Garrett Engineers, Inc. - This Month's Issue

This Month's Issue

November '08 Case of the Month

Case of the Month: Ford Fires - An SCDS Issue

As the family stumbled out of bed, no one doubted that there was a fire. A quick call to 911 brought the fire engines to the house. They evacuated the residents and knocked down the fire in about a half hour. The house was pretty much a total loss. Their two vehicles, which were safely locked in the garage, were also completely destroyed by the fire. A couple days later, the fire department investigators followed up, and determined the fire had started in the garage. GEI was brought in at that point to find out what really happened.

October '08 Case of the Month

Case of the Month

Case of the Month: Leaky Pipes

The case of the month involves the investigation of leaking inch, inch and a half, and two inch copper water mains and lateral lines in a community servicing approximately a thousand homes. Beginning in April of the first year, a contractor replaced all the mains and laterals. By May of the following year, water leaks developed at various angle meter stops, sometimes even breaking through the surface of the asphalt streets. When we were assigned to examine the records and installation of the water system, including the joints used, and determine the cause of the leaks, the number of reported leaking connections was more than 200. That is a lot of lost water for a city with a new water system.

September '08 Case of the Month

Case of the Month

Case of the Month: A Swimming Pool Diving Accident

The case of the month involves a typical back yard swimming pool. It was an in-ground, plastered concrete, free-form shaped pool, measuring about 16 feet wide and 32 feet long. It had the usual hardscape walkways around it, and it was properly fenced, properly maintained and properly cleaned.