Was Grenfell’s disastrous fire due in part to an all-too-common risk transfer strategy?

Grenfell Tower, a UK public housing project that caught fire recently, was a true disaster that is most likely directly attributable to incompatible design specifications and implementation by established architecture, engineering and construction professionals. I've been holding off publishing much about the event until there is more consensus from the forensic experts regarding root cause, … Continue reading Was Grenfell’s disastrous fire due in part to an all-too-common risk transfer strategy? →

New must-have accessory for your Galaxy Note 7: Flame-proof return box

This whole Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle would be really hilarious, if it didn't represent a major risk to life and limb for consumers. Adding insult to Samsung's injury, and in an effort to prevent injury to both consumers and postal workers, Samsung took the unusual step of sending out flame-proof containers for people to … Continue reading New must-have accessory for your Galaxy Note 7: Flame-proof return box →

Blowing the Roof Off of a Rock N’ Roll Insurance Case

I met Peter Lattey at West Coast Casualty's Construction Defect Seminar in 2012. Over lunch a few months later, he told me the story of his involvement representing the respondent in Sequoia Insurance Company vs International Recording Corporation. As Peter's story shows, there are no typical days for professionals working in architecture, engineering and construction … Continue reading Blowing the Roof Off of a Rock N’ Roll Insurance Case →

DARPA puts out fire using nothing more than sound

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) published the following video demonstrating how a fire could be extinguished using sound: Wired's Danger Room has more: The team arranged two speakers either side of a liquid fuel flame to demonstrate how fire can be controlled by amping up an acoustic field. The sound increases air velocity, … Continue reading DARPA puts out fire using nothing more than sound →

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Poses Significant Fire Risk

A core concept in high performance building is to create a strong thermal barrier between the inside and outside of a home. Building materials at exterior walls therefore need to include products that offer thermal resistance - in other words, insulati...