Guardrails 101

Since shortly after the first automobiles rolled off an assembly line, guardrails, bridge rails, crash cushions, and other safety devices have been installed on roadways in an effort to improve the safety of the traveling public.  Just as automotive safety design has improved tremendously over the years, the design and application of roadside safety appurtenances has improved vastly as well.  State Highway Departments and the Federal Highway Administration were the original driving force behind many of these safety improvements, but over the last 30 years or so private industry has provided much of the innovation that has led to products which make the roads safer.  This is especially true with guardrail terminals.

The purpose of a guardrail is to shield motorists from natural or man-made obstacles located along either side of a traveled way.  An impact with a guardrail system should prevent contact with the hazard being shielded, and be less severe than an impact with that hazard.  A typical guardrail system is anchored on both ends, and when an errant vehicle impacts along the length of guardrail, tension is developed in the rail and the vehicle is redirected away from the hazard.  The ends of the guardrail system are potential problem locations, as a vehicle impacting an untreated guardrail end can be stopped abruptly resulting in high deceleration forces for the occupant, or the guardrail could penetrate the occupant compartment and cause serious injury.  In the early days these guardrail ends were left untreated, resulting in many vehicles being ‘speared’ with the guardrail during a collision.

Guardrail “Terminals” were eventually developed to improve the impact performance of the ends of the guardrail systems.  These terminals started out as basic as twisting the guardrails and anchoring it at ground level, and have evolved over the years to sophisticated “energy absorbing” terminals which capture the errant vehicle and bring it to a controlled stop.  The technology used for many of these modern guardrail terminals is proprietary, and are only available for purchase from the company owning rights to the patents.

Having worked for ten years designing and crash testing roadside safety appurtenances, Dr. Brian Pfeifer had the opportunity to lead the development of several of these lifesaving designs, and has seen first-hand the difference that this technology can make in the dynamics of a collision.   Of course, guardrails and guardrail terminals cannot be designed to safely bring vehicles to a stop under every impact condition, but they must be crash tested under specified impact conditions and approved for use by the Federal Highway Administration before they can be used in any projects using federal funds (a large majority of roadway projects receive at least some amount of federal funding). 

Even with all of this improved safety technology, people die as a result of impacts with guardrail terminals every day.  Some of these deaths are the result of extreme or unusual impact conditions, but many are the result of poor product design, improper terminal selection, or faulty installation.  If you have a case that involves these issues, it is very important to understand the role that the safety device played.  In order to understand these issues, it is important to involve an expert familiar with the design and operation of roadside safety devices early on in your investigation.

Please contact Brian Pfeifer, Ph.D., P.E. and our team of engineers and technicians and put our experience and expertise to work for you.

Retail Safety

One of the most common areas where there is an interaction of the public (non-employees) and a workplace is in Retail facilities. Here the retailer must be concerned with not only establishing and maintaining a safe workplace for their employees but they also have to be aware of creating a safe shopping environment for their customers (also called business invitees). The term “Retail Safety” implies that the concern is surrounding safety issues related the sale of merchandise.  The reality is that retail facilities have the same safety concerns that every work place has.  These hazards range from slip, trips, and falls, ladder safety, material handling issues, and potentially powered industrial trucks like forklifts.

OSHA, ANSI, and General Industry have long recognized the need for standards, rules, and guidelines to govern the safe operation of workplaces and this also includes Retail facilities. The questions come when assessing what applies to the employees and what applies to the customers. The truth is that the standards and guidelines for safe operations apply to everyone.  This is where you can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of an experienced engineer and a team that can identify the critical aspects of the event sequence and piece the puzzle together for you.  Please contact Traci Campbell, PE, CXLT and our team of engineers and technicians and put our experience and expertise to work for you.

Forklift Safety

Forklifts are one of the most common pieces of material handling equipment in use today. You can find forklifts in warehouses, shipping yards, construction sites, and even retail facilities. As such, forklifts can be found interacting with everything in a workplace environment from storage racks, loading docks, tractor trailers, other heavy machinery and most dangerously, pedestrians. OSHA, ANSI, and General Industry have long recognized the need for standards, rules, and guidelines to govern the safe operation of forklifts. These authorities set forth the framework to have and maintain a successful and safe operating environment.

Whenever forklifts are involved in personal injury events, it is important to be able to sift through all the factors that played a role in what transpired. That’s where you can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of an experienced engineer and a team that can identify the critical aspects of the event sequence and piece the puzzle together for you.  Please contact Traci Campbell, PE, CXLT and our team of engineers and technicians and put our experience and expertise to work for you.

Photogrammetry 101

Photogrammetry has been in use for centuries and for many different uses. The Tomahawk Cruise missile, for example, uses an advanced form of sophisticated photogrammetry to guide it to its intended target. Photogrammetry in accident reconstruction is used to supplement or verify existing scene measurements. It may also be used to create scene measurements when there were none taken on the date of the accident.  All, of course, are contingent on good, reliable photographs. In instances where little or maybe no measurements were taken at an accident scene where other evidence of significance was overlooked and may be visible in the scene photos the use of photogrammetry to place those pieces of significant evidence can mean the difference between determining if one has a case worth pursuing or not.

In this subject case the fluid spill became a significant piece of evidence, but had not been measure-documented at the time of the accident. Only photographic documentation (Fig. 1) was available. Knowing, however, some specifics about typical highway lane striping and utilizing a date-sensitive aerial photo, basic assumptions could be made about lane line separation and roadway widths. With these known physical characteristics the needed physical evidence could be placed on a scale diagram (Fig. 2) by a simple method of photogrammetry. At BEC Consulting we can use this simple method of photogrammetry to locate and diagram physical evidence for your cases that were not thoroughly and completely measure-documented at the time of the accident.

FARO 3-D Scanning

Portable 3-D scanners and software technology can be used in a variety of engineering applications.  The precise and detailed digital scans, which include high resolution photographs, deliver realistic and accurate three dimensional models, providing our consulting engineers with thorough details of accident scenes, vehicles, product designs and more.  These powerful graphics are used in the analysis of each case file and provide effective results and deliverables for our clients.

• Detailed Digital Scans
• High Resolution Photographs
• Three Dimensional Models
• Powerful Graphics

Trips

A trip is when the momentum of a foot is impeded by an object to the extent that a loss of balance occurs.  Some common causes include foreign objects in walking paths (wheel stops in parking lots, torn carpet, etc.), sudden changes in elevation (jagged sidewalk expansion joints, unexpected steps, etc.), or even inattention and/or familiar complacency (knew it was there but forgot). How do you think a cell phone might contribute to a pedestrian’s attention or inattention?

Did you know that a change in elevation on a walkway surface greater than ¼ inch is likely to be non-code compliant and creates a potentially unsafe walking surface?

Slips

Slips arise from the failure of traction on the interface between the footwear and the walking surface. Four factors that affect footwear traction include floor surface, contaminants on the floor, footwear, and human gait dynamics. Can you identify which of these factors are controllable and which are not? Part of slip accident investigation includes being able to identify the elements of the accident in these four factors and then provide analysis and evaluation as to the proper specification and execution of these elements. Traci Campbell, P.E., CXLT and our team of engineers and technicians have the expertise and experience to answers these critical questions for you.

Coefficient of Friction and slip resistance of surfaces also plays a big role in slip accidents. Traci Campbell, P.E., CLXT is a certified XL Tribometrist and able to assess the slip resistance of your floor and advise on how it plays a role in your accident.

Falls

A fall occurs when you leave an erect position suddenly and involuntarily. Many times a fall will result from being unable to recover your balance from a slip or a trip. Some common causes of falls including uneven floor surfaces, unsuitable floor coverings, unguarded holes or openings, wet floors, changes in levels, poor lighting, and poor housekeeping. Being able to assess the root cause of a fall can be critical in the evaluation of an accident.

Falls are often associated with other safety issues such as guarding, slip resistance, and equipment operation. Traci Campbell, P.E., CXLT and our team of engineers and technicians can help put all the pieces of the puzzle together and give you a full scope analysis of your accident.

What About Construction Zone and Roadside Safety?

Construction zones can be a dangerous place for motorists, pedestrians, and construction personnel. When an accident does occur, you need the right team to analyze the situation. Dr. Brian Pfeifer, and our team of engineers and technicians will evaluate the maintenance of traffic (MOT) plan to determine whether or not it was developed and executed properly.

Even after the construction is over, roadside safety is critical to the traveling public. Roadside appurtenances such as guardrails, bridge rails, crash cushions, and sign supports are installed along roadways for this very reason. To maintain safety, however, proper implementation of these devices is crucial. Our engineers have training and experience unique to these issues and can assist you in evaluating your case.

BEC Announces Cell Phone Forensics Capabilities

In an effort to continuously expand and refine our service offerings, BEC is always looking into what
tools, software and equipment will best suit the needs of our clients. With the popularity of cell phones, GPS units, and other mobile devices, everyone knows there is a wealth of data contained inside these portable computers and now we have the ability to access that information. Location data, phone usage, and times and dates of calls/messages can be the silver bullet to winning your case.  The following are just a few of the things BEC can now provide via download from a cell phone or mobile device:

• Calls, SMS (text messages), MMS (multimedia messages)
• Media, emails, calendar, and contact files
• Location information decoded from apps, GPS, cell towers, Wi-Fi and media files
• Direction and route traveled

BEC’s new cell phone forensics capabilities can give you the data you need to help visualize the big picture. This data can be provided to you with a proven and repeatable forensic process and in a robust, but easy to read report structure.

If you have any questions about our new capabilities, please contact Chris Yates at 904-707-5480 or via email at cyates@becind.com.

Meet Traci Campbell, P.E.

Traci is an Industrial Engineer with specialties in industrial accident reconstruction, including forklifts, construction machinery, appliances, and manufacturing equipment. She also specializes in slip/trip/fall cases and is a Certified XL Tribometerist. Traci achieved her BS Industrial Engineering degree from Florida State University in 1993 and is a Professional Engineer in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. She has over 21 years of experience which includes vehicular accident reconstruction involving automobiles, trucks, tractor-trailers, and recreational vehicles, as well as slip, trip, and fall analysis, product failure analysis, and workplace-safety related issues. Please click HERE to review a full copy of Traci's CV.

Located in our headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida, Traci remains available to assist BEC's clients throughout the domestic United States. If you have a case that you would like to consult with her on, please contact Traci directly by phone (850-558-3135) or email (tcampbell@becconsult.com).

Meet Brian Pfeifer, Ph.D., P.E.

Brian is a senior consulting engineer with a strong background in design, development, and implementation of roadside safety hardware. He attained his Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering and Doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska and has over 17 years experience in forensic engineering. Brian's current work includes vehicular accident reconstruction, evaluation of construction zone accidents, premises liability, investigation and analysis of mechanical systems and product failures, as well as the development of automated material-handling systems.  His specialty is roadside safety and analysis of maintenance of traffic issues.

Located at our headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida, Brian assists BEC's clients throughout the domestic United States. If you have a case that you would like to consult with him on or, if you would like to arrange a speaking engagement at this time, please contact Brian directly by phone (850-558-3121) or email (bpfeifer@BECind.com).

Hello Jacksonville

BEC is happy to announce its newest satellite office.

Located in Jacksonville, Florida, Chris Yates, P.E. is a mechanical engineer with over 20 years of accident reconstruction experience. Chris' previous work includes  analysis and reconstruction of vehicular accidents, including vehicular dynamics and occupant restraint as well as the investigation of industrial accidents and product analysis. Chris also has specialized training and experience with downloading automobile and tractor/trailer ECMs (black boxes).

If you need an engineer with the ability to quickly respond to the north and central Florida area and beyond, Chris can be reached at 904-707-5480.

BEC Graphics

BEC does in-house demonstrative aids to cover all of your legal graphics needs. Whether you need an animation to show exactly how it happened or a presentation to take the jury through the process step-by-step, BEC has you covered. In addition to animations and presentations, BEC can handle nighttime visibility studies, scaled 2-D diagrams, videography and physical modelling.

Below you can view a sample of our animations services illustrating a parts explosion of an infant warmer to highlight the heating element.

BEC can also do computer simulations for vehicular accidents using ARAS 360 or EDSMAC. A sample of an accident we recreated using ARAS 360 can also be seen below.

Even is you are not using one of BEC's highly trained engineers, feel free to contact us to see how we can help you with any of your legal graphics needs. Or if you would like to see more, visit our YouTube page for additional samples.

BEC's Look See Program

Did you know BEC offers a $750 flat fee Look See Program? Details can be found below, or if you would like to talk to someone about it in-person come see us at the FJA Workhorse Seminar on February 18-21 in Orlando Florida.

Traci Campbell and Brian Pfeifer will be attending the FJA Workhorse and would be happy to discuss it or anything else you might need assistance with. If you would like to make arrangements to meet with Ms. Campbell, you can send her an email at tcampbell@becconsult.com. If you would like to make arrangements to meet with Mr. Pfeifer, you can send him an email at bpfeifer@becind.com or contact any of our other engineers directly here.

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Initial File Set-Up: Client will provide information to BEC to run a conflict check.  Information shall include either the accident report or parties involved along with the accident date and location, and a brief description.

Scope of Services
BEC Consulting agrees to perform the following services under this agreement:

• Provide review and analysis of preliminary file materials as provided by client
• Provide a verbal report*

BEC Consulting agrees to review the following materials in performing services stated above:

• Witness Statement(s)
• Initial photographs available
• Accident Report
• Vehicle repair records or estimates
• Initial Medicals

Any work beyond that which is stated above will be subject to our standard letter of authorization, retainer agreement and fee schedule.

Fee: $750.00 flat fee, non-refundable per accident/case.  Client will be invoiced upon completion of the above services. Terms are net 30 days.  Interest of 18% per annum (or 1.5% per month) shall be charged on any overdue balances.

*Note: A written preliminary report (based on the above Scope of Services) can be provided upon request for an additional fee of $250.00.

Meet Our Satellite Offices

 Did you know that in addition to our main headquarters in Tallahassee, BEC has two satellite offices located in south and central Florida?  You didn’t?  Well, why don’t we take a closer look at them.

Located in Venice, Florida, Pat Weber can quickly respond to all your south and central Florida needs.  Pat has been with BEC for over 12 years now and has the experience to back it up.  As a former traffic accident investigator with the Indianapolis Police Department, Pat has the know-how and skills to investigate and document any case that you may have.  You can reach Pat directly at 941-544-5420.


Located in Orlando, Florida, Richard Lackinger has got you covered in the central and north Florida region.  Richard has been with BEC for over seven years as an engineering and graphics technician.  Richard has the know-how when it comes to documenting your accident scene and when the time comes to convey your message to the jury, Richard can help you with all your graphical needs.  Richard can be reached at 407-488-6854.