Forensic Structural Engineering

Forensic structural engineering is the application of engineering principles and investigative methodology to determine the cause, origin, and extent of structural damage or failure, producing conclusions that are defensible under scrutiny from opposing engineers, insurance carriers, and courts of law.

When a structure fails, cracks in an unexpected pattern, or behaves in a way that a standard inspection cannot explain, the question isn't just what happened, it's why, and what caused it. That's what forensic structural engineering is designed to answer.

Raymond Gessner, a Professional Engineer, provides independent forensic structural engineering services to homeowners, attorneys, insurers, contractors, and public adjusters across 20+ states.

What Forensic Structural Engineering Involves

Failure Investigation
We investigate the cause of structural failures, whether sudden events, progressive deterioration, or unexpected movement, and produce an engineering opinion on origin, cause, and contributing factors that is documented and supportable with field evidence and engineering analysis.
Storm Damage Investigation
Winds, hailstones, and flooding all cause damage to your home. We study the story that the damage tells through on-site inspection, information from NOAA about the storms, radar studies, and the application of engineering principles.
Building Defect Identification
Flaws in design, flawed materials, or incorrect building according to code can affect buildings decades later. We determine whether there are flaws in a structure and whether those defects pose a threat.
Opposing Report Review
If an insurer, opposing party, or contractor has produced an engineering report that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or methodologically flawed, we provide an independent peer review, identifying errors in methodology, unsupported conclusions, or misuse of data.
Expert Witness Services
Raymond Gessner, PE is available to provide expert witness testimony in depositions, mediations, and trial proceedings. His forensic reports are prepared with litigation in mind from the outset, meaning findings are documented with the evidentiary standards of legal proceedings, not just inspection standards.

Who users Forensic Structural Engineering

  • Homeowners who require an unbiased engineering opinion to refute the insurance company’s evaluation or refusal.
  • Attorneys practicing cases involving property damage, building defects, or premises liability disputes.
  • Public adjusters who require PE-stamped documentation to support their client's position.
  • Insurance companies that need an independent assessment of a complex or disputed large-loss claim.
  • Contractors facing allegations of defective construction who need an independent engineering opinion.

FAQs

What is forensic structural engineering?
The forensic engineering field involved with buildings is known as forensic structural engineering, which entails using scientific methods to establish the reasons and causes of damage or failure to a building. Forensic engineering is not simply an inspection; rather, it uses engineering science to draw conclusions that will hold up under scrutiny by experts from the other side. Such an undertaking involves investigations at the site, documentation of evidence, analysis of the facts, and a PE report.
A standard structural inspection assesses the current condition of a structure. Forensic structural engineering goes further, it investigates the cause and sequence of events that led to the observed conditions, and produces conclusions formulated to withstand challenges from opposing engineers and legal scrutiny. The documentation standard and methodology are materially different.
Yes. Forensic structural engineering reports are prepared to meet evidentiary standards required in legal proceedings.
We handle a wide range of matters, including storm damage insurance disputes, construction defect claims, structural failure investigations, insurance claim denials involving engineering disputes, and cases where an opposing engineering report requires independent review and counter-analysis.
An opposing report critique refers to a professional analysis by engineers on a report generated by other engineers who usually work for an insurance company or an opposing party. This kind of critique examines the process, data, and findings of the report against engineering principles and published research material to see possible mistakes and assumptions made by the engineers.
If you are involved in an insurance dispute, legal proceeding, or situation where the cause of structural damage is actively contested, you likely need a forensic engineering assessment rather than a standard inspection. If you’re unsure, contact us, we will give you a straight answer on what your situation calls for.
Yes. Raymond Gessner, PE is personally licensed across 20+ states and personally stamps every report we issue. All forensic engineering work is his, no engineering is delegated to third parties. Need an Independent Forensic Engineering Assessment? Call us now!

Structuralengineers.com provides unbiased, litigation-ready hail damage assessments backed by licensed expertise and real-world experience.

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