Content goals:
Accurately describe the benefits of working with a forensic engineering company to test certain materials in its lab
Write for the desired audience of insurance and legal professionals who may seek our our services when investigating a claim or case
Writing process:
I interviewed subject matter experts
I conducted my own research on the topics
I incorporated SEO research to make sure key terminology appeared on the pages
[Company] pioneered the method of using wipe samples to test for the presence of ionic contaminants like water, smoke, soot, construction dust, and chemicals. Ionic contamination testing via wipe samples quantifies the level of contamination that a piece of equipment has been exposed to.
Wipe sample testing results show how corrosive contaminants are to a specific material. These test results allow forensic investigators to understand and predict the effects that contaminants may have on electrical and mechanical equipment. Analysis of materials using wipe samples allows for a clearer understanding of how to return potentially contaminated equipment to a pre-loss state.
Ionic contamination wipe sample testing can be used to quantify the corrosive impact of contamination on various materials and equipment including:
A/V equipment
Building materials
Commercial equipment
Computer equipment
Food processing equipment
HVAC
Industrial equipment
Lab and analytical equipment
Manufacturing equipment
Medical equipment
MEP
Smart home systems
During the testing process, a wipe sample is taken by an expert in the field from a defined surface area that is representative of a potentially contaminated area. Then, the wipe sample is sent back to [Company's] lab for further study. Any ions that were picked up by the wipe in the sample are extracted into a water-based solution, which is then analyzed via ion chromatography.
[Company's] experts look for specific anions and cations that are known to cause corrosion, following EPA 300.0 and ASTM D6919 standard methods. The results will determine the source of equipment contamination and the extent of the exposure, which will allow our experts to make recommendations on whether the equipment needs to be restored, repaired, or replaced.
Ionic contamination wipe sample testing is typically done after events such as:
Construction failures
Explosions
Fires
Floods
Floods
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Typhoons
[Company partner's] equipment restoration team also uses wipe sample testing to determine whether equipment needs to be decontaminated as well as to verify the cleanliness of equipment post-restoration.
[Company partner's] wipe sampling ensures that all equipment has been restored to the standards of the original equipment manufacturer. To learn more about their decontamination services, please visit their website.
Shingle desaturation testing is used to determine whether damage, fractures, punctures, or tears to a roofing system and roofing reinforcement material exist, which are commonly seen from impact damage, like hail.
Insurance companies, property owners, and legal professionals may use the results of [Company's] desaturation testing to understand the extent of damage to a roof.
[Company] offers an accredited desaturation testing protocol for roofing. Desaturation is the process of removing the bitumen roofing material, which allows the roof reinforcement to be fully examined.
In our lab, [Company's] experts carefully examine and document bituminous roofing samples, such as built-up roofing, polymer-modified roofing, and shingles. Then use a vapor degreaser to desaturate the samples and remove the asphalt, aggregate, and tar from bituminous roofing, revealing the encapsulated reinforcement fibers and allowing for close examination.
Any bituminous products can be candidates for desaturation testing including shingles, roll roofing, or underlayment, which allows our engineers to be able to analyze the mat and determine the cause of the claimed damage to the roofing system.
Following the desaturation process, experts note whether the reinforcement material contains fractures, punctures, or stained regions that are characteristic of impact damage. [Company] will then provide a comparative analysis using overlays of original samples and completes a detailed report including descriptions, findings, and photographs.
Following a fire, [Company's] experts remove material samples from the scene and analyze fire debris via gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) to reveal the presence of ignitable liquid residue (ILR) and help determine the cause of a fire.
Fire debris analysis can provide key information in an insurance investigation or legal examination of a fire's origin and cause.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis can reveal the presence of ILRs including:
Gasoline
Petroleum distillates (e.g. paint thinners, lighter fluids)
Oxygenated solvents (e.g. alcohols, fuel additives)
In our lab, [Company's] experts use heat to extract volatile compounds from fire debris samples. They then inject those compounds into the GC-MS instrument, which separates those compounds based on their chemical properties and identifies them based on their molecular structure. All lab analysis of fire debris is done following ASTM standards.
Following the analysis, [Company] provides a detailed report that identifies the ignitable liquid residues that were present in or absent from the debris samples. For the compounds identified, experts will discuss their possible sources.