Structural Forensic Investigations - How Engineers Determine the Real Cause of Damage After a Storm
The visible damage is often only part of the story after a storm has passed. Homeowners might notice anything from cracked drywall to roof leaks, bowed walls, or uneven floors. What they usually don’t see is how the storm’s forces traveled through the structure and whether those forces altered the building’s structural system.
This has created fundamental ambiguity. Insurance companies need evidence. Contractors need guidance. Homeowners need reliable solutions.
For this very reason, there is such a thing as a forensic structural inspection.
At A Step in Time Structural Engineering, forensic inspections determine what actually caused the damage, not just what the damage appears to be. These inspections draw upon engineering principles, physical evidence, and verified storm data to establish cause with clarity and credibility.
This blog is all about why only forensic engineers can help homeowners in identifying the actual damages caused by storms and filing for the right insurance claims.
Why Storm Damage Is Rarely Straightforward
Storm damage is often misinterpreted, since most storms do not exert their force in a single, simple way. Wind, rain, hail, pressure changes, and debris impact can affect the structure simultaneously and/or sequentially. The structure responds according to its construction, load paths, and any pre-existing weaknesses.
Two houses in the same storm can be affected very differently and the difference lies in –
1. Structural layout
2. Load paths
3. Connection strength
4. Material condition
5. Soil behaviour under moisture
A forensic structural inspection is intended to distinguish coincidence from causation.
What a Forensic Structural Inspection Actually Entails
A forensic structural inspection is not a checklist. It is a systematic investigation directed toward determining the cause.
Other than routine inspections, forensic evaluations are designed to determine the answer to:
1. Was this damage caused by the storm?
2. Did the storm worsen an existing condition?
3. Is the damage inconsistent with storm forces?
4. What physical evidence is there to support this conclusion?
This is forensic engineering analysis, where conclusions must be defensible based on physics and structural behaviour, as well as documented evidence.
Step 1: Detailed Site Examination and Evidence Preservation
The first step is a thorough on-site evaluation, done before repairs disturb the evidence. Engineers document the exact condition of the structure as it is after the storm, and they usually cover the following –
1. Location, width, direction, and continuity of the crack
2. Roof framing alignment and connection conditions
3. Attic moisture patterns and staining
4. Wall displacement or bowing
5. Foundation movement indicators
6. Interior and exterior distress patterns
Measurements and photographs are carefully taken because it is the small details that provide the strongest evidence about the cause of the damage.
Step 2: Reading Impact Patterns
Storm-related damage leaves patterns that are rarely random, and professional engineers are trained to identify when damage aligns with known storm behaviors.
Common patterns examined by engineers after the storm include –
1. Directional cracking consistent with wind pressure
2. Uniform roof damage versus isolated failures
3. Localized crushing that occurs due to the impact of debris
4. Repetitive marks which are consistent with hail strikes
Read This Example –
Wind damage generally occurs at roof-to-wall connections and sheathing edges, whereas settlement-related cracking follows rather different paths. Recognising such differences is paramount in the accurate investigation of storm damage.
Step 3: Deformation Mode and Material Failure Assessment
Different materials behave differently when subjected to force. Forensic engineers study material distortions or failures to identify the type of force involved in the damage.
They assess:
1. Bent or twisted metal connectors
2. Sheared Fasteners
3. Crushed wood fibers
4. Fractured masonry units
5. Pulled or separated framing joints
Material deformation allows the engineers to identify:
1. Direction of force
2. Relative force magnitude
3. Whether failure was sudden or progressive
This information could serve as a key in identifying the actual cause of structural failure.
Step 4: Structural Load Path Analysis
Every structure depends on load paths to safely transmit weight from the roof down to the foundation. Hail or wind storms can overload or interrupt these paths, leading to major impacts on the structural strength of a home.
Engineers mostly consider the following load paths –
1. Roof-to-wall load transfer
2. Wall-to-floor connections
3. Beam and column continuity
4. Foundation load distribution
It’s common to see damage at these predictable secondary locations after a storm. Understanding this change in behavior helps engineers in differentiating storm-associated damage from long-term settlement or construction deficiencies.
Step 5: Storm Event Correlation and Data Review
Forensic conclusions should match the physical world. Quite often, the engineer will study and validate storm data to confirm whether the storm had the intensity required to cause the observed damage.
This may include –
1. NOAA storm reports
2. The area has recorded wind speeds of
3. Hail size records
4. Rainfall intensity and duration
5. Event timing in relation to reported damage
The described relation strengthens the findings mentioned above and is particularly important for insurance dispute support.
How Engineers Arrive at Final Decisions
Engineers determine causes using a combination of analyses of physical evidence, material behavior, load paths, and storm data.
Damage is commonly graded as –
1. Storm-forces direct causes
2. Exacerbated by storm forces
3. Unrelated to the storm
4. Pre-existing but exposed to the storm
These conclusions are not opinions, but they are based on structural failure diagnostics, engineering calculations, and observable evidence.
Why Forensic Structural Inspections Matter in Insurance Disputes
Insurance claims are based on cause, not on appearance. Unless properly documented through a forensic investigation, storm damage can be mislabeled as an isolated maintenance issue or a pre-existing condition.
A forensic structural inspection provides –
1. Independent licensed engineering analysis
2. Explanation of damage mechanisms in as clear a manner as possible
3. Doc suitable for claim review
4. Technical clarity for adjusters and attorneys
Often, this level of detail may be the deciding factor in disputed claims.
Why Contractors and Inspectors Cannot Replace Forensic Engineers
Contractors fix the damage. Home inspectors notice visible problems.
Neither of the two is licensed to determine structural causation.
The following work can only be done by a licensed structural engineer –
1. Analyze load path
2. Interpret material failure modes.
3. Apply physics-based reasoning
4. State-stamped forensic conclusions
The former distinguishes between those with middle-class status and those without, which is crucial when safety, insurance coverage, or legal liability is at issue.
The Long-Term Worth of Forensic Structural Inspections
Correctly identifying the cause of the damage does more for the homeowner than immediate repair. It helps ensure –
1. Repairs address the root problem.
2. Structural integrity is restored appropriately.
3. Failures are not repeated.
4. Value of property remains conserved.
5. Safety risks are minimized.
Hiring Professional Forensic Structural Engineers is Recommended
Storm damages are not as straightforward as it seems. Cracks, leaks, and movement are often symptoms of a deeper problem that only an engineering analysis can determine.
A forensic structural inspection provides clear, evidence-based answers by examining impact patterns, material deformation, load paths, and verified storm data. It replaces assumptions with facts.
Forensic engineering becomes quite important when there is a need to ascertain the cause for safety, insurance, and even litigious purposes.
Need a Forensic Structural Inspection After a Storm?
A Step in Time Structural Engineering performs all forensic inspections by a licensed Professional Engineer, not technicians. Our evaluations will be exhaustive, defensible, and based on engineering science.
Call (605) 467-7328 now to book professional forensic structural engineer.
