rident Engineering Associates, Inc. has extensive experience in conducting cases and investigations of the following nature:

ARCHITECTURAL/CIVIL

• Investigations of structural and foundation failures. Results of these investigations lead to the settlement of court cases and assisted clients in settling claims, identified faults in structural members, foundations and load-bearing walls.

FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

• Numerous fire cause and origin investigations. These have involved residential, commercial and industrial buildings as well as machinery and equipment. Arson considerations have been a part of a number of these. Failure and failure modes of electrical and mechanical equipment have also been a consideration in many. Trident's efforts have frequently resulted in the basis for recovery by our clients.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

• Investigations covering a wide range of causes of property damage. Deviations from code and standard practices have often been involved. Building collapse, foundation problems, drainage, storm damage, and material defects among others have been investigated. Mechanical and electrical equipment, both installed and mobile, have often been included.

AUTOMOTIVE FAILURE ANALYSIS

• Analyses of various component failures which have led to fires, sudden acceleration, steering, and braking problems. Causes of engine failures have been identified with pumps, lubricating oil, component adjustment, and frequently outside substances or actions. Numerous fires have been identified as the result of foreign sources not related to the vehicle. Body, frame, and suspension failures have been traced to metallurgical problems, under sizing of components, overloading or improperly loading, and failures induced by impact.

AUTOMOTIVE/TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

• Vehicle accident reconstruction. This work reproduces or attempts to verify the speeds of vehicles (using multiple methods), angle and point of impact, skid patterns, direction of travel, visibility problems, and stopping distances. Trident has also verified the lack of or correctness of warning or traffic control signs and signals. State traffic laws and regulations have been reviewed and applied to the situations to determine the degree of fault of parties involved in accidents.

ELECTRICAL

• Investigation of the failure and explosion of an electrical switchboard to determine why a reconditioned circuit breaker failed. Examination of the switchboard, its various components, connections, and the sequence of events which led to the failure allowing Trident to determine the cause of failure and recommend corrective action.
• Determination of the cause of a major failure and explosion of a 35KV load interruptor switch. Load requirements, installation testing, and outside influence, as well as the switch, were evaluated during the examination. Trident recommended changes to prevent similar recurrences.
• Determination of causes of numerous failures of electric motors, transformers, switch gears and other electrical equipment.

SHIPPING DAMAGE

• Determination of the cause of and extent of damage to equipment. In numerous instances, a basis for reduction of the claim was established.

AERONAUTICAL

• Investigation of the failure of a helicopter rotor brake assembly which was thought to be the cause of a series of helicopter fires. Support given to attorneys during the suit against the manufacturer helped win the case by uncovering a basic design fault revealed by Trident's investigation.
• Determination of the causes of failures of a large number and variety of aircraft parts and subassemblies, ranging from propeller and engine failure through the failures of critical bolts and fasteners. Using our extensive aviation experience and providing analyses of failed parts and components, Trident has performed windshield failure investigations for many years. Our detailed photographic records of over 800 windshield examinations are considered the standards of the industry in this field.

MECHANICAL

• Examination of a forklift type vehicle to determine why the lifting mechanism apparently failed, causing it to suddenly drop the lift from its fully extended position, resulting in personal injury. Based upon the information provided Trident and its examination of the forklift mast prior to and during disassembly, it was concluded that the accident resulted from the separation of the gland cap and the stationary tube due to inadequate restraint of the set screw against the lower unit.

METALLURGICAL

• Investigation of a crane failure which resulted in the electrocution of the operator. It was determined that the materials used in the gearing mechanism were improper and of poor quality as related to manufacture. Failure of the gear teeth allowed the crane to swing into adjacent wires causing the fatality.

CHEMICAL

• Investigation of the persistence of toxic rug cleaning chemicals which was initially thought to have caused the death of a teenage girl. Trident measured residual chemical concentrations using an identical rug, cleaning compound, and method of cleaning, but in a laboratory controlled environment. Our tests and evaluation showed that the cleaning process was not a contributory factor.

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

• Reconstruction of an accident involving a "Cherry Picker" working at a job site. A threaded connection between a cable and a hydraulic cylinder utilized to raise the upper boom of the "Cherry Picker" unscrewed and allowed the bucket to fall onto the bed of the truck. The occupant of the bucket fell out and was fatally injured. Trident concluded that the design of the failed connector was unsafe, and recommended that the design of the boom on the truck be governed by the design requirements for elevators which demand safety features to make the components fail-safe.

OSHA COMPLIANCE

• Evaluation of the upgrading of the Bell Labs Longlines mock-up facility for compliance with current OSHA regulations prior to the facility's reactivation.

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

• Analysis of the lube oil from a large Emergency Diesel Generator at a nuclear power plant for metal content to determine wear of the engine components and for its physical properties to determine whether it was the proper oil for the severe conditions under which the engines were operated. Conclusions indicated that the lube oil used was improper and recommendations were made for a substitute oil which solved the wear and maintenance problems on the engine.

MARINE

• Investigation of a fire which started on a middle boat and spread to two adjacent boats, causing two of the three to be damaged beyond repair. The fire department report stated that the cause of the fire was not determined and that it might be due to a possible electrical source. Trident concluded that the single phase two-wire electrical shore power system installed on the middle boat met or exceeded design standards acknowledged as prudent and accepted practice at the time the boat was manufactured; that the boat was in excellent condition prior to the fire; and that the fire could have been caused by an electrical source, lightning, spontaneous combustion, or a carelessly tossed cigarette. Trident's professional engineer appeared as an expert witness in the court case which was settled in favor of the client represented.
• Inspections and evaluations of hull and machinery damage involving vessels in sizes from small recreational to large ocean going. In one instance, Trident performed an accident reconstruction following an accident in which a vessel was sunk. The reconstruction was performed without the vessel having to be raised. Trident's findings were the basis for a settlement.
• Boat accident reconstructions, both single and multi-vessel. A number of these have also included evaluation and estimation of costs of the damage.

HIGHWAY DESIGN

• Evaluation of the damages to a highway bridge caused by a tractor trailer which struck the lower part of the structural beams. We recommended an in-place repair of the bridge structure by approved state-of-the-art repair methods, eliminating the need for total bridge replacement and providing significant cost savings.
• Evaluation of damages to a section of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and control of the allocation of costs during the repair period for insurance reimbursement.

SANITARY ENGINEERING

• Analyses of well pump shaft failures. These analyses provided the basis for realignment and review of pump sizes for the wells in question. Trident also analyzed failures at several major wastewater pumping stations resulting in structural and equipment redesign within the station to improve the process, alleviate excessive vibration, foundation cracking, and equipment failures.
• Services to a department of utilities in failure analysis, equipment upgrade/ lifetime extension, and process improvement for a wastewater treatment plant.

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Evaluation and supervision for pipeline construction and maintenance and their effect on environmentally sensitive areas within the State. These investigations form a continuing basis of reports to ensure compliance with all federal and state wetland licensing requirements.
• Investigation of the options available regarding beach erosion resulting in report on Interim Beach Maintenance.
• Review of the design of a proposed storm water system for a major county subdivision for its adequacy prior to final approval for installation. Changes were recommended which were incorporated in the final approval.

FIREARMS

• Numerous investigations involving firearms, one resulting in the development of a patented modification to prevent lock-up of revolvers. This case involved the examination of a .38 caliber revolver issued by a law enforcement agency. Trident's evidence was presented in court and contributed to a favorable settlement for the officer's estate.
• Examination of a pistol for manufacturing and design defects after an inadvertent discharge resulting in injury. It was concluded that this revolver was poorly made, an unreliable weapon for defense, dangerous to carry loaded, susceptible to rapid wear and degradation of performance, and failed the Federal test for safety, testing, and inspection. The defects were found to be the direct cause of the accidental firing.