THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 at Amenities Hall, 3700 W Sam Houston Pkwy S, Houston, TX 77042, Tel: (713) 266-6900
11:30 am – Social
11:45 am – Lunch
12:00 pm – Program
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- Members $30
- Non-Members $35
- Students $5
Abstract:
This presentation by Scout Forensics delves into the methods and techniques used to assess fire damage to structural components, as well as the importance of accurate evaluations for ensuring public safety and proper implantation of critical repair-related building code requirements. More specifically, the presentation provides an overview of the effects of fire/heat to common building materials(e.g., steel, wood, concrete, and masonry), investigation procedures for assessing the extent of such damage, and the engineering analysis necessary for restoration of the overall structural systems general procedures for assessing such damage – The goal of this session is to provide professionals with an introductory knowledge base needed to make informed decisions when evaluating the aftermath of fire-related incidents in structures.
Presenters:
Eric Homburg, ME, PE, SE (Structural Eng.) and Trey Triplett, ME, PE, SE (Principal)
Bios:
Eric Homburg is a Structural Engineer at Scout Forensics LLC with structural engineering experience including residential and commercial structural design, computational simulation and analysis of vehicular barrier impacts, and forensic investigations for commercial, institutional, and residential structures. As part of his forensic experience, Mr. Homburg has assessed damage and provided repair recommendations for structures subjected to storm-induced forces (e.g., hurricanes, tornados, high winds), vehicular impacts, fires, water/moisture intrusion, hail impacts, construction deficiencies, and excessive gravity loading. Prior to conducting forensic investigations, he was a project engineer and project manager for design of structural new construction and retrofit projects. While attending Texas A&M University, he also had to the opportunity to model and analyze the dynamic response of vehicular barrier impacts, through the use of finite element analysis accounting for nonlinear/fracture material properties, in order to improve upon existing barrier designs prior to physical testing and validation. Mr. Homburg also serves as the Vice President for the Houston Chapter of SEAoT.
Justin Hodges is Managing Member and Principal Engineer with more than 15 years of engineering experience including forensic investigations – assessing damage and providing repair recommendations for structures subjected to storm-induced forces (e.g., tornados, high winds), vehicle/vessel impacts, fires, explosions, water/moisture intrusion, construction deficiencies, and excessive gravity loading. As part of his forensic experience, Mr. Hodges has provided litigation support services in multiple legal matters. He has also completed the analysis and design of commercial and industrial structures comprised of steel, concrete, masonry, and wood. While attending graduate school, he was directly involved in the evaluation of reinforced elastomers employed to mitigate blast loading-induced shrapnel in masonry walls. In addition, he had a lead role in research focusing on biological material characterization and replication (biomimicry) using composite materials. As a result of this experience and education, he gained extensive knowledge on the behavior of common construction materials and their failure mechanisms, as well as an in-depth understanding of structural analysis and design principles – which is evidenced by his designation as a Model Law Structural Engineer (MLSE) by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
