Engineering Archives - Hawkins Forensic Investigation

Hawkins Webinar Series: Escapes of Water, Oil and Gas

Chloe Duggan — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:07:26 +0000

From July to September 2026, join experts from across Hawkins as they host our Escapes of Water, Oil and Gas webinar series.

This series will cover a range of topics, including damage to pipes caused by sub-zero weather, press fitting failures, property damage due to damp in buildings, oil leaks, and soil escapes.

For webinar details and to register, please see below.

If you would like further information on each webinar before registering, simply click on the titles. Our Events page provides details of other Hawkins events you may find of interest.

Oil Leaks, Soil Escapes and Pipework Failure: A Forensic Engineering Perspective

Presented by Dr Eleanor Jay

Thursday 9th July 2026 at 9.30am BST

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 forensic investigation case examples, the session will examine how material selection, installation practices, ageing, and environmental exposure contribute to oil leaks and escapes of foul water, and how these failures are identified through forensic analysis.

When Systems Freeze: Hidden Risks Beyond Cold Weather

Presented by David Edwards

Thursday 23rd July 2026 at 9.30am BST

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. David’s webinar explores less obvious freeze risks affecting commercial installations such as frost coils, heat pumps, and complex building services.

Pressing Matters… Press Fittings: Risks, Failures & Forensic Investigation

Presented by Steve Scott

Thursday 6th August 2026 at 9.30am BST

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 and how the industry is working to reduce these risks through improved fitting design.

Dark as a Dungeon: Forensic Insights into Damp Diagnosis

Presented by Sam Morley

Thursday 20th August 2026 at 9.30am BST

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

Feeling the Pressure: When Overpressure Protection Fails

Presented by Sam A’Court

Tuesday 1stSeptember 2026 at 9.30am BST

With the increasing use of unvented plumbing systems in UK homes, effective overpressure protection is critical to safety and system reliability. 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 investigations identify root causes and inform remedial action.

Frozen Pipes: Common Beliefs Vs Reality

Presented by Dr Amir Hajdaei

Thursday 17th September 2026 at 9.30am BST

In this webinar, Dr Amir Hajdaei will challenge commonly held assumptions by exploring preventative measures. 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.

We look forward to welcoming you

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Oil Leaks, Soil Escapes and Pipework Failure: A Forensic Engineering Perspective

Chloe Duggan — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:20:30 +0000

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.

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Keeping the Lights On

Chloe Duggan — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:10:45 +0000

The Importance of Fuel Systems in Marine Operations

When combining diesel combustion engines with aeroderivative gas turbines in power generation assets and mechanical drive systems, the fuel specification and adherence to the specification are critical. Compliance ensures the optimal operation, and longevity of the asset and minimises down time.

In marine installations, large vessels can have a mix of propulsion drive systems. Typically, these consist solely of large diesel units, however, in some large vessels, the addition of gas turbines can be found – for that extra bit of thrust/speed.

Both can be susceptible to damage and loss of power if issues exist within the fuel supply system, problems can be caused by using the wrong fuel, or if contaminants are present in the fuel system. If contamination occurs, this can lead to a sudden loss of power which can affect the safety of the vessel. Contamination can compromise the integrity of not only the engine, but also the fuel system, which will require draining and cleaning; both of which will be costly and time consuming to execute. A typical propulsion system schematic is shown in Figure 1. This shows two diesel units and one gas turbine in a two-propeller propulsion system.

If fuel issues arise, both power unit types can be affected. In the example below, I look at how fuel contamination can lead to a buildup of deposits in the fuel system, especially in the final fuel delivery section, which in a gas turbine is the fuel nozzles. The fuel nozzles are complex components that premixes fuel with compressed air and inject the fuel mixture into the combustion can. Combustors see the hottest temperatures.

A schematic diagram of a typical fuel nozzle in a single annular combustor (SAC) is shown in Figure 2. The fuel nozzle is the final link prior to the fuel being atomised into the compressed air flow and ignited.

Issues in the fuel system can be detected by the gas turbine monitoring systems which include temperature and pressure sensors. In SAC gas turbines, there are around 30 fuel nozzles. If issues are developing, the temperature spread around the combustor is likely to change and exceed the permitted temperature spread which is typically limited to approximately 100 to 150°C across eight thermocouples dispersed around the turbine. The fuel pressures in the delivery pipework will also increase as blockages develop. These are both indicators of problems in the fuel supply system, and monitoring of the system’s sensors is of critical importance.

In the case study that follows, excessive temperature spreads and reduced power output were detected over a 72-hour period, indicating an issue with the combustion that required further investigation. This shows how rapid the degradation can be once coking occurs.

Once an issue has been identified, there are limited options for a vessel at sea. The first is to inspect the fuel nozzles to see if there are any visible signs of distress. If deposits are found as in the example below, then all the fuel nozzles will likely need to be replaced. On a gas turbine, each fuel nozzle can cost in excess of 5,000 USD, and a vessel will not carry a spare set on board.

To determine the source of deposits, a laboratory examination of the affected nozzles will be required.

A typical suite of tests includes:

Case Study

Visual examination of the nozzles from the gas turbine that had exhibited excessive T-48 temperature spreads (Figure 3), revealed remnants of liquid fuel, with both the primary and the secondary fuel line blocked by deposits. The primary flow line had been cleared prior to receipt into the laboratory but was reported to be blocked on removal from the gas turbine.

Within the residual fuel, solid deposits were found that were collected and examined. The solid deposits revealed a layered structure (Figure 4) consistent with deposits forming over several operating cycles (stops). This appearance is consistent with coking of the fuel during shut down and thermal soak back. Soak back is the cooling off period after shutdown and can be challenging as it can lead to very high temperatures in the engine damaging equipment back equipment¹. The appearance would also indicate that a purge cycle was not undertaken to remove residual fuel from the fuel line in the area.

The samples collected were analysed using an EDS analyser attached to an SEM. This revealed the deposits to be predominately carbon, however significant traces of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) were detected in areas exhibiting a cubic crystal form (Figure 5). The cubic crystals were observed in all samples examined.

The coking found in the fuel nozzles would indicate that issues were present in the purge sequence of the fuel lines on shut down. In most industrial gas turbine applications, on shut down, the fuel manifold is purged with compressed air to clear the line of residual fuel to minimise the possibility of coking. This did not appear to have occurred. The presence of cubic crystals of sodium chloride indicated contamination of the fuel by ingress of sodium chloride rich solute, such as seawater into the fuel system at some stage.

Besides the issues generated by the coking on the fuel combustion, the gas turbine had been exposed to elevated levels of sodium, which had passed through the high-pressure turbine section. At the temperatures in the hot section of the turbine (high-pressure turbine) this can lead to Type 2 hot corrosion of the turbine blades (which are more expensive than the fuel nozzles). This can lead to a catastrophic failure of the unit if not rectified.

Normally, sodium levels in fuels are specified/restricted to levels down to parts per billion to avoid this degradation mechanism. On the completion of the analysis, it was clear that further investigation was required, into the operating procedures and fuel monitoring during the operation of the vessel.

About the Author

Stephen is a forensic metallurgist with extensive global experience providing independent materials and corrosion advice to multi-national companies within the built environment and engineering industries.

He has over 25 years of experience undertaking failure and root cause analysis for clients in the power, process, and pipeline sectors and has acted as an expert witness across the globe.

¹Predicting engine soak-back with SALAMANDER | Clean (clean-aviation.eu)

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Hawkins Welcomes Chemical Engineer Dr Stefano De Rosa

Chloe Duggan — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:27:59 +0000

We are delighted to welcome Dr Stefano De Rosa to Hawkins as an Associate, joining our Italian office in Rome in February 2026.

Stefano graduated from the University of Napoli Federico II, where he completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering. Following this, he pursued a PhD in Engineering of Industrial Products and Processes, completing his thesis on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Throughout his doctoral work, Stefano explored a wide range of topics within fluid mechanics, including complex fluids, multiphase flows, combustion, and flame-induced deformation. His research spanned multiple industrial fields and involved modelling, solving, and analysing complex physical phenomena across varying process conditions. His findings have been published in several peer reviewed journals. After completing his PhD, Stefano spent time as a researcher at Sorbonne University in Paris, where he had previously undertaken a six-month visiting studentship.

We are pleased to have Stefano on board and look forward to the expertise, insight, and enthusiasm he will bring to the team.

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Congratulations – Hawkins Celebrates Employee Promotions

Chloe Duggan — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:30:12 +0000

It is with great pleasure that we announce a series of well-deserved promotions across our organisation.

Our newly promoted colleagues Ben Lister, Shimin Zhuang, Yang Dang, Ross Clarke, and Richard Baker, have consistently demonstrated outstanding technical expertise, professionalism, and a commitment to the highest quality standards. Their promotions recognise a sustained period of achievement across complex casework, advanced technical development, and active engagement in continued professional learning.

Beyond their case responsibilities, each has made significant contributions to the wider business, including leadership in Health & Safety, mentoring colleagues, and positively influencing best practice across their teams. Their strong performance in mentoring, diligence in maintaining quality standards, and sustained operational contribution have demonstrated the professionalism and quality that these roles require.

We extend our sincere thanks to each of them for their continued hard work, leadership, and positive influence across the business.

Please join us in celebrating the achievements of our newly promoted Senior Associates and Principal Associates. We look forward to their continued success and impact across the organisation.

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Hawkins Hosts Annual Spring Drinks Reception at The Whitworth Gallery

Chloe Duggan — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:18:02 +0000

Hawkins welcomed clients, colleagues, and industry professionals to our annual Spring Drinks Reception at The Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, bringing together guests for an evening of forensic insight, professional development, and networking.

Attendees were greeted with refreshments on arrival before settling in for a CILA accredited CPD presentation delivered by Hawkins’ sexperts and a guest speakers. Marketing Director and Chartered Civil Engineer Andrew Reeves opened the evening with an update on recent developments across the business, including:

Hawkins’ continued global expansion into Abu Dhabi, South Africa and Italy
The successful acquisition of A. Lamb Associates and Morham + Brotchie Partnership, strengthening our quantum and delay expertise
The expansion of Hawkins’ multidisciplinary team, now over 150 forensic experts supporting clients across more than 70 specialist disciplines

Forensic CPD: From Collapse to Cleanup

Our CPD presentation, From Collapse to Cleanup, guided attendees through a real-world, multidisciplinary forensic investigation. The session explored the structural failure and collapse of a racking system, followed by the clean‑up of potentially hazardous materials. It also examined a related personal injury incident involving a slip on a wet surface during remediation.

Presenters included Hawkins experts George Jackson, Claire Mann, and Ian Tatner, and quantum expert, Nigel Jackson of ALA , supported by guest contributor Mike Clementson of Claims Care Consultants

Interactive Exhibits & Networking

Following the presentation, guests enjoyed a networking reception with flowing drinks and canapés. Attendees explored a series of real-life casework exhibits, immersed themselves in a VR fire investigation experience, and took part in interactive demonstrations – including the popular “guess the accelerant” scent challenge and hands-on use of the pendulum slip-resistance tester featured in the presentation.

Hawkins extends its thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the evening. Information about future events can be found here.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. Details of our upcoming events can be found here.

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A Structure is Only as Strong as its Weakest Link

Matthew Carrington — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:41:10 +0000

Construction projects of all kinds, over a wide range of scale, require structural engineering design input to direct the way they are built. The structural engineering design is almost always implemented in conjunction with architectural design, other specialisms, and the knowledge and skills of the contractor and specialist sub-contractors.

Civil and structural engineering design is a complex field where many engineers are highly qualified, with professional accreditations from engineering institutions after several years of industry experience, following a university degree. However, there is no safeguard against less qualified or less experienced people also trading as civil or structural engineers.

This article discusses the typical aspects of structural engineering design that are required in most construction projects. It includes case studies investigated by Hawkins, where the action of the structural engineering designer could be at fault.

“The strength of a structure depends on the strength of its elements and the way they are joined together.” – Gustave Eiffel

Weak Links

Some building faults might be related to issues with the structural engineering design, or omissions in it. Others may be due to the actions of other parties in the design or construction team, or faulty materials. The design process for each project must consider all the potential modes of failure of the structure. Any one thing could be missed in the design process and cause an issue with the performance of a building. Sometimes, a combination of circumstances needs to coincide to cause a failure. Almost every construction project is a prototype due to the varying combinations of building shape, location and formation of the team performing the work. The following sections describe five links in the structural engineering design chain.

1. Design Issues

It is possible for a structural engineer to completely design the strength and stiffness of the individual elements for the structure but miss a wider issue that can lead to damage or failure.

For example:

The lateral sway stability of part of a building can be reduced by replacing the vertical support from a solid masonry wall with a steel beam;
Loads on a gravity retaining wall at a change of level of external ground that were not allowed for in the design can occur if drainage is not detailed (Figure 2);
Overall structural capacity can be exceeded if a whole category of loading is omitted, such as wind or snow load.

2. Site Issues

There are cases where the design might have considered the typical scenario for the type of structure they designed, but there was something different on site that they did not allow for.

For instance:

If a designer assumed that a wall was a cavity brick/block wall, when it was in fact a solid stone wall, then the wall would be heavier than assumed. A beam installed to create an opening and support the wall could then be overloaded;
A wall that was retaining higher ground could collapse if the rest of the building that was providing lateral support to the wall was removed without considering the interaction (Figure 3);
The effect of a row of small trees on building foundations movement can be greater than the individual trees;
Different ground conditions can have more or less aggressive reactions to the concrete they are in contact with. The wrong mix of concrete might look suitable initially, but in aggressive ground conditions, it can degrade over time.

3. Calculations

Sometimes, the structural designer can miscalculate their designs.

Examples might include:

An assumed length of a beam was not updated in the design calculation when the length of the opening was longer than first planned;
In a structural assessment, the engineer might have used the material properties for normal density concrete when the element was lightweight or aerated concrete, which can only provide lower strengths;
In computer aided design, using finite-element modelling or calculation sheets prepared by a software company, the wrong input for the situation being built can lead to an understrength member. This might arise from one wrong tick in a box within the software options.

4. Stages of Design

There have been cases where the structural engineer provided sufficient design information for a preliminary stage of the design, such as submission to building control, to gain approval for the project to proceed. Then, the client or contractor did not go back to the engineer to ask for detailed design and construction details, or did not correctly apply the submitted preliminary design.

These cases have included:

Where relative positioning between structural members and their supports was critical to the building performance, but the individual member capacity design was sufficient to pass the building control plans check;
Where the order of construction would be critical to the capacity of the structural members. During construction, an unrestrained steel beam would have considerably less capacity to carry vertical loads until it was restrained by the floors to both sides (Figure 4);
Often, changes that appear to make the building simpler to construct can introduce complications to the way they would perform. The changes would need further structural design and could cause a problem if the designer had not been notified.

5. Missing Design

We have investigated cases where an item was overlooked as needing civil or structural engineering design. This can occur at interfaces between specialist contractors’ responsibilities:

i. Roof vents (Figure 5);
ii. Cladding boards (Figure 6).

These will likely perform satisfactorily in normal conditions but might not be sufficient for high winds or rain. This would likely present in the failure of several of the same items. Identifying the fault early might allow the rest of the items to be remediated.

Failures can exhibit a range of states of distress and at different times in the life cycle of a building.

The questions which must be considered when investigating the root cause of the failure will vary with the scenario, including:

Was the designer provided all the necessary and correct information?
Should the designer have found out the correct information by looking into the situation more than relying on drawing or reports they were provided?
Was there information that the designer needed to show in more detail to a competent contractor?
Was there a coordination responsibility to make sure the correct information was provided?
Should a competent contractor have given feedback to the designer that the situation was not as allowed for in the design?
Did the client appointment limit how much the designer could do in any of these aspects?

In some cases, we have been able to advise that urgent action needed to be taken to avoid further damage occurring. This can save people spending time in a position of danger looking for material damage or conducting intrusive investigations that might tip the situation further towards collapse.

“The best design is the simplest one that works”. – Albert Einstein

Conclusions

Sufficient structural engineering design relies on considering all the relevant design issues and all the particular conditions on the site. The structural engineer must complete the design calculations correctly and present the construction information clearly to the contractor. Greater levels of detail are required for the construction issue of the structural drawings than for the building control submission. That is a situation where misunderstandings can arise. Also, there are proprietary and peripheral items related to construction that might not be part of the scope of a structural engineering appointment but would have benefitted from a review by a structural engineer.

How can Hawkins Help?

Hawkins’ Built Environment team can review when something has gone wrong and assess the relevant specialism or party that might have contributed to the issue. Professional experience is important in engineering, including experience of investigation.

About the Author

Jolyon Antill is a Chartered Civil Engineer based in our Reigate office. Graduating with a first-class Master’s Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering, Jolyon has 27 years of design consultancy experience.

His range of industrial and commercial project design work includes new builds, renovations, and structural surveys, both in the UK and overseas. Jolyon also has extensive experience in regional civil and structural engineering consultancies working on educational, residential, leisure and commercial projects. If you have a civil or structural issue and need Jolyon or one of the team to investigate, please contact us.

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Hawkins International Webinar Series

Chloe Duggan — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:53:49 +0000

From April to June 2026, join experts from across Hawkins as they host our International Webinar Series, featuring specialists from our global office locations.

This series covers a wide range of topics, including material and mechanical failures, lithium‑ion batteries, bridge forensics, bolted connection failures, and risk in indoor climbing.

For webinar details and to register, please see below.

If you would like further information on each webinar before registering, simply click on the titles. Our events page provides details of other Hawkins events that you may find of interest.

Forensic Investigation of Materials and Mechanical Failures in MENA

Presented by Dr Tom Peat

Thursday 16th April 2026 at 9.30am BST

Mechanical Engineer Dr Tom Peat will explore Hawkins’ forensic investigation capabilities across the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular focus on materials and mechanical failures relevant to legal disputes and insurance claims. He will outline how metallurgical analysis, failure reconstruction, and engineering forensics are applied to determine causation and support liability assessments within the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

An Introduction to Bridge Forensics

Presented by Eng Phin

Thursday 30th April 2026 at 9.30am BST

In this webinar, Structural Engineer Eng Phin introduces the fundamentals of bridge forensics, with a focus on pre‑stressed concrete (PSC) bridges – one of the most common bridge types in Hong Kong and worldwide. The session covers key topics including structural systems, failure modes, and common investigation techniques.

A Bolt From the Blue: Why Bolted Connections Can Unexpectedly Fail

Presented by Patrick Walsh

Thursday 14th May 2026 at 9.30am BST

Civil Engineer Patrick Walsh will examine the most frequent design and installation errors in bolted connections that can lead to unexpected failures. The session will highlight how issues such as incorrect surface preparation, improper bolt pre‑tensioning, and misunderstandings of bolt behaviour can significantly increase the risk of structural failure.

Lithium Ion Batteries: Chemistries, Failures and Fire

Presented by David Reid Rowland

Thursday 28th May 2026 at 9.30am BST

In this webinar, mechanical engineer and forensic expert David Reid Rowland draws on two decades of investigative experience to demystify how lithium ion batteries work, why they fail, and what makes their fires so destructive and difficult to extinguish. He also explores real-world examples involving consumer products, marine cargo, and electric vehicles, highlighting the importance of regulation, protective systems, and safe handling practices.

Forensic Insights: Uncovering Failures in Mechanical Systems

Presented by Albert Law

Thursday 11th June 2026 at 9.30am BST

In this webinar, Mechanical Engineer Albert Law explores the forensic engineering approach applied to mechanical systems such as air‑conditioning units, pumping systems, fans, and other mechanical equipment. Attendees will gain an understanding of how mechanical failures are investigated, the methodologies used to identify root causes, and the role of forensic analysis in improving system reliability and safety.

Climbing: Lets Tie in & Consider the Risks

Presented by Jason Buchwitz

Thursday 25th June 2026 at 9.30am BST

In this presentation, Materials Engineer Jason Buchwitz will explore the construction and characteristics of indoor climbing walls, review trends in climbing-related accidents, and examine existing risk reduction measures, while considering which risks are unavoidable elements of the sport.

We look forward to presenting to you.

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Forensic Investigation of Materials & Mechanical Failures in MENA

Chloe Duggan — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:52:44 +0000

In this presentation, Mechanical Engineer Dr Tom Peat will explore Hawkins’ forensic investigation capabilities across the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular focus on materials and mechanical failures relevant to legal disputes and insurance claims.

He will outline how metallurgical analysis, failure reconstruction, and engineering forensics are applied to determine causation and support liability assessments within the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

The post Forensic Investigation of Materials & Mechanical Failures in MENA appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

An Introduction to Bridge Forensics

Chloe Duggan — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:52:18 +0000

Bridges are designed for long service lives, often 100 to 120 years, and must remain safe and reliable throughout their lifespan. While a bridge may appear to be a straightforward structure enabling transportation, its performance has a direct impact on economic activity and the daily lives of the communities that rely on it. At the same time, bridges are frequently located in challenging environments and subjected to heavy loading, both of which can accelerate deterioration.

In this webinar, Structural Engineer Eng Phin introduces the fundamentals of bridge forensics, with a particular focus on Pre‑Stressed Concrete (PSC) bridges – one of the most common bridge types in Hong Kong and around the world. The session covers key topics including structural systems, typical failure modes, and widely used investigation techniques.

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