Hedderman Consulting, LLC - Expert Witness CV
Joseph Anthony Hedderman, P.E.
EDUCATION: BS Mechanical Engineering 1989, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
LICENSURE: Registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Over thirty years of engineering experience, particularly in the areas of engineering design and analysis, and forensics engineering. Experience includes pressure vessel design and analysis, structural design and analysis, heat transfer, failure analysis, seismic analysis, and construction. Performed fitness-for-service evaluations and provided expert witness services for various legal cases. Has extensive experience using finite element analysis. Worked on projects over a wide range of industry sectors including the pressure vessel, petrochemical, aerospace, mining, transportation, and nuclear industries.
Has extensive experience in the design and analysis of storage tanks, vacuum chambers, pressure vessels, mining equipment, and material handling equipment. This experience includes the design and analysis of structural frames and connections associated with stairways, platforms, storage racks, equipment support structures, and various anchorage systems.
Performed transient thermal, elastic-plastic, limit load, modal, harmonic, response spectrum, random vibration, fatigue, creep and non-linear buckling analyses. These analyses included various complex mechanical and thermal loading such as: cryogenic spills, fire conditions, liquid sloshing, shock, seismic effects, and impact.
Has extensive knowledge of industry codes and standards relating to equipment and component design, performance, and safety, including the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, AISC ASD (Steel Construction Manual), API 650, API 620, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, and ASCE 7. Conducted numerous code evaluations for a variety of pressure vessels, and structural products and equipment.
Mr. Hedderman has substantial experience working as a field engineer and project manager. This includes startup/commissioning, equipment testing, performing hydrotests, resolving subcontractor inter-trade interference issues, quality assurance, and supervision.
Field engineering experience includes a turnkey LNG peak-shaving plant for Citizens Gas, a large-scale vacuum chamber for TRW Space & Technology, two 30-foot diameter autoclaves for Boeing, and multiple oil refinery storage tanks for Chevron.
Mr. Hedderman’s expert witness work for legal cases have included:
Performed thermal stress analyses in support of an investigation into the failure of a blowpipe for a blast furnace at the steel mill.
Evaluated and critiqued opposing counsel’s expert witness report on the failure of a turbine head cover assembly at a hydraulic power plant.
Investigation into the failure of a log splitting maul causing permanent disability. Improper heat treatment was determined to be the cause of the failure.
Determined cause of premature cracking of expansion joints at a coal burning power plant was the result of using material inappropriate for the application.
Demonstrated improper fabrication of multiple storage and process tanks for an ethanol plant resulted in an inability to meet contract specified standards leading to extensive rework. Damages were in excess of $40M.
Investigated the cause of the collapse of a warehouse storage rack resulting in injury.
Investigated the cause of the collapse of a 300-foot diameter fuel oil tank.
Failure investigation of an autoclave explosion resulting in $25M in damage. Poor maintenance was identified as the cause of the failure.
Investigated premature and repeated cracking of a mixer used in the dairy industry.
Investigated and evaluated claims of alleged deficiencies resulting in back charges in excess of $12M accrued during the construction of a petrochemical plant. Arbitrators ruled in client’s favor for all contested back charges.