code of Ethics and conflicts of interest, expert opinions, fees, time constraints, reporting unethical practices, and other sanctioning processes; the legal forum, such as the role of the forensic engineer as an expert witness and interactions with those in a lawsuit and in non-adjudication forums, and the rules of evidence and case law that affect the qualification of witnesses and admissibility of testimony; and business and management aspects, such as contracts, insurance, and compensation. This edition takes into account changes to design codes and standards, construction safety regulations, investigation and analysis tools, and dispute resolution rules and procedures. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Content: Competencies and qualifications of forensic engineers -- The standard of care -- Investigations and reports -- Ethics -- The legal forum -- The business of forensic engineering. This book serves as an introductory text to the forensic civil engineering discipline and provides guidelines for carrying out the practice in an effective (and ethical) manner This report describes the technical, ethical, business, and legal components of a professional practice in forensic civil engineering in the United States.
