MSE 431F/1031F – Forensic Engineering
Instructor: D.D. Perovic
Office: WB 142
Email: doug.perovic@utoronto.ca
__________________
Lectures:
Tutorial:
Wednesdays 17:00-20:00
Tuesdays
09:00-10:00
WB 130
RS 310 (As-required)
Calendar Description:
The course provides participants with an understanding of scientific and engineering
investigation methods and tools to assess potential sources, causes and solutions for prevention
of failure due to natural accidents, fire, high and low speed impacts, design defects, improper
selection of materials, manufacturing defects, improper service conditions, inadequate
maintenance and human error. The fundamentals of accident reconstruction principles and
procedures for origin and cause investigations are demonstrated through a wide range of real
world case studies including: medical devices, sports equipment, electronic devices, vehicular
collisions, structural collapse, corrosion failures, weld failures, fire investigations and patent
infringements. Compliance with industry norms and standards, product liability, sources of
liability, proving liability, defense against liability and other legal issues will be demonstrated
with mock courtroom trial proceedings involving invited professionals to elucidate the role of
an engineer as an expert witness in civil and criminal court proceedings.
Course Grade (MSE 431F):
Midterm Test (October 21, 2014)
Project Report (Due December 3, 2014)*
Final Exam
20%
30%
50%
Course Grade (MSE 1031F):
Project Report + Presentation (Due December 3, 2014)*
Final Exam
50%
50%
*Further details on the Forensic Engineering Project Report will be given in class.
Course Materials:
1. Supplementary Text: Forensic Materials Engineering: Case Studies by Peter Rhys Lewis et al.
(2004). U of T Library (http://go.utlib.ca/cat/5045364)
2. Selected Course Notes
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Course Topic
Readings
1. Introduction to Forensic
Engineering
Chap. 1.1 + course
notes
2. Root Cause Failure Analysis
Methods
Chap. 1.2-1.5 + course
notes
3. Product Liability Law
Course notes
4. Accident Investigation & Failure
Analysis Framework
Chap. 2 + course notes
5. Materials Engineering
Fundamentals
Chap. 1.7 + course
notes
6. Mechanical Property
Fundamentals
Chap. 3 + course notes
7. Materials Selection in
Mechanical Design
Course notes
8. General Procedures for Failure
Analysis
Course notes
9. Forensic Engineering Toolbox
Chap 4
10. Failure of Manufactured Products
Chap. 5 + case studies
11. Failure of Storage Vessels
Chap. 7 + case studies
12. Failure of Medical Devices
Chap. 9 + case studies
13. Failure of Electronic Components
Case studies
14. Workplace Accidents
Chap. 8 + case studies
15. Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
Chap. 10 + course
notes/case studies
Course notes + case
studies
Chap. 13 + case studies
16. Fire Investigation
17. Intellectual Property/Patent
Infringement
18. Criminal Cases
Chap. 12 + case studies
19. The Engineer as an Expert
Witness
Sec. 1.6 + course notes
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Dates and Deadlines, Late Assignments, Missed Activities and Requests for Re-Marks
Course assignment deadlines are firm. If a student has a valid reason for a late assignment,
missed term test, etc, the student must submit a Petition for Consideration in Course Work
with supporting documentation to the Instructor (both a hard copy and an electronic copy)
within one week of the assignment due date or term test. If the student knows in advance that
they will miss a deadline or test, the student must submit a petition before the due date or the
day of the term test. Furthermore, the student must apply before the deadline or term test to
determine if there is a possibility for the individual to make up the work, or if an extension can
be granted.
Please note: a petition does not excuse the student from work and there are no opportunities to
make up term tests.
Petition for Consideration in Course Work may be obtained from the Registrar’s website.
Requests for Revisions to Term Work Marks
A request for re-marking any term work (tutorial assignments, term tests) must be first
directed to the Teaching Assistant no later than one week following the date the work was
returned to the class. If the TA and the student cannot come to a satisfactory decision, then
assignments submitted for re-marking must be accompanied by a petition and a written letter
describing the reason for request and/or describing the marking error if the student believes an
error has been made.
Turnitin.com for Forensic Engineering Project Report Submission
This course requires that students submit their assignments through Turnitin.com, a software
package licensed by the University of Toronto that detects plagiarism.
"Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review
of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their
essays to be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they
will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the
University's use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com web site”.
Prior to submitting papers, students need to create their own user profile at
http://www.turnitin.com. Login information will be provided in due course.
Students who do not agree with submitting their assignments to Turnitin.com are subject to
rigorous and numerous evaluations of their reference checks, notes, draft work, etc. that would
contribute to their term work submission (e.g. tutorial assignment, term paper).
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Course Portal
The course website can be accessed on Blackboard through the University of Toronto Portal.
Go to the University of Toronto homepage and click on “Portal”. Students will need their
UTOR ID and password to login.
The course website is the primary mode of course communication outside of class and tutorial.
It is expected that students will check this site frequently for information.
Class announcements and handouts will be posted on the course portal. As well, students may
view their term marks as they become available.
The course portal discussion board can be used for discussion with fellow students and to ask
questions that may be of interest to others in the course. Please keep discussion board topics
relevant to the course. Postings are to use professional language that should be respectful of
students, staff, TAs or faculty-members who may read them.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated by the University of Toronto. Penalties include: a
zero in the assignment, a zero in the course, annotations on your transcript and expulsion from
the University. Decisions on penalties will be decided case-by-case.
This course has both individual and group assignments. For individual assignments, copying a
portion of another student’s work or letting another student copy yours are both cases of
cheating involving both parties. Do not allow another student to borrow your assignment
(drafts included). When working in a group, reports and presentations must include the names
of all the people who contributed to them by acknowledging their contribution. It is considered
plagiarism to submit a paper solely under your own name if the content was written all or in
part by someone else.
Details on the definition of academic and non-academic offences, procedures and policies are
described in the U of T Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Calendar 2013-2014.
Teaching Assistant:
Mr. André Delhaise
Office: WB 171
Email: andre.delhaise@mail.utoronto.ca
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