You are invited to contribute to the 11th Forensic Engineering Congress in Orlando, Florida. Organized by the ASCE Forensic Engineering Division, the congress is the premier event for forensic engineering practitioners, educators, and experts across the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Legal, Insurance, and Risk disciplines to share knowledge and experience. The congress offers presenters a unique opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience of leaders and practitioners shaping the future of forensic engineering.
The theme of the 2026 congress is Decoding Failure, which reflects the core mission of forensic engineering and its focus on applying engineering and scientific principles to the investigation of failures. Forensic engineering may also involve testimony on the findings of these investigations before a court of law. These failures can range from catastrophic collapses to components that simply do not perform as expected. Technology, legal landscapes, climate change, and public expectations are reshaping the field of forensic engineering. The Congress provides a venue to learn from the experiences of others, share your work, and network with colleagues to advance the practice of forensic engineering. Help us to disseminate failure information to ASCE and the public through participation at the 11th Forensic Engineering Congress.
We invite abstracts for technical papers, sessions, and panel discussions on forensic engineering topics. Accepted papers will be published by ASCE in the congress proceedings. Most of the congress technical program will consist of paper presentations. Presentations will be made in-person during the congress.
Suggested Congress Topics
We invite abstracts on forensic engineering topics across the built environment sector. The following topics are suggested, but others are welcome.
Artificial Intelligence in Forensic Engineering
- Integrating AI tools into expert witness practice
- AI-enhanced analyses in forensic engineering
- Machine learning and data science for investigations
- AI use by the legal profession
Building and Infrastructure Performance
- Failures of pipelines, dams, levees, and treatment plants
- Performance of special structures, including cranes, earth structures, and temporary structures
- Issues with tall buildings, schools, hospitals, and data centers
- Transportation failures, including bridges, highways, rail, airports, parking, and tunnels
- Failures or issues with transmission towers and wind turbines
Building Enclosure
- Failures and performance of roofs, facades, and fenestrations
- Building science, including water, air, thermal, and vapor performance
- Innovations in façade and roof assessment
- Architectural materials and façade systems
- Energy performance and modeling
Construction Performance and Safety
- Adjacent construction (damages, protection, shoring, and undermining)
- Demolition and excavation (collapse and implosion)
- Equipment (cranes and scaffolding)
- Loads (instability, temporary, and construction loading)
- Worker safety (OSHA)
Electric Vehicle and Smart Infrastructure
- Thermal runaway and battery fires
- Changes in loading conditions
- Impacts on existing structures or infrastructure with EV proliferation
Expert Witness
- Working with attorneys and insurance adjusters
- Rules of evidence and methods of proof
- Deposition and trial testimony strategies
- Case studies in ethics
- Legal precedents and case law relevant to forensic engineering
Florida Topics
- Hurricane damage assessments and mitigation
- Coastal issues and engineering adaptations
- Climate change adaptations for engineering practice
- Threshold inspections to reduce failures
- Condominium investigations and assessments
Natural Disasters and Extreme Conditions
- Failures caused by tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and tsunamis
- Evaluation of fire damage
- Fire topics
- Blast and impact loading
- Risk analysis and mitigation strategies
Professional Practice & Education
- Forensic investigation methodologies
- Engineering ethics and case studies
- Use of case studies in forensic engineering education
- Legal system considerations, including testimony and documentation
Repairs and Remediation
- Innovative approaches to structural repairs
- Strengthening methods
- Advanced construction materials and methods
Technologies for Forensic Investigation
- Building information modeling (BIM)
- Construction project management (CPM) software
- Structural health monitoring
- Remote sensing and nondestructive evaluation
Important Dates
- Call for Abstracts Opens: August 25, 2025
- Abstracts Due: October 17, 2025
- Notification of Abstract Acceptance: December 12, 2025
- Draft Full-Length Papers Due: January 30, 2026
- Peer Review and Notification of Draft Paper Acceptance: April 3, 2026
- Final Papers Due: April 24, 2026
- Notification of Final Paper Acceptance: May 18, 2026
- Speaker Registration Deadline: May 20, 2026
Submission Requirements
Abstract Format (All Submissions)
All abstracts should be in MS Word format, and contain the title, authors’ names, affiliations, contact information, and up to 300 words in 12-point Times New Roman font. The abstract should summarize the purpose, scope, problem statement, approach, and conclusions of the work.
Technical Paper
Abstracts for technical papers should also include keywords and any special comments, such as session, track, or topic for which the paper is best suited, entered at the bottom of the abstract page. If the abstract is accepted, authors will then be required to submit full-length manuscripts (10 pages or less) by the deadlines indicated to be included in the congress program and proceedings. Technical Papers are full-length manuscripts of value and interest to forensic engineers. They must be original reviews of case studies, present information of current interest, or probe new fields of forensic engineering activity. Information on preparing abstracts and manuscripts for ASCE proceedings can be found here: Publishing Proceedings with ASCE | ASCE Library.
Sessions
Non-paper sessions may be considered if proposed by a committee, ASCE-affiliated project, or an associated technical society. For example, technical committees or associated technical societies are invited to submit abstracts for non-paper sessions that provide updates on current activities or projects that will be of interest to forensic engineers or ASCE members.
Panel Discussions
Panel discussions may be proposed by individuals. Abstracts for panel sessions should include the discussion title, names, titles or credentials, contact information, and affiliations of panelists and the moderator. A description of the discussion topic(s) should be included. Panel discussions are considered non-paper sessions.
Paper Deposit Fee
A paper deposit fee of $100 will be required upon submission of the final paper. This fee will be credited toward the conference registration for the presenting author. Submitting a paper constitutes an agreement that, if accepted, at least one author will register for the Congress, pay the appropriate fees, and present the work in-person. The deposit fee is non-refundable.
Peer Review Process
Each abstract, paper, and session will be subjected to a confidential peer review, with review results distributed to authors. Each reviewer will provide a recommendation of either: “Accepted as Is,” “Accepted with Revisions and Re- Review,” or “Declined.” Final review will be made by the proceedings’ editors.
Abstract submissions require a minimum of acceptance from two peer reviewers before an invitation to submit full papers. Acceptance of an abstract constitutes an invitation to submit a full paper (maximum of 10 pages). Acceptance of an abstract is not an acceptance of the final paper for publication. The review criteria will assess whether each abstract and paper are applicable, useful, and relevant to forensic engineering and the performance of constructed facilities; whether the abstract and paper has been published previously; whether the methodology is satisfactorily explained; whether the references are verifiable, whether the tables, figures, and photographs complement the paper; whether the conclusions are clear and justified; whether the elements of the paper are logically related to the paper; and whether the writing style, grammar, and formatting are appropriate.
Rejection of abstracts or papers may occur if papers fail to comply with the submission requirements, are written as advertisements or for self-promotion, or are written without reference to scholastically verifiable data (i.e. propaganda).