Case studies on Failures due to Earth Quake, Wind, Fire, Soil, Blast -

Techno- Legal Assessment for Claims.

P Suryaprakash
President, ACCE(I)
Founder Director, Satya Vani Projects and Consultants Pvt. Ltd

Abstract : Forensic Civil Engineering is emerging specialization in India after allowing FDI in
Insurance and Opening up for Private players. The need for Injuries forensic investigation arises out
of two reasons.

i. Legal accountability for and/or Death of Life, Damage to Facilities, Which will be
cause for legal conflict.
ii. Insurance claims for loss compensation leading to again legal settlement.

Both reasons call for logical and legally binding investigations to identify the actual cause of failure /
damage. The agency / individuals are Owner/ Developer, Consultants- Architect/ Consulting
engineer/ Structural Engineer/ Project Manager/ Supervising Engineer/ Geotechnical Consultant,
Builder/ Contractor and/ or their engineer, End user/ Occupant/ Lessee. The investigator shall
conduct failure assessment to find cause of failure to fix the accountability which shall stand the test
of legal examination. The investigation shall be based on well founded legal processes and
documented for standing as evidence.

P Suryaprakash, President, ACCE(I) & Founder Director, Satyavani Projects and Consultants (P) Ltd

B.Tech (Civil) Jawaharlal Nehru Tech. Univ., Kakinada

M.S (Struct) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Email: svpcpl@gmail.com

Mr. Suryaprakash is presently President (2013-2015) of the Association of

Consulting Civil Engineers (India). He is also Founder Director of M/s
Satyavani Projects and Consultants Pvt. Ltd and M/s Satyavani Homes Pvt.
Ltd. He has over 30 years experience as a Structural Engineering consultant
and has completed a large number of prestigious building projects in India
and abroad. He has developed special expertise in the design of transmission and communication
towers and is the author of a book on the subject : Design and Implementation of Communication
Towers. He has also delivered several lectures and presentations in this area and organised the
Tower Convention 2002 for Cellular and Basic Operator, and compiled the Tower Manual. He was
Organising Secretary of the World of Innovations in Structural Engineering Conference in 2004 and
Engineering in Architecture in 2003. Mr. Suryaprakash was a Member of the Expert Committee for
Categorisation of Seismic Damaged Structures in Gujarat.