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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Forensic Engineering in Ann Arbor, MI
Failure investigation on distressed concrete, foundations, and pavements: coring, sampling, laboratory analysis, and licensed engineers for opinion and testimony. Ann Arbor and the surrounding MI area is covered on a project basis through our Detroit, MI regional hub.
- Dispatched from
- Detroit, MI regional hub (36 mi) · project-based staffing
- Lead time
- Scheduled by phone or proposal; lead time confirmed when the scope is set
- Laboratory
- Sugar Land, TX laboratory under chain of custody, or a mobile laboratory for large projects
- Reporting
- Reviewed and issued under a documented quality system; formatted for owner, engineer, and building-official review
- Serving
- Ann Arbor and the surrounding MI area — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren
- Coverage
- Michigan statewide · 27 regional hubs
- Technicians
- ACI- and NICET-certified field staff; licensed professionals in Michigan
- Call us
- (346) 420-5425
Scope
Forensic services in Ann Arbor
- Concrete distress investigation: cracking, scaling, spalling, low strength results
- Core sampling and testing of hardened concrete per ASTM C42
- Petrographic examination of hardened concrete per ASTM C856
- Foundation and pavement performance investigations
- Documented chain of custody and photo documentation built for litigation
Full scope, standards list, and pricing basis: Forensic Engineering.
Local conditions
Forensic conditions in Ann Arbor
Michigan's freeze-thaw cycle is among the most demanding in the Midwest. Ann Arbor structures — from the dense infill residential neighborhoods near campus to the commercial and mixed-use development corridors along Plymouth and Washtenaw — are routinely exposed to repeated freeze-thaw cycles, deicing salt infiltration, and the expansive clay-bearing soils common across Washtenaw County. When concrete distress, foundation movement, or pavement failure surfaces, the cause is rarely obvious and the consequences — financially and legally — can be significant. Our firm provides structured forensic engineering support: field technicians dispatch from our Detroit-area regional hub to collect cores, extract samples, and document site conditions following a strict chain-of-custody protocol. Laboratory analysis is conducted under a documented quality system, and licensed engineers are engaged to evaluate the evidence, form technical opinions, and provide testimony when required. Every engagement is built around preserving defensible physical evidence before conditions change.
Washtenaw County soils frequently include glacially deposited clays with moderate to high plasticity, which can contribute to differential foundation movement and slab heave — conditions that often appear in forensic referrals. Ann Arbor's climate routinely delivers freeze-thaw cycling well into spring, meaning pavement and flatwork distress can progress rapidly between a triggering event and an investigation visit.
FAQ · Ann Arbor
How do freeze-thaw cycles specific to the Ann Arbor area affect what you look for during a concrete failure investigation?
Repeated freeze-thaw cycling is a primary durability stressor in this region. During a forensic investigation, technicians document surface scaling, delamination, and crack patterns consistent with freeze-thaw deterioration and collect cores for petrographic examination per ASTM C856. Air-void system analysis and evidence of deicing salt penetration are specifically evaluated when environmental exposure is a suspected contributor to the distress.
What chain-of-custody procedures apply to cores and samples taken at an Ann Arbor site?
Every core and sample is logged at the point of extraction with location coordinates, date, time, and technician identification. Samples are labeled, sealed, and transported under documented chain of custody to the laboratory. This protocol ensures that physical evidence remains traceable and legally defensible from the field through laboratory analysis and, if necessary, through deposition or trial.
Can you investigate pavement failures on municipal or county roads in the Ann Arbor area, and does the process differ from a private project?
Yes. The investigation process — coring per ASTM D5361 for asphalt or ASTM C42 for concrete pavement, thickness measurement, and laboratory analysis — is consistent regardless of ownership. Public-right-of-way work may require advance coordination with the Michigan Department of Transportation or Washtenaw County Road Commission for access permits and traffic control; our field team accounts for those requirements during scheduling.
Which office covers forensic in Ann Arbor, MI?
Field work in Ann Arbor is dispatched through the Detroit, MI regional hub, about 36 miles away. Laboratory testing is performed in Sugar Land, TX under chain of custody, or in a mobile laboratory mobilized to large Ann Arbor projects.
Are the technicians you send to Ann Arbor certified?
Field sampling and testing in Ann Arbor are performed by our ACI- and NICET-certified technicians. Forensic engineering and professional services are delivered with professionals licensed in Michigan, coordinated under one proposal.
Hiring: we staff this work locally. Field technician openings in Ann Arbor · all positions.
Scheduling & proposals
Need forensic engineering in Ann Arbor?
Call to schedule a technician, or send project documents for a written proposal.