Failure Investigation

When a constructed facility fails or does not perform as intended, owners and other parties involved with the project immediately ask:

• How and why did the failure occur?
• How can the facility be repaired and put back into service quickly and economically?
• Who or what is responsible for the failure?

GEI has a wide range of experience performing forensic investigations and preparing remedial designs. We are able to quickly plan and implement detailed failure studies with proper documentation for use in later claims or litigation. We also perform engineering analyses and evaluations needed to develop opinions and conclusions regarding the mechanisms and causes of failures. Our failure studies and expert reports are frequently cited for their clarity and completeness.

We have performed failure investigations for many types of projects, including:

• Deep and shallow foundations, with bearing capacity or settlement problems
• Dams, dikes, and embankments with stability, settlement or seepage problems
• Cut and fill slopes, excavations and retaining walls, with stability or deformation issues
• Floor slabs and pavements, due to settlement or bearing capacity issues
• Pipelines and other underground utilities