Specialised Service

Forensic Engineering Investigation

Engineering investigation after structural failure, fire, collapse, or disaster events. Drone capture, photogrammetric reconstruction, condition mapping, and Pr Eng signed reports supporting insurance claims, litigation, regulatory submission, and operator recovery planning.

Trusted by
Sasol Eskom Impala Platinum Sibanye-Stillwater Afrimat Growthpoint Concor Stefanutti Stocks Zutari Infrastructure South Africa
In short

Forensic engineering investigates why a structure failed after a collapse, fire, flood, or disaster. Delta Scan rapidly captures the scene in 3D before evidence is disturbed, then a registered Pr Eng analyses the data and signs reports suitable for insurers and litigation.

Forensic engineering establishes what happened, why, and what the consequence is, with the rigour and documentation that insurance carriers, litigation processes, and regulators require. Delta Scan delivers forensic engineering for incidents involving structural failure, fire damage, collapse, water inrush, tailings or impoundment failure, and explosion. Our approach is forensically defensible: capture sequence and chain of custody are documented, methodology is reproducible, and engineering interpretation is reviewed and signed by a registered professional engineer.

We operate this practice with the understanding that the deliverable may be tested. The capture timeline, the equipment used, the calibration state, the processing pipeline, and the engineering reasoning are all documented in a form that holds up under independent expert review and cross-examination. This is not a generic engineering inspection with the word "forensic" applied. It is a distinct discipline with distinct evidentiary requirements.

When to use it

Typical engagements.

Each scenario below represents a real-world trigger for this service. If your situation matches one of these, get in touch.

Structural collapse or partial failure

Bridge, building, silo, tank, or industrial structure failure. Forensic capture before any site clearance establishes the evidence baseline.

Fire and explosion damage

Industrial, commercial, or residential fire scenes. 3D capture preserves the burned condition before recovery operations alter the evidence.

Tailings dam and impoundment failures

Catastrophic releases requiring rapid forensic reconstruction. Delta Scan responded to the Jagersfontein failure with same-week drone capture and digital twin construction.

Vehicle and equipment incident sites

Heavy industrial equipment failure investigations. Mining haul truck rollover, conveyor failure, crane collapse, and similar events.

How it works

Our process.

A repeatable five-stage workflow. The same disciplined sequence runs whether the site is a 500-hectare mining operation or a single 60-metre bridge.

01

Rapid mobilisation

For incident response, on-site mobilisation within 24 to 72 hours is the norm in South Africa, longer for international deployment. The site is captured before recovery operations alter the evidence.

02

Evidentiary capture protocol

Drone photogrammetry establishes the geometric record. Terrestrial LiDAR captures detail at the failure points. Thermal mapping where fire is involved. Chain of custody is documented from the first frame.

03

Photogrammetric reconstruction

A 3D digital twin of the post-incident site is reconstructed with measurable accuracy. The twin enables off-site engineering analysis while site access remains restricted, hazardous, or controlled by other investigators.

04

Engineering analysis

A registered professional engineer reviews the twin, the capture data, and any available pre-incident documentation to develop a failure hypothesis. The hypothesis is tested against the physical evidence in the twin and revised through iteration.

05

Forensic deliverable

A Pr Eng signed forensic report including: incident chronology, capture methodology, 3D twin with annotated failure features, failure hypothesis with engineering reasoning, and recommendations for remediation or regulatory action. Supports insurance claim, litigation, and regulatory submission processes.

Request a forensic mobilisation See the Jagersfontein response
Equipment

What we use.

Calibrated, sector-matched hardware combined with proprietary software. The capture stack is selected for the asset, not the other way around.

DJI Matrice 400 with Zenmuse H30T

DJI Matrice 400 with Zenmuse H30T

Primary capture platform. Photogrammetry plus thermal for fire-affected sites. RTK positioning for evidentiary geometric accuracy.

NavVis VLX 3

NavVis VLX 3

Wearable mobile LiDAR for ground-level forensic capture where drone access is restricted. Used for interior, confined, and complex geometry sites.

Flyability ELIOS 3

Flyability ELIOS 3

Confined-space capture in damaged structures where personnel entry is not safe. Used for damaged silos, collapsed structures, and burned buildings.

Sectors

Where this fits.

The same engineering discipline applies across Insurance carriers and loss adjusters, Mining, Power and energy, Infrastructure and civil. The detail changes with the asset class and the operational context.

Insurance carriers and loss adjusters

Independent forensic capture for major loss events. Quantitative evidence supporting reserve setting, claim settlement, and subrogation analysis

Mining

Tailings facility failures, mine collapse events, processing plant fires, ore pass and shaft incidents

Power and energy

Power station fire investigation, boiler and turbine incident analysis, refinery process equipment failures

Infrastructure and civil

Bridge collapse, building failure, road and rail accident sites, water infrastructure failure

FAQ

Frequent questions.

Direct answers to the questions clients ask most often before engaging.

How quickly can you mobilise for forensic capture?

For South African incidents we have mobilised on-site within 24 hours. International deployments depend on aviation logistics but a typical window is 48 to 72 hours.

Is the deliverable admissible as evidence?

The deliverable is prepared to evidentiary standards: chain of custody documented, methodology reproducible, signed by a registered Pr Eng. Admissibility decisions remain with the court or tribunal involved, but the documentation supports an admissibility argument.

Can you preserve the scene without disturbing it?

Yes. Drone photogrammetry and terrestrial LiDAR are non-contact methods. No physical disturbance of evidence is required.

How do you handle confidentiality?

Forensic engagements operate under standard NDA and forensic confidentiality protocols. DeltaCloud project workspaces enforce strict role-based access. Data residency can be constrained per client requirement.

Do you provide expert witness testimony?

Where the engagement scope includes it, yes. Our signing Pr Eng can provide expert witness testimony on the forensic findings and methodology. This is scoped and priced separately from the capture and analysis engagement.

What about co-ordination with other investigators?

Major incident sites typically involve multiple investigators: regulator, insurer, operator, contractor. We integrate with the site command structure and share capture data with co-investigators under agreed protocols.

Related services

If this fits, these often do too.

Engineering programmes rarely run on a single service. These adjacent capabilities most often pair with the work above.

Accuracy & standards

Built to be signed, not just shared.

Pr EngECSA 202001436

Every engineering deliverable is reviewed and signed by Darryl Epstein, a registered Professional Engineer (Pr Eng, ECSA 202001436).

SAGIsurvey

Geospatial deliverables carry registered land-surveyor sign-off where accuracy must be certified.

Classstated

Every deliverable carries a stated survey accuracy class or BIM level of development (LOD), reported per engagement against check-point analysis.

Standardscited

Findings cross-referenced to the applicable codes (SANS, TMH, EN), with accuracy statements on every report.

Start here

Request a forensic mobilisation

Send the brief and our engineering team will review your enquiry and reply within one business day. Prefer to talk first? Call or WhatsApp us below.

Response within 1 business day · Pr Eng or SAGI signed

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