Construction & Engineering
Forensic engineering for the built world.
Ground to Rooftop
Aperture evaluates how buildings, structures, and sites perform and why they fail, delivering objective, defensible analysis for design, construction disputes, insurance claims, and disaster recovery. Our engineers, architects, and scientists work as one firm across the life of a project, for attorneys, insurers, contractors, and owners.
Forensic Engineering & Failure Analysis
Why structures, systems, and materials fail and what repairs cost. Includes construction defects, property damage, cause-and-origin, and catastrophe response.
Geotechnical, Geoscience & Water
Earth and water systems, from subsurface soils to coastal environments. Includes geotechnical and expansive-soil engineering, geophysics, LiDAR and drone remote sensing, hydrology, and hydrogeology, with our LSI site-risk program.
Construction Claims & Project Management
Claims support for projects in dispute and in progress, in the U.S. and internationally, grounded in actual cost data. Includes claim preparation and defense, schedule and delay analysis, damages allocation, surety bond claims (performance, payment, and recovery), construction management, and troubled-project turnaround.
Architecture & Design
Residential and commercial design, building rehabilitation, historical renovation, and condominium services.
Specialty programs: Mission Critical Facilities, Catastrophe Response, Environmental Health and Safety, and construction-site safety.
Related practices: See Building Envelope for facade and intrusion matters, and Economic Consulting for construction damages.
Our Capabilities
Our Coastal + Hydraulic Engineering team provides expert analysis and solutions for coastal and riverine environments. We study and model coastal processes—including waves, currents, and erosion—to assess impacts on properties and infrastructure. Using advanced methods, we address sediment transport, scour, and deposition challenges, delivering comprehensive solutions that protect structures and ensure long-term system performance.
- Inspection & Property Evaluation for all Property Types
- Analysis Relative to Applicable Codes and Standards
- Examination of Workmanship Quality and Standards of Care
- Real Estate Disclosure Analysis, including Failure to Disclose
- Insurance Claims for Property Damage
- Investigation of Property Casualties (Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Collision, Vandalism)
- Scope and associated Costs of Repair and/or Remediation
- Preparation and Analysis of Cost of Repair Estimate
- Allocation of Damages
- Analysis and Calculation of Damage
- Construction Contract Disputes
- Analysis of Cost Overruns and Disruption Delays
- Productivity Analysis
- Schedule/Delay Analysis
- Analysis and Preparations of Claim
- Analysis and Calculation of Damages
- Allocation of Damages
- Surety Bond Claims Services
- Expert Testimony
- Entitlement analysis
- Utilization of academic and industry studies
- Estimate and historical cost analysis
- Direct and indirect damage analysis
- Damages from productivity loss, extended duration or extended overhead
- Critical path and linear schedule analysis
- Windows, as-planned versus as-built, time impact and other analysis techniques
- Entitlement analysis
- Analysis and involvement during construction
- Technical health checks pre-construction and during construction
- Forensic analysis of subcontractor performance
- Familiar with all scheduling platforms
- Risk modeling and analysis
- Building envelope design and detailing
- Risk mitigation and waterproofing strategies
- Third-party construction observation and quality assurance
- Envelope commissioning
- Remote monitoring during construction
- Repair and remediation scopes
- Periodic facade inspections and ordinance compliance
- Structural soundness and safety assessments
- Condition prioritization and long-term repair planning
- Compliance filings with municipalities
- Building envelope failure investigations
- Water and air intrusion diagnosis
- Leak investigation and source identification
- Roof, wall, window, and cladding evaluation
- Building envelope and facade leak assessments
- Expert reports and testimony
Our team of engineers and scientists has provided innovative, practical geotechnical solutions across thousands of projects. We focus on subsurface analysis, soil and moisture investigation, and site characterization. With extensive expertise in expansive clay soils common to the southern and mountain west regions of the U.S., our Dallas, Denver, and Houston teams are specially equipped to design and evaluate structures in these challenging conditions.
Our Groundwater Forensics and Hydrogeology team provides specialized analysis, modeling, and remediation services to address complex subsurface and contaminant issues. We investigate groundwater flow, contaminant transport, vapor intrusion, and methane leakage, using advanced geophysical surveys and predictive models to quantify risks and guide mitigation. Our integrated services support environmental hazard analysis, remediation, and informed decision-making for safer, more resilient communities.
Our team delivers advanced hydrology and water resources expertise to solve complex water challenges. We specialize in forensic hydrology—using data analysis, modeling, and engineering evaluation to determine causes of flooding, failures, or damages—and in water resources engineering, providing sustainable solutions for watershed management, drainage design, erosion control, and storm impact analysis.
LSI site-risk assessment, a proprietary method that identifies areas of elevated geotechnical risk early to reduce cost and exposure
Our Advanced Numerical Modeling services provide attorneys and investigators with precise, data-driven insights to assess and predict structural failures. Using state-of-the-art simulations and analytical models, we replicate real-world conditions to evaluate stability, performance, and design scenarios. With decades of experience and specialized expertise, our team delivers reliable, actionable results that support litigation, risk assessment, and informed decision-making.
- Delay and disruption analysis
- Out-of sequence work, acceleration and trade stacking analysis
- Labor, material, subcontractor and equipment analysis
- Weather and change in scope analysis
- Measured mile analysis
- Empirical study verification
- Design Professional Selection Process
- Construction Program Preparation
- Contractor and Subcontractor Selection Process
- Project and Construction Schedules
- Value Engineering
- Construction Analysis
- Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling
- Contract Closeout and Resolution
Our Remote Sensing Engineering Services provide high-resolution surface data for investigative and legal purposes. Using LiDAR and drone-based (UAS) surveys, we deliver precise, cost-effective elevation and aerial datasets quickly and efficiently. Our team customizes data acquisition to meet the specific needs of each project, enabling attorneys, insurers, and investigators to access accurate, actionable information—even in hard-to-reach areas—for analysis, litigation support, and risk assessment.
LSI™ (Limited Site Investigation) is our proactive risk management program designed to close the gap between outdated geotechnical reports and real-time site conditions. Developed more than a decade ago, we serve builders and owners with our proprietary LSI™ process to identify high-risk lots before construction begins and provide practical, site-specific mitigation recommendations. Through multi-phase analysis, including aerial observation, soil boring, and on-site geophysics, our engineers deliver current, actionable data that traditional reports often miss.
Our Building Science Services provide expert structural and architectural analysis for legal and investigative purposes. We perform forensic investigations to determine the cause, origin, and extent of damage, assess construction defects, and develop repair or restoration strategies. Serving law firms, insurers, and other legal stakeholders, our team delivers authoritative, data-driven insights to support litigation, claims, and risk management, while ensuring structural integrity and long-term building performance.
- Infrared (IR) thermography, including aerial IR
- Building pressure testing and smoke testing
- Water penetration testing (windows, storefronts, curtain walls) to ASTM E-1105 and AAMA 501.2, 502, and 503
- Air barrier and performance testing
- Envelope condition assessments
- Safety Programs
- Scissor Lifts
- Cranes
- Forklifts
- Bulldozers
- Scaffolds
- Ladders
- Guardrails
- Hardhats
- Electrocutions
- Material Stacking
- Construction Accidents
- OSHA Cases
- Work-related Accidents
- Oilfield Accidents
