Consulting Services

Haag services range from determining causes of failure, evaluating the scope of damage, and computing the costs of repair to reconstruction monitoring and rework/restoration analyses.

Haag clients benefit greatly from the wide diversity of backgrounds and experience of a staff of engineers and technicians. With this broad base of knowledge we have the capacity to analyze virtually any type of failure or damage situation, and we have the available expertise to evaluate data accurately and derive sound conclusions.

Skywalk Collapse - Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri

Fires and Explosions. Our work includes determining cause and origin of fires in residential, commercial, and industrial environments as well as in vehicles and other equipment. Haag performs on-site inspections and analyses of burn and debris patterns in addition to laboratory examinations and testing of suspect equipment and/or appliances. Engineering analysis sometimes necessitates the collection and testing of debris to determine presence and composition of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons.

Electrical. On-site inspection and/or laboratory testing is performed on a wide variety of electrical equipment including electric motors, transformers, power generation and distribution systems, appliances, computers, and electronic equipment.

Mechanical. Production equipment and all types of machinery and machine guarding systems are analyzed and tested to determine cause of failure, reliability, and safety. Specialized testing may be required, and testing programs and equipment can be designed and implemented to aid analysis. For certain types of mechanical failures, metallurgists are retained, as needed, to analyze failed components.

Radio tower collapse

Weather-Related. Complete meteorological data are compiled and applied to analyze damage from various weather phenomena, including hail, snow and ice, wind, storm surge, flooding, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

Chemical. Work scope typically includes determination of cause, extent of damage, cost to repair, reasonable time to repair, and value of lost production related to problems involving chemical plants petro-chemical facilities, and refineries. Cause work may include identification of chemicals and chemical processes, analysis of involved chemical reactions, determination of chemical and physical properties of reactants, and analysis of reaction kinetics. Damage evaluation includes inspection of process equipment, piping, electrical systems, instrumentation, and structures.

Structural. Failure debris is examined, and structural analyses are performed. Additional full-scale tests, component tests, and computer-aided analyses are used, as needed, in combination with on-site inspections. Weather studies also may be performed if applicable. Past structural failures analyzed include residences, commercial and industrial buildings, television and radio towers, earthen dams, bridges, crane structures, major public buildings, and marine structures. Metallurgists, strain gage technicians, etc., are engaged when needed to complete the analysis of failed components.

The extent of consulting services ranges from general to detailed depending on clients' needs.

Initial Site Inspection. The general extent of damage is evaluated, and elements are classified as "reusable as is," "reusable if repaired," or "not economically salvageable." A preliminary estimate for costs of repairing salvageable items can be computed.

Detailed Site Inspection. An in-depth repair analysis is provided, including a detailed assessment of repair and rework charges.

Rework and Restoration Analysis. Various repair options comparing relative cost advantages and including production downtime costs are developed and evaluated. Haag engineers have broad experience in the restoration of both machinery and structures. Replacement and actual cash values can be computed, and replacement equipment (used, rebuilt, or new) can be located.

Reconstruction Monitoring. This work routinely involves developing a preliminary estimate of the cost of recovery and of the downtime, then monitoring the recovery process and updating forecasts of costs and time. Simultaneously, all costs of the reconstruction process are monitored by the review of contractor charges, labor rates, manpower levels, equipment expenses, and vendor charges. Costs of changes, improvements, and expediting are evaluated and segregated from "as-was" reconstruction costs. The extent of the work can be as general or as specific as the client requires, from periodic reinspections to the establishment of a field office manned full-time to permit continuous monitoring of the project from start to finish.

Additional Services

Haag Engineering Co. also has provided qualified consultation in the following areas: conformance with applicable codes and standards, industrial accident studies, blast monitoring, blasting damage inspections, industrial noise evaluations, and lighting surveys.