Civil/Structural Engineering

RTI’s international team of civil engineers is highly knowledgeable in their areas of specialization, capable of analyzing complex aspects of the manmade environment to determine how and why an unintended event or events occurred.  Often these analyses are aided and enhanced by graphics and animations produced by RTI’s talented Visual Services division, Magic Motion Studios. 

Civil engineering, one of the oldest engineering disciplines, involves the design, construction, and maintenance of the manmade environment.  Cities, roads, and waterways are just a few examples of this environment.  Specialization within the discipline has created a family of sub-disciplines that focuses on a wide range of engineering problems related to the manmade environment.  This family includes, but is not limited to:

• Environmental engineering,
• Geotechnical engineering,
• Structural engineering,
• Surveying, and
• Construction engineering.

In the context of a forensic investigation, civil engineers have the knowledge and expertise to determine the root cause of such incidents as air, land, and water pollution; ground settlement; building collapses; property line disputes; and construction issues.

As with other engineering disciplines, a forensic civil engineer may be placed in a situation in which it is necessary to work with experts from other disciplines.  A building collapse, for example, may have a materials analysis aspect that requires cooperation with a metallurgist.  Conversely, an explosion incident that causes damage, but not destruction, to nearby structures may require the expertise of a structural engineer in conjunction with an explosion and blast expert to determine the effects of the explosion on the structure.  The experts of RTI’s Civil Engineering Division often function within multidisciplinary investigative teams to provide a full understanding of the nature of an incident.

From the initial inspection through the conclusion of an investigation, RTI’s Civil Engineering Division is poised to respond quickly, effectively, and completely to any matter.