Explosions

Whether rupture preceded ignition or resulted from rapid pressure generation can be a central issue in an explosion investigation. An explosion expert witness with relevant expertise in the system or mechanism at issue may reconstruct the sequence by examining deformation and rupture evidence, pressure or process data, fuel and gas sources, equipment condition, control records, photographs, testing, and scene documentation. The analysis may determine whether a vessel or component failed first and released stored pressure or whether ignition produced the rupture and surrounding damage.

When combustion drives the event, mixture conditions, ignition, confinement, and resulting overpressure may require examination. In other incidents, the initiating mechanism may instead involve failure of a pressurized vessel, piping, or component without combustion. Testing these alternatives against the physical record can help counsel distinguish initiating damage from consequential damage, determine whether a proposed source fits the evidence, and identify which event sequence is technically supported.