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Typical Cases:
APTECH FORENSICS ENGINEERING GROUP

A

[TXT]Abandoned Gas Main Piping Explosion: Cause of an explosion in an abandoned underground gas main pipe in San Francisco. Keywords: corrosion abandoned natural gas main explosion buried pipe abandonment procedures San Francisco street ignition metallurgical. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Agricultural Chemical Warehouse Fire: Origin and cause of a Ford truck fire in an agricultural warehouse in Minot, North Dakota. Keywords: pickup truck fire agricultural chemicals warehouse electrical wiring harness short-circuited plastic fuel line Minot North Dakota Ford F-150 cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Aircraft Collision: Cause of a mid-air collision between two aircraft. Keywords: aircraft mid-air collision stress analysis fracture mechanics metal deformation aviation california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Ammonia-Based Chiller Evaporator in a Cold Storage Warehouse: Testing of an ammonia-based chiller evaporator in a cold storage warehouse in Watsonville, California. Keywords: ammonia-based evaporator test ceiling-mounted chiller units refrigeration machinery themal measurement instrumentation cold storage produce warehouse Watsonville California. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Ammonia Tank Explosion: Cause of the rupture of an ammonia cylinder in a blueprint plant. Keywords: anhydrous ammonia gas tank rupture fatigue crack exploded blueprint plant pressure cycling safe operating lifetime fracture stress root cause failure metallurgical examinations. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Ammonia Tanker Truck Explosion: Cause of an explosion of an ammonia tanker truck. Keywords: ammonia tanker truck explosion metallurgical fracture analyses structural failure crash machinery. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Natural Gas Migration and Explosion in an Apartment Building: Natural gas migration and explosion in an apartment building in San Francisco, California. Keywords: natural gas explosion San Francisco apartment building gas migration gas leak human intervention root cause origin cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Explosion of Natural Gas in an Apartment: Origin and cause of an explosion of natural gas in an apartment. Keywords: explosion natural gas methane migration paths San Francisco apartment range/oven burner combustible mixture ignition source. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Failure of Water Piping in an Apartment: Cause of recurring leaks in galvanized steel water piping in an apartment complex. Keywords: corrosion galvanized steel water piping leaks galvanized coating poor quality welds weld failure root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Asbestos Exposure Litigation: Asbestos exposure litigation due to exposure to asbestos-containing products. Keywords: asbestos fibers fiber toxicity asbestos exposure litigation chemical analysis protocol physical characteristics building products superior court california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Suitability-for-Service Evaluation of Seam Welded Heating Boilers: Suitability-for-Service Evaluation of Seam Welded Heating Boilers. keywords: Suitability-for-Service evaluation seam welded lap joints heating boilers ASME section IV code certification butt weld lap joint National Board Inspectors American Society Mechanical Engineers boiler pressure vessel structural integrity. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Refinery Asphalt Pump Seal Failure and Fire: Asphalt refinery fire caused by a leaking pump seal. Keywords:fire asphalt refinery ink oil atmospheric vacuum bottoms tower light oil pump shaft sealing leak pump seizures fitness-for-purpose ignition. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Automobile Fires: Automobile accidents that involved fires and explosions. Keywords: automobile accidents fires explosions collisions component failures component failure analysis accident reconstruction. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

B

[TXT]Tube Failures in a Paper Mill Black Liquor Boiler: Boiler tube failures in a black liquor boiler in a pulp and paper mill. Keywords: steam tube failures black liquor recovery boiler design tube degradation plant operations pulp paper mill. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Black Water Contamination in Condominium Plumbing Due Ton: Black water contamination in a condominium . Keywords: tap water contamination black water supply piping internal plumbing contaminant sampling chemical analysis pipe corrosion condominium. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Contamination of Residential Plumbing Systems ("Blue Water"): Cause of 'blue water' contamination in the copper plumbing in housing tracts in Northern California. Keywords: blue-green sediment copper corrosion products blue water contamination copper pipe residual chlorine level water distribution system northern california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

C

[TXT]Catalyst Poisoning in Thermal Oxidation Unit: Discovery of catalyst poisoning in a catalytic oxidation unit used to burn volatile hydrocarbon. Keywords: catalyst poisoning high-temperature thermal incineration catalytic oxidation hydrocarbon emissions Electron Spectroscopy Chemical Analysis ESCA thermal energy waste heat boiler source emission tests silicon dioxide. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Fire in a Pulverized Coal Pipe in a Power Plant: Fire in a Pulverized Coal Pipe in a power plant. Keywords: pulverized coal pipe fire coal pulverizer piping expansion joint failure power plant fire origin cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Underground Migration of Coke Oven Gas: Underground gas migration of Coke Oven Gas from a Steel Plant. Keywords: carbon monoxide steel plant scrubbed coke oven gas pipeline COG benzene release rate underground gas migration corroded pipe corrosive release rate. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Failure of Cold Water Piping Due to Material Defects: Corrosion and leaks in cold water piping in 500 homes caused by defective pipe material. Keywords: galvanized steel piping cold water piping leaks leak corrosion plumbing materials corroded pipe defect corrosive attacks water chemistry. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Concrete Mixer Truck Accident: Pinch point injury on a concrete mixer truck. Keywords: pinch point truck-mounted concrete mixer charging hopper barrel's internal mixing blades mechanical guards warning signs operator safety training Personal Injury california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Copper Plumbing Corrosion Failures: Copper water pipe corrosion failures in a condominium complex. Keywords: copper pipe plumbing corrosion failures failure piping water chemistry water distribution system condominium. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Degradation of Condominium Plumbing System: Premature failures of galvanized water piping in a condominium complex. Keywords: galvanized piping premature failure pipe manufacturing plumbing condominium corrosion failures root cause water distribution system. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Power Plant Cycling and Derating Analysis: Impact of cycling operation and derating on power plant life expectancy. Keywords: cycling operation boiler power plant derating rerating life expectancy reliability economic impact statistical analysis MCR. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Cyclone-Fired Utility Boiler Explosion: Explosion in a coal-fired, cyclone-fired utility boiler. Keywords: cyclone-fired utility boiler explosion upper furnace enclosure western coal midwestern coal eastern coal explosion cause origin boiler control system furnace enclosure design deficiencies. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Failure of a Cyclone Separator in a Mining Operation: Cyclone separator at a mine that failed due to operation at excessive temperature. Keywords: hot-gas cyclone separator failure particulate high temperature overheated deformation carbon steel mining operation fluidized bed. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

D

[TXT]Refinery Delayed Coker Accident: Cause of personal injuries in an oil refinery caused by trying to work on a coker vessel that was still in operation. Keywords: oil refinery delayed coker vessel repair concrete structures scalded accidental release superheated steam injury mechanical failures. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Stationary Diesel Engine Failure: Mechanical failure of a large stationary diesel engine. Keywords: stationary diesel engine mechanical failure piston bearing damage navy submarine power plant glow plug injector induction valve compression ratio precombustion chamber root cause boilers machinery~ 6

[TXT]Fire in a 55-Gallon Drum of a Dry-Cleaning Chemical: 55-gallon drum containing a dry cleaning chemical that ignited and created a toxic plume. Keywords: sodium hydrosulfite fire toxic gas sulfur dioxide plume steel drum dry cleaning decomposition ignition combustion heat transfer plume analyses Berkeley California. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

E

[TXT]Analysis of Moment-Resisting Welds After The Northridge Earthquake: Analysis of moment resisting welds after the Northridge earthquake. Keywords: Northridge earthquake moment resisting welds joint cracks weld fracture crack failure fail failed welded flux-cored electrode fitness service hospital Los Angeles. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Electrical Shock on a Main Service Panel: Electrical shock to an electrician while he was working on a main service panel. Keywords: electrician burned shocked electrical chassis short-circuited main service panel three-phase bus bars electric shock worker's compensation insurance california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Elevator Fire: Origin and cause of a fire in an elevator shaft in a senior citizens' apartment building. Keywords: elevator fire apartment building lubricant tubing elevator shaft hoistway hydraulic fluid flame origin cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Oil and Chemical Company Environmental Litigation: Cause and timing of leaks and spills at chemical and Petrochemical Refineries. Keywords: environmental compliance litigation oil chemical leaks spills Petrochemical Refineries. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Evaluation of Postulated Propane Explosion: Diffusion, migration and explosion of propane gas. Keywords: propane line fuel gas explosion line rupture diffusion migration vapor cloud ignition thermal-hydraulic structural damage probabilistic detonations wind velocities atmospheric. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

F

[TXT]Package Firetube Boiler Explosion: Explosion in a gas-fired firetube package Scotch marine-type boiler. Keywords: package firetube boiler explosion Scotch marine cause origin failure scenarios gas supply over-pressure flame detector system buildup unburned fuel overly rich fuel/air mixture. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Evaluation of Floor Furnace in Fire-Damaged House: Gas-fired floor furnace involved in a residential fire. Keywords: gravity-type gas-fired floor furnace gas appliance residential furnace piping fire. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential.

G

[TXT]Fire in Gas Turbine-Driven Natural Gas Compressor: Fire in a gas-turbine driven natural gas compressor. Keywords: gas turbine natural gas compressor fire fractured lube oil line ruptured vibration fatigue metallurgical testing metallurgical replication hardness measurements lubrication system designs fire suppression root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Underground Natural Gas Migration and Explosion in a Bakery: Root cause investigation of a explosion in a bakery due to a leaking underground natural gas pipe. Keywords: bakery explosion fire gas main gas migration pipe leak Fresno DuPont Adyl-L. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Residential Gas Range Fire: Cause of a residential gas range/oven fire. Keywords: apartment kitchen fire gas-fired range burner control valves pressure-testing tubing oven residential gas leak grease. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Gas Turbine Fire. Keywords: gas turbine fire lubricating oil supply line leak turbine rotor material embrittlement degradation material properties dimensional checks. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Generator Failure and Meltdown: Catastrophic Failure and Meltdown of a Generator. Keywords: through-bolts laminations epoxy/fiberglass bushing steel washer insulation catastrophic failure stator Westinghouse generator power plant bending stress electrical arc torquing. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Generator Rotor Retaining Ring and Tooth-Top Cracks: Cause of cracks in a generator rotor retaining ring. Keywords: generator rotor failure cracks retaining ring rotor tooth tops field metallography nondestructive examination NDE indications power plant. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Glass Furnace Failure and Transformer PCB Release: Cause of a failure of a molten glass furnace and release of PCBs from an electrical transformer. Keywords: glass melting furnace sidewall rupture molten glass transformer PCB release PCB-containing oil PCB cleanup accident reconstruction subscale model boiler machinery. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

H

[TXT]Catastrophic Failure of High Energy Power Plant Piping (Mohave): Catastrophic failure of a seam-welded hot reheat steam pipe at the Mohave Power Plant. Keywords: Mohave power plant hot reheat steam pipe ruptured creep damage heat affected zone long seam weld catastrophic failure high energy steam piping explosion rupture stress analysis power plant material properties. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Corrosion and Leaks in Hospital Piping: Accelerated corrosion in a hospital's hot water heating system. Keywords: accelerated corrosion leaks hospital recirculating hot water heating carbon steel piping nondestructive examination metallurgical corroded piping water chemistry water treatment on-line corrosion rate monitoring manufacturing defects. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Contamination of Hospital Oxygen Piping: Contamination in hospital oxygen piping due to failure by external corrosion. Keywords: contaminants filters hospital oxygen piping through-wall penetration external corrosion copper pipe failure metallurgy contamination incubator. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Underground Hot Water Piping Corrosion and Leakage: Leakage in buried copper piping due to internal erosion-corrosion damage. Keywords: copper pipe erosion-corrosion internal pipe surfaces extensive leakage hot water piping external insulation metallurgical failure analysis leaks leak. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Coking and Fire in a Refinery Hydroprocessing Vessel: Extent of coking that occurred in a refinery hydroprocessor prior to a fire in the unit. Keywords: coking vessels coke refinery pipe rupture hydroprocessing fire reactors columns boilers machinery. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Failure of Roller Bearings in a Radial Kaplan Hydroelectric: Repetitive failure of roller bearings in a Radial Kaplan hydroelectric turbine. Keywords: Radial Kaplan hydroelectric turbine roller bearing repetitive failures bearing housing improperly anchored foundation paper mill metallurgical analysis axial stress. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

I

[TXT]Natural Gas Explosion and Fire in an Industrial Building: Natural gas migration and explosion in an industrial building. Keywords: natural gas migration explosion piping leak natural gas accumulation ignition purge gas line leak testing furnace. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Insulation Panel Failure: Failure of polystyrene insulation panels in a mushroom-growing plant. Keywords: polystyrene insulation panels failure mushroom growing plant aluminum facing delaminated delaminization voids water condensed nematodes contaminate heat transfer analysis compost. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

L

[TXT]Loading Dock Accident: Cause of the sudden release of a loading dock dockboard. Keywords: loading dock accident sudden release loading dock dockboard stress analysis metallurgical evaluation exemplar testing california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

M

[TXT]Natural Gas Filter-Separator Vessel Failure and Explosion: Explosion in a natural gas filter-separator vessel in Tracy, California. Keywords: McDonald Island natural gas explosion filter separator vessel failure oversized o-rings finite element stress analysis metallurgical evaluations scanning electron microscopy load testing pressure testing strain gages closure Tracy California Perry Equipment PG&E. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Oil and Gas Production

[TXT]Mercury in Natural Gas from Offshore Gas Field: Finding the source of mercury in natural gas from offshore gas fields. Keywords: mercury offshore natural gas platform contamination aluminum heat exchanger cryogenic separations triethylene glycol TEG columns dehydrating agent gas conditioning. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Long Span Steel Girders in Sony's Metreon Center: Fitness-for-service of existing long-span steel girders below the Sony Metreon Center in San Francisco. Keywords: long-span steel girder Sony Metreon ballroom San Francisco california fracture resistance earthquake built-up welds splice joints welding flux cored electrodes fitness-for-service design load material properties sony metreon. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Mobile Home Fire: Origin and cause of a mobile home fire. Keywords: fire mobile home non-code gas piping North Dakota malfunctioning appliance improperly discarded cigarette propane cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Mountain Bicycle Front Fork Failure: Fracturing of the front fork on a mountain bike. Keywords: mountain bicycle accident front fork fracture deformation corrosion riding loads mountain bike california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

N

[TXT]Mechanical Seal Failure and Explosion in a Chemical Blending Vessel: Explosion in a chemical blending vessel due to a leaking water-cooled mechanical seal. Keywords: mechanical seal blending vessel explosion powdered sodium hydrosulfite aluminum powder hydrogen sulfite toxic plume chemical processing mechanical seal water exothermic run-up Crane Company leak. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Explosion in a Chemical Blending Vessel Due To Unrecognized: Explosion in a solid chemical blending vessel in Lodi, New Jersey. Keywords: chemical blending vessel mechanical seal powdered sodium hydrosulfite aluminum powder potassium carbonate hydrogen sulfite chemical processing water-cooled seal explosion chemistry gold precipitating agent Technic explosion John Crane Type 2 Patterson-Kelley leak. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Components: Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Components. Keywords: intergranular stress corrosion cracking IGSCC Inconel 600 nuclear power plant safe end thermal sleeve boiling water reactor start-up. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

O

[TXT]Fire in an Oil Shale Refinery: Fire in an oil shale refinery caused by the rupture of an corroded slurry pipe. Keywords: fire coker oil shale refinery hydrocarbons pool fire pressure vessels piping slurry pipe ruptured metallurgical testing corrosive attack combustible cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Oil Well Drill Rig Fire: Origin and cause of a fire at an oil well drilling rig in Southern California. Keywords: oil well drillers shaker oil pump/storage tank fracture stimulation Southern California bug fan fire source spark ignition short-circuit friction static. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Oil and Gas Production

[TXT]Oil Well Killing Accident and Explosion: Explosion of a natural gas well that occurred during a well killing procedure. Keywords: natural gas release well explosion killing oil well head piping fireball pipe fittings mechanics analysis abandoned northern california silicon valley cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Oil and Gas Production

[TXT]Overheating and Failure of Ore Drying Equipment: Overheating failure of ore drying equipment at a mining operation. Keywords: mining ore drying failure overheated fired heater metal refractory samples. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

P

[TXT]Paper Machine Pinch Point Injury Accident: Pinch point injury on a paper machine. Keywords: paper machine employee arm injured in-running pinch point counter-rotating drums guarding devices guard root cause california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Paper Mill Equipment Freeze Damage: Cause of piping damage in a paper mill after freezing weather. Keywords: paper mill pipe chemical piping support water frozen equipment damage. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Damage to a Steam Turbine in a Paper Mill: Cause of damage to a steam turbine in a paper mill after freezing weather. Keywords: steam turbine paper mill freezing overfilling boiler water level-control malfunction damaged rotor blades electric power-generating. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Penstock Failure at PG&E's Helms Creek Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant: Failure of a penstock at PG&E's Helms Creek pumped storage hydroelectric power plant. Keywords: pumped storage hydroelectric power plant penstock failure weld welding defects critical flaws PG&E Helms Creek stress analysis foundation settlement fracture toughness cracks water-up inspection techniques. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Fire and Explosions at an Ammonium Perchlorate Plant (PEPCON): Origin and cause of the fire and explosion at the PEPCON ammonium perchlorate manufacturing plant in Henderson, Nevada. Keywords: ammonium perchlorate PEPCON solid rocket fuel propellent detonation explosion sequence Henderson Nevada shock wave oxidizer underground natural gas pipeline pipe rupture metallurgical. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Swimming Pool Water Heater Fire: Failed gas-fired swimming pool heater that caused a structure fire. Keywords: fire swimming pool malfunctioning water heater malfunction heat exchanger burners burner controls fouling apartment building gas smoke damage. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Portable Therapeutic Oxygen System Fire and Injury: Fire in a portable therapeutic oxygen system. Keywords: portable therapeutic oxygen system odor fire valve regulator pressurized oxygen cylinder rubber seal high-temperature corrosive gases ignition spark static electrical frictional adiabatic compression corrosion o-ring california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Explosion of Natural Gas in a Three-Story Brick Building: Explosion in a downtown San Francisco building. Keywords: Post Street explosion building gas leak piping appliances meter service piping gas migration ignition. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Power Plant Damage Due to Collapse of Underground Cooling: Collapse of underground cooling water pipes under a power plant. Keywords:cave-in underground cooling water pipes pipe collapse coal-fired power plant pollution control construction equipment system upset. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Transformer Explosion at a Hydroelectric Station: Power transformer explosion at a hydroelectric station. Keywords: explosion fire step-up transformer hydroelectric station cooling oil catastrophic failure bushing B phase high voltage phase arcing forced oil and air root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Power Plant Fire: Fitness-for-service of a power plant downcomer steam pipe that had been exposed to a fire.Keywords: downcomer steam pipe power plant piping oil fire wet fluorescent magnetic particle ultrasonic shear wave field metallographic hardness testing welds. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Refinery Process Heater Fire: Cause of a pipe rupture and fire in a fired heater at a refinery. Keywords:rupture fired heater piping process heater thermally stabilized silicone polymer fire ruptured tube suitability-for-service metallurgical evaluations engineering life assessments root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Propane Migration and Building Explosion in Puerto Rico: Building explosion caused by the migration, accumulation and ignition of propane gas from a leaking underground pipe in San Juan Puerto Rico. Keywords: building explosion San Juan Puerto Rico underground gas propane migrated propane leaks propane/air pipes fracture sewer gas structural analyses soil testing groundwater origin cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Propeller Shaft Coupling Failure: Failure of a propeller shaft coupling on an ocean going freighter. Keywords: propeller shaft coupling root cause failure fracture analysis stress analysis freighter. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

Q

[TXT]Heat Exchanger Failure and Explosion in an Olefin Plant: Failure and explosion of a heat exchanger at the Quantum Chemicals olefin plant outside Chicago, Illinois. Keywords: explosion olefin heat exchanger fire autorefrigeration shell failure brittle fracture shell/tubesheet weld Quantum Chemicals Chicago Illinois root cause thermodynamic transients convection conduction heat transfer fracture mechanics stress analyses. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

R

[TXT]Racing Boat Steering Gear Failure: Fatal racing boat accident caused by the failure of the steering mechanism. Keywords: dragboat accident racing boat woodruff key failed steering gear metallurgical stress analysis hydrodynamic forces supercavitating rudder propeller risk analysis race course california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Refinery Piping Erosion Failure and Fire: Petrochemical refinery fire in a Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit. Keywords: pipe failure refinery fire oil/catalyst slurry fluid high temperature catalytic cracking FCC heat recovery boilers erosive mixture nondestructive testing techniques carbon steel piping main columns Bottoms slurry pipe erosion flange catastrophically failed Southern California root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Refinery Hydrogen Fire: Sudden release and ignition of hydrogen gas at a refinery in Southern California.: Keywords: refinery piping flammable gases hydrogen fire burn injuries pressure-tested cause origin Southern California. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Petrochemical Refineries

[TXT]Refinery Remaining Life Assessment: Remaining life assessment of a Canadian oil refinery, including columns, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, fired heaters, compressors, tanks and piping. Keywords: Canadian oil refinery remaining life assessment columns pressure vessels heat exchangers fired heaters compressors tanks piping creep rupture stress rupture stress corrosion cracking high temperature hydrogen attack wet H2S cracking fires explosions. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Poisoning and Injury From Chemicals Deposited Inside a Refinery Vessel: Chemical poisoning of a refinery worker inside a gas separator vessel Keywords: Refinery vessel noxious gases poisoning inhalation cleaning out high pressure sour gas field separator sediment layer pollutants california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Deactivation of Steam Methane Reformer Catalyst: Cause of deactivation of the catalyst in a steam methane reformer in an ammonia plant. Keywords: deactivation catalyst activity steam methane reformer refinery ammonia plant process flow diagrams control interlocks. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Release of Airborne Chemicals From an Oil Refinery in Northern California: Airborne chemicals release from a hydrocracker in a Northern California oil refinery. Keywords: oil refinery hydrocracker design leak pressurized refinery column airborne chemicals release insurance coverage dispute Northern California Crockett. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Residential Natural Gas Explosion and Fire: Residential structure fire caused by natural gas leaking from a vandalized pipe in South San Francisco. Keywords: fire arson explosion residence South San Francisco root-cause investigation natural gas hack-sawed gas pipeline origin cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Restaurant Grill and Ventilation System Fire: Grease fire in a restaurant that started inside the grill's ventilation ducts. Keywords: grease fire ventilation ducting restaurant grill adjustment gas burner excessive room ventilation rates improperly cleaned ducting grease traps. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Fast-Food Restaurant Fire: Origin and cause of an after-hours fire in a fast-food restaurant. Keywords: fast food restaurant fire electrical switch combustibles. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Risk Management and Prevention Program for Computer Hard Drive Manufacturer: Risk management consulting for a computer hard drive manufacturer in the Silicon Valley, California. Keywords: risk management prevention program RMPP computer hard drive manufacturer magnetic media HAZOPS seismic safety audit inorganic acids consequence analysis chemical release scenarios process flow diagrams silicon valley california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

S

[TXT]Explosion in an Aluminum Annealing Molten Salt Tank: Explosion in a molten salt tank used for aluminum annealing. Keywords: explosion molten salt tank structural damage overheating salt bath radiation convection heat transfer chemical reactions root cause aluminum annealing control system. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Shopping Center Fire in Honolulu: Origin and cause of a fire in a fast food restaurant in Honolulu Hawaii. Keywords: electrical fire restaurant Honolulu Hawaii electrical wiring system cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Leakage in Stainless Steel Solar Collectors: Leaks caused by corrosion damage in a solar heating collector system. Keywords: water solar heating stainless steel collector corrosion damage oxidation contamination welding chlorides. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Corrosion and Leaks in a Solar Water Heater System: Cause of corrosion and leaks in a solar water heating system. Keywords: solar water heater corrosion failure corrosion engineering water leaks materials evaluation metallurgical. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Catastrophic Failure of a Steam Turbine in a Power Plant: Catastrophic failure of the intermediate-pressure steam turbine in a fossil power plant. Keywords: failure corrosion erosion intermediate-pressure steam turbine IP turbine blade fracture blades root failure nozzle nozzles diaphragm stationary diaphragms power plant sunnyvale california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Boilers and Power Plants

[TXT]Corrosion of Steel Cables in Post-Tension Reinforced Concrete: Corrosion of steel cables in a post-tension-reinforced concrete slab design. Keywords: corrosion steel tendon cables post-tension-reinforced concrete slab ground-penetrating radar electromagnetic soil concrete corrosiveness. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Coke Oven Gas Explosion in an Ammonia Scrubber in a Steel Mill: Cause of a fatal explosion of coke oven gas inside an ammonia scrubbing vessel in a steel mill. Keywords: coke oven gas coker explosion steel mill ammonia scrubber vessel valve leaking blanking valves purging vessel gas accumulation gas stratification over-pressure stress analysis blind flange root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Flood Damage to Steel Supplier: Cause of corrosion damage to steel material in a storage yard." Keywords: flooding steel corrosion damage claim storage stagnant water corrosion metallurgical analysis financial analysis. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Explosion and Fire in a Solar Energy Power Plant: Explosion and fire at the Sunray solar energy plant in Daggett, California. Keywords: Sunray solar energy plant Daggett solar trough unconfined vapor cloud explosion circulating heat transfer fluid tanks root cause metallurgical engineering analysis. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

T

[TXT]Gasoline Tank Farm Explosion and Fire: Gasoline bulk plant (tank farm) explosion." Keywords: fire explosion gasoline vapors bulk plant tanker truck tank farm storage vessels piping system metallurgical examinations fluid mechanics calculations check valve corrosion1. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Oil and Gas Production

[TXT]Explosion in an Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant (Terra Corp.): Explosion in a neutralizer vessel at the Terra ammonium nitrate fertilizer plant in Sioux City, Iowa. Keywords: titanium sparger explosion detonation Terra fertilizer Sioux City Iowa corrosion aluminum ammonium nitrate nitric acid neutralizer vessel reactive metals thermal cook-off thermal decomposition explosion characteristics root cause origin. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Truck Tire Mounting Accident: Sudden explosion of a truck tire from a truck wheel and detachable rim. Keywords: gas station truck tire mounting accident wheel rim dent exploded rim damage california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Transformer Fire in an Electric Power Plant in Los Angeles: The effects of an electrical transformer fire on the surrounding structures in a power plant. Keywords: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power haynes station output transformer fire gantry crane hardness tensile Charpy V-notch tests corrosion. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

[TXT]Steam Turbine Failure and Explosion: Catastrophic explosion of a steam turbine in a refinery. Keywords: steam turbine failure blade fracture oil refinery routine trip explosion metallurgical failure analysis turbine reconstruction roto-dynamic energy calculations fragments injuries fatalities root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

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[TXT]Under-Slab Hot Water Piping Corrosion and Leaks: Cause of corrosion and leaks in under-slab hot water copper piping. Keywords: under-slab copper piping external surfaces corrosion leakage ammonia ammonium hydroxide soil-sand post-tensioned slab-on-grade above-slab hot water piping cattle feedlot chemical analysis. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Underground Gas Migration and Building Explosion: Underground gas migration and building explosion in Santa Fe New Mexico. Keywords: explosion building steel natural gas pipeline leak gas migration Santa Fe New Mexico leaking pipeline pressure increase severe through wall corrosion root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Commercial and Residential

[TXT]Explosion of a Urea Autoclave Vessel in a Fertilizer Plant: Explosion of a urea autoclave vessel in a fertilizer manufacturing plant." Keywords: explosion fertilizer manufacturing plant urea reactor vessel fragmentation corrosion wall lamina laminated wall stainless steel liner root cause. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Process Plants

[TXT]Gas-Fired Utility Boiler Explosion: Origin and cause of explosions in a 170 MW gas-fired utility boiler. Keywords: utility boiler explosions furnace backpass front-wall mounted burners flame scanners alarms carbon monoxide metallurgical examinations preexisting hydrogen damage fuel combustion engineering operation maintenance. Category: Typical Past Investigations-Fires and Explosions: Boilers And Power Machinery

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[TXT]Water Tank Corrosion and Leaks Due to Defective Exterior Coating: Premature corrosion and leaks in steel water storage tanks due to a defective exterior coating. Keywords: premature corrosion damage carbon steel water storage tank defective exterior coating leaks corrosion protection. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Water Treatment Plant Collapse: Water Treatment Plant Collapse in Southern California. Keywords :water treatment plant boat clarifier sludge effluent oxidation ditches flow testing support structure collapse metallurigical flaws support beams piping valve check valve backflow buoyancy Southern California. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Structural Steel Weld Quality Audit: Assistance in resolving a construction dispute involving the quality and integrity of welds on structural steel work. Keywords: weld quality audit structural steel integrity AWS D1.1 noncomformances AWS-certified weld inspectors crack indication fitness-for-service construction dispute arbitration seismic events American Welding Society northern california silicon valley. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Weld Procedure Specification & Flaw Acceptance Criteria for a Brine Pipeline: Development of weld specification procedures and flaw acceptance criteria for a concrete-lined steel pipe. Keywords: weld procedure specification WPS flaw acceptance criteria concrete-lined steel pipe brine welding flaws weld root discontinuities fracture mechanics calculations. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

[TXT]Cracking in the Welds in Wide Flange Column Connections in Structural Steel: Cause of cracks in the welds in wide flange column webs of structural steel. Keywords: cracks stainless steel wide flange column webs hole drilling continuity plate web weld terminations larger cope web cracking welding structural steel root cause finite element mechanical property testing excessive restraint complete penetration weld notch toughness. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Personal Injury

[TXT]Injury from a Burning Rubber Gasket During Welding: Toxic fumes caused by welding near a rubber gasket in a pipeline Keywords: welding joint steel pipeline burning rubber gasket heating rates fumes inhalation chemical analysis activators antioxidents pigments vulcanization agents transient heat transfer thermally decompose GC/MS california. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Property Loss

[TXT]Failure of Oil Well Drill Casing: A plug on a steel drill casing in an oil well that failed during a hydrostatic test and caused a Personal Injury. Keywords: oil well steel drill casing hydrotest plug failure Personal Injury dimensional measurements thread region strength measurements chemical analyses metallurgical evaluations crack. Category: Typical Past Investigations-General Cases: Process Industries

Aptech Engineering Services, Inc. Main office location is in Sunnyvale, California —in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay Area. 601 W. California Ave., Sunnyvale, California 94086 and P.O. Box 3440, Sunnyvale, CA 94088 (408) 745-7000