Services
Forensic Engineering
What we Offer:
The DRS Co. offers a wide range of forensic engineering services with staff whose expertise lies in the structural and geotechnical engineering disciplines. Our clients have included numerous insurance companies, independent claim adjusters, law firms, realtors, banks, private property owners, and government agencies. We have provided forensic investigations, structural analyses, structural and geotechnical evaluations, and detailed reports for about 500 cases over the last 5 years. We have provided these services in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. These issues have involved a wide range of structures from private homes to large commercial buildings and can be summarized as follows:
- Flood damage cases related to Hurricane Isabel
- Tornado damage cases
- Wind damage cases
- Roof collapses related to severe snowstorms
- Bridge collapses due to vehicular overload
- Structural damage to buildings due to vehicular collisions
- Collapse of foundation walls due to excessive lateral pressure
- Water infiltration responsible for collapse of masonry buildings
- Roof leakage
- Fire damage to structures
- Failure of support of excavation systems
- Insect infestation and the structural damage thereof
- Failure of structural systems during erection (e.g., collapse of a warehouse roof truss system)
- Structural failure of swimming pools
Key Staff Members:
Most forensic investigations are lead by the president of the firm, Mr. David R. Schmidt, P.E.
Mr. Schmidt earned a B.S. degree in Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1986, and has since been continually involved in the evaluation of existing structures. Prior to attending college, Mr. Schmidt was enrolled in the National Association of Home Builders' Carpentry Apprenticeship Program where he spent two years learning the fine points of residential construction. This combination of theoretical and practical construction knowledge makes Mr. Schmidt uniquely qualified as a forensic structural engineer.
During the past 22 years, Mr. Schmidt has inspected and evaluated more the 2,500 structures, including:
- Houses, Townhouses, Row Houses, Condominiums, and Other Residential Buildings
- Multiple-Story Office Buildings
- Warehouse Buildings
- Retail Store Buildings
- Water Treatment Facilities
- Agricultural Buildings
- Bridges and Culverts
- Historic Buildings and Bridges
- Retaining Walls
- Train Station Buildings
- Train Platform Structures
- Piers, Docks, and Various Other Marine Structures
The DRS Co. staff also includes a part-time civil engineering professor at a renowned university with more than 35 years of structural engineering experience, and a well-respected geotechnical engineer with more than 25 years of experience. We also have a great working relationship with a local diver who assists us in underwater investigations. These key staff (and others) are called upon when the need for their particular expertise arises.
We have all the forensic engineering expertise you need-under one roof! And we service the entire Mid-Atlantic Region.