David Ahearn, PE, specializes in scientific investigations and root cause analyses for failed components, structures, and systems. He focuses on identifying the various factors that contribute to failure, including design flaws, manufacturing processes, usage conditions, maintenance practices, and applications. His expertise spans a wide range of cases, from common items like roadways and consumer products to intricate industrial applications such as refractory linings and computer components. Beyond individual components and structures, Mr. Ahearn conducts comprehensive systems analyses, ensuring regulatory compliance, performing gap assessments, and verifying code and safety adherence.
Mr. Ahearn brings over 25 years of combined experience in construction defect, failure analysis, and investigative work, with a diverse, deep background in residential construction, including foundations, framing, roofing, exterior finishes, fenestrations, plumbing, and minor electrical.
As a civil engineer practitioner, Mr. Ahearn’s experience included site design (buildings, roads, parking, utilities, and accessibility), municipal planning, stormwater management, and water/wastewater treatment and piping. Mr. Ahearn has investigated failures of water distribution pumps/piping, building collapse, building moisture intrusion, concrete and precast concrete structures, foundations, and soil systems. In addition to construction methods, Mr. Ahearn is an active member of the ANSI A10 committee on construction safety, contributing toward increased workplace safety.
Mr. Ahearn has more than 15 years of materials science experience, which has included materials characterization, testing, fractography, and failure analysis of glass, ceramics, refractories, concretes, and coatings. Some example material applications include cast-in-place and precast concrete, industrial refractory linings, glass and ceramic components, plumbing fixtures, pharmaceuticals, container glass, building glass, and industrial equipment components. Mr. Ahearn has performed hundreds of pharmaceutical manufacturing root cause investigations, including tableted oral dosages, liquid oral dosages, and transdermal patches. He also has extensive experience analyzing coatings used for adhesives, paints, and sealants.
Mr. Ahearn has published peer-reviewed engineering and scientific research and provided testimony regarding engineering analysis, materials science, and safety.
Overtaken by Events: What Delay Quantification Can Tell Us About Causality
In the International Construction Law Review, Stuart Jones presents an innovative approach to delay analysis in construction disputes. His article, “Overtaken by Events: What Delay Quantification Can Tell Us About Causality,” introduces a forensic and mathematical framework that challenges conventional assumptions about project delay and causation.
Secretariat Announces 2025 Mid-Year Promotions
Secretariat is thrilled to celebrate the mid-year promotion of 21 individuals across 11 global offices.
Five Key Recommendations to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean
Cybersecurity is now a core element of legal, regulatory, and business risk management. In Latin America and the Caribbean, organizations face mounting pressure to demonstrate proactive compliance with evolving data protection laws, cybersecurity mandates, and cross-border disclosure requirements. Boards and legal departments are expected not only to prevent cyber incidents but also to prove due diligence, resilience planning, and rapid response capabilities when they occur.