Fracture surfaces can give the forensic engineer clues as to the cause. They may reveal chemical attack and whether the aggressor was on the inside or the outside of the pipe. Direction of the fracture progression can be determined as well.
Seemingly incomprehensible failures are readily resolved when the environment around the failure is better understood. This elbow failed in a very unique manner, which made sense once an analysis was completed.
Too much, too little, or poorly applied pipe cement leads to a variety of failures that are easily avoided by proper installation.
Contaminants found in a molded part are always a concern. By selecting the appropriate analysis techniques, proper identification of the contaminants and elimination of the source of the problem is possible.
