Interactive on-line resources for training forensic engineers

Abstract

Analysing engineering failures to determine causes, mechanisms and routes to avoid or mitigate future problems is often relatively straightforward. However, in multifaceted situations, or with complex structures, the exercise of forensic engineering can be rather more difficult. Alongside the potential interdisciplinary complexity of failure analysis, which is an important subset of the field of forensic engineering, there are significant issues in the communication of learning about failure and in the forensic training of engineers. From the viewpoint of failures experienced in mechanical and metallurgical engineering, this paper explores several current ideas related to definitions of failure, and ways of analysing and communicating learning about the cause–action–result sequence of events in a failure scenario. The paper also outlines the web-based resources developed by the author to support forensic training of undergraduate mechanical engineering students and continuing professional development of working engineers.