Forensic engineering is a discipline that uses engineering analysis to determine the cause of events and contributes to the legal process, performing important functions such as applying penalties, preventing accidents, and resolving civil disputes.
The term “forensic engineering” is probably unfamiliar to many people. It may seem like an awkward combination of two unlikely words: law and engineering. Forensic engineering, like forensic science, is a branch of the legal sciences that uses engineering analysis to determine the cause of an accident and contribute to the legal process. To break down the somewhat vague definition, it’s as follows If an engineer’s job is to investigate the cause of an accident when it occurs, and a lawyer’s job is to listen to testimony in court, seek advice, and hold people accountable, then a forensic engineer’s job is to investigate the cause of an accident and provide legal advice. If engineering is about analyzing a given task in depth, predicting failure through the behavior of materials and designing for reliability, forensic engineering is about finding the causes of failure from events that have already occurred and analyzing them in depth so that they can be used as important evidence in court.
The history and development of forensic engineering is fascinating. Forensic engineering has been around since the end of the 19th century, and it was born out of the convergence of engineering and law, which rapidly developed with the Industrial Revolution. Initially, it was mainly focused on the investigation of accidents related to industrial accidents, but its scope gradually expanded and it”s now used in many different fields. Modern forensic engineering plays an important role in solving complex cases by combining the expertise of several engineering disciplines, including architecture, mechanics, electricity, and chemistry.
Forensic engineering can be categorized into three main functions. First, forensic engineering can apply the national penal system, so it can impose punishment on those responsible through scientific investigation. For example, on February 17, 2014, a roof collapsed at the Mauna Ocean Resort gymnasium in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Gyeongsang Province, during a welcome party for new students at Busan University of Foreign Studies. According to the building code, Gyeongju requires buildings to withstand a snow load of 50kg/m², but the building was subjected to a snow load of 114kg/m². The building was expected to withstand this load if it had been properly constructed according to the plans, but the investigation revealed illegal construction practices, including the use of low-strength materials for the gym’s roof and columns, and arbitrary changes to the plans without review by a structural engineer. As a result, arrest warrants were issued for six people, including the resort manager and those responsible for the poor construction.
Another important role of forensic engineering is to train professionals through education and training. Since forensic engineers need to have legal knowledge beyond just technical knowledge, programs to train them are very important. These programs are not only degree programs offered by universities, but also continuing education courses for professionals working in the field. This ensures that forensic engineers are constantly learning about the latest technologies and legal changes and are able to apply them to real-world cases.
It also allows them to learn from incidents to determine causes and compile statistics to prevent future accidents. After the Mau Na Ocean Resort gymnasium collapse, snow load standards for buildings were strengthened nationwide, and MOLIT announced that it would review and improve building standards for extreme weather events. Strengthening building standards will help prevent future building collapses and other safety accidents.
Forensic engineering also plays an important role in fulfilling social responsibility. Forensic engineers contribute to maintaining the safety and order of society by investigating the causes of various accidents and taking legal action based on their findings. This is not just about identifying the causes of accidents, but also about increasing the level of safety in society as a whole.
Lastly, forensic engineering evaluations can also help in civil disputes and contribute to insurance coverage for losses caused by disasters. In a lawsuit, you need to present your case with objective data and counter the other side’s arguments. This is where forensic engineering can help you win your case by using objective and important scientific evidence.
Some may question the need to combine law and engineering to create a discipline called forensic engineering. However, the same scientific evidence can be interpreted differently by different engineers, so what evidence is used and how it is presented can make a difference in the outcome of a case. This is why we need a discipline called forensic engineering, which combines both disciplines to achieve the best possible outcome in litigation.
It has been said that forensic engineering is about learning to create from destruction. Of course, it is best if accidents do not happen, but the main significance of forensic engineering is to identify the exact cause of accidents so that the culprits can be punished, vigilance can be increased, and safety standards can be strengthened to prevent further damage. Korea has one of the highest rates of fatal accidents among OECD countries. Recently, there have been many large-scale safety accidents such as the Mauna Ocean Resort gymnasium collapse and the Sewol ferry accident. It is time to break out of safety apathy and always be concerned about safety and prevent accidents, and it is expected that we can develop more systematically through legal engineering.
The future of legal engineering is even brighter. With the development of advanced technology, new research and technologies are constantly being developed in the field of legal engineering. Predicting the cause of accidents through artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis, and conducting field surveys using modern equipment such as drones, are greatly improving the efficiency and accuracy of forensic engineering. These technological advances will help forensic engineers analyze incidents more quickly and accurately, which will help them take better legal action. International collaboration will also help forensic engineers from different countries share knowledge and collaborate to improve safety on a global scale.
