Forensic Engineering in Gwinnett County, GA

Each core, sample, or extracted specimen is labeled at the point of collection, logged on a custody form that travels with the sample, and transferred to the laboratory without gap in documentation. Photographs are taken in place before extraction. This process is maintained throughout field recovery, transport, and laboratory intake so that the evidentiary integrity of every specimen can be demonstrated if the material is later reviewed in a legal or regulatory proceeding.

Residual Piedmont clays can shrink during drought and expand during wet seasons, producing differential movement beneath slabs and shallow foundations. An investigation must differentiate soil-induced movement from construction or material defects. Field investigation typically includes subsurface exploration, moisture profiling, and review of original geotechnical data alongside structural distress documentation. The licensed engineer engaged for the project interprets findings in context of site-specific soil behavior.

Concrete cores are obtained and prepared in accordance with ASTM C42, which governs drilling, handling, and end preparation. Compressive strength testing of those cores follows ASTM C39. Petrographic examination, when included, follows ASTM C856, allowing the laboratory to evaluate paste quality, air-void distribution, aggregate condition, and signs of alkali-silica reaction, sulfate attack, or freeze-thaw deterioration — all relevant to failure causation analysis.

Field work in Gwinnett County is dispatched through the Atlanta, GA regional hub, about 26 miles away. Laboratory testing is performed in Sugar Land, TX under chain of custody, or in a mobile laboratory mobilized to large Gwinnett County projects.

Field sampling and testing in Gwinnett County are performed by our ACI- and NICET-certified technicians. Forensic engineering and professional services are delivered with professionals licensed in Georgia, coordinated under one proposal.