During the winter months, escape-of-water claims often arise following periods of freezing temperatures, leading to significant disruption, damage, and cost. While preventative measures such as pipe insulation and active central heating are widely relied upon, real-world incidents demonstrate that these solutions are not always as effective as assumed. Factors such as installation quality, property occupancy, and system design can all influence whether pipework remains protected or becomes vulnerable to freezing of its contents.

In this webinar, Dr Amir Hajdaei will challenge some of these commonly held assumptions by exploring how and why pipe freezing within pipework systems continues to occur despite the presence of these precautions. He will examine the limitations of typical mitigation measures and highlight the circumstances under which they may fail, and will also present a selection of real case studies, showcasing pipework and fittings that have been damaged or have failed due to freezing conditions.

Oil leaks and foul water (soil) escapes can lead to serious contamination of buildings, land, and groundwater, often with long-term environmental and financial consequences. While the impacts may differ, the underlying causes frequently share common themes, particularly the failure, degradation, or poor installation of pipework and materials.

In this webinar, Dr Eleanor Jay, Head of the Materials Group at Hawkins, will explore how failures associated with oil-bearing systems and drainage infrastructure can give rise to contamination events. Drawing on examples from real casework, the session will examine how material selection, installation practices, ageing, and environmental exposure contribute to both oil leaks and escapes of foul water, and how these failures are identified through forensic analysis.

The webinar will also consider contamination pathways, investigation challenges, and the implications for remediation, highlighting the importance of accurate root cause identification to effectively manage risk, liability, and prevent future recurrence.

In this webinar, Principal Associate Steve Scott will provide an overview of press fittings, including their common applications within building services systems. The session will explore different types of press fittings, typical installation practices and in-service failures. Steve will highlight the common failure modes of press fittings and how these risks can be mitigated with good installation practice, as well as how the industry is working to reduce these risks through improved fitting design. 

Drawing on real casework, Steve will illustrate how failures occur and the lessons learned. The presentation will also outline Hawkins’ forensic approach to investigating press fitting failures, including the key techniques used to determine cause and responsibility.

With the increasing use of unvented plumbing systems in UK homes, effective overpressure protection is critical to safety and system reliability. In this webinar, Process Engineer Sam A’Court will explore how and why overpressure conditions arise in both domestic plumbing and industrial process systems, and why approaches that work in one environment don’t always translate to the other.

Through real-world examples, Sam will examine common failure scenarios, the safeguards designed to prevent them, and the consequences when those safeguards fail, highlighting how forensic engineering investigation helps identify root causes and inform effective remedial action and future risk reduction.

Dampness within buildings is frequently attributed to escapes of water, but this assumption can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate remedial work, and repeated failures. In this webinar, Forensic Investigator Sam Morley will explore common causes of damp that arise independently of plumbing failures, and why these are often overlooked.

Drawing on real‑world case studies, Sam will review investigations where an escape of water was initially suspected but subsequent forensic analysis identified alternative root causes, including rising damp, condensation, and external water ingress. He will also examine cases involving defective or incomplete remedial works following previous escape‑of‑water claims, where not all contributory factors were identified or addressed, resulting in ongoing or recurrent issues.

The session will highlight the importance of thorough investigation, accurate root cause identification, and proportionate remediation, providing valuable insights for insurers, loss adjusters, surveyors, and other professionals involved in property damage claims.

Most people associate freezing damage with cold weather and poorly insulated pipework. In reality, freezing can occur even when external temperatures are not extreme, often originating from within the system itself. In this webinar, David Edwards explores less known freeze risks affecting commercial installations such as frost coils, heat pumps, and complex building services.

Through real-world case studies, David will examine common causes, mitigation strategies, and how forensic investigation helps identify root causes when failures occur, supporting informed decisions on repair, liability, and prevention.

Bolted connections are one of the most common points of root‑cause failure in steel structures. Although the overall strength and reliability of a steel structure depend heavily on the performance of its connections, these critical details are often treated as secondary and may receive limited attention during design.