Roger W. Griffith, P.E.

Roger W. Griffith, P.E. is a Professional Engineer with registrations in 27 states. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and is also a board-certified forensic engineer.

He has over 39 years of experience in designing, maintaining, and operating mechanical, plumbing, and sprinkler systems. He has served as a forensic consultant /expert witness since 2002 for matters related to building mechanical and plumbing systems, with an emphasis on
plumbing design, hot water scalding, legionella outbreaks, HVAC design, carbon monoxide poisoning, venting of gas appliances, and failures or deficiencies of mechanical and plumbing systems and equipment.

He has provided expert witness services, including deposition and trial testimony since 2002.

Services

Mr. Griffith is committed to providing investigative engineering, consulting, and expert witness services that are thorough, credible, and timely. As a licensed professional engineer he can assist in the following areas:

Construction Claims: He can review documents, perform site inspections, research industry standards, prepare reports and exhibits, and provide presentations to assist clients to resolve construction disputes involving changes, delays, damages, and impacted labor efficiency as related to building mechanical, plumbing and sprinkler systems.

Design Errors and Omissions: Case review and analysis of HVAC, plumbing, piping, and sprinkler system design work to determine whether the engineering design meets the standard of care for the area and at the time the work was performed. This often requires document review, research, and design calculations.

Litigation Support and Expert Witness: Roger Griffith prepares exhibits and provides testimony based upon independent and impartial investigation, research, analysis, and testing. He also assists clients through the mediation and arbitration process.

Construction Defects: Roger Griffith investigates HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and piping system failures. After careful research and analysis, Roger provides objective opinions regarding causation and damages.

Litigation Support Services

Roger W. Griffith, P.E. provides expert testimony and litigation support services for plaintiffs and defendants on plumbing, mechanical, and fire sprinkler system defects and failures.

As a mechanical engineer, his training and experience designing plumbing, HVAC, and fire sprinkler systems enable him to offer professional opinions regarding the adequacy of system design, construction, maintenance, and operation.

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Water Heater Failures; Gas Venting; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; Fire Sprinkler Systems; Plumbing Systems; Plumbing Codes; Plumbing Engineering; Piping; Hot Water Systems; Fuel Gas Systems; Gas Appliances; Gas Venting; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; HVAC Design; Fire Protection; Sprinkler Systems.

Profile

As a mechanical engineer, Mr. Griffith's training and experience designing plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler systems enable him to offer professional opinions regarding the adequacy of system design, construction, maintenance and operation. With his experience and training in failure analysis, he can also evaluate equipment failures to determine their root cause.

Roger serves on the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) national design standards committee that provides industry guidelines for hot water temperature limits for plumbing systems to prevent scalding.

Areas of expertise include:

* Plumbing Systems and Equipment and associated failures, damages and injury causation
* Plumbing Code Compliance
* Hot Water Systems
* Hot Water Scalding
* Gas Appliances
* Venting of Gas Appliances and Combustion Safety
* Fire Sprinkler Systems
* Construction Defects
* HVAC Systems Design
* HVAC Equipment - Failure Analysis

Areas Served

All States

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Professional Experience

2002 - present Roger W. Griffith. P.E.
Consulting Engineer
• Forensic engineering investigations, litigation support, and expert witness services related to the design, installation, maintenance, or operation of building mechanical and plumbing systems, including hot water scalding, carbon monoxide poisoning, and legionella outbreaks. Testified as an expert witness at numerous depositions, trials, and arbitration hearings.
• Mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection system designs for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.

1997 - present Griffith Engineering & Consulting, Inc.
Owner & Principal Engineer
• Designer of mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection systems for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Engineer-of-Record on over four million square feet of commercial, industrial, and residential construction projects.
• Provides forensic investigations, litigation support, and expert witness services related to the design, installation, maintenance, and operation of building mechanical and plumbing systems, including hot water scalding, carbon monoxide poisoning, and legionella outbreaks. Testified as an expert witness at numerous depositions, trials, and arbitration hearings.

2014-2016 Mesa Associates and Retiree Resource Corporation
Mechanical Engineering Consultant
• Process piping engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority's new bottom ash dewatering facilities.

1983-1997 Tennessee Valley Authority
Quality Manager (1994-1997)
• Trained personnel at all levels of the corporation in problem-solving, root cause analysis, statistical process control, failure modes and effects analysis, and business process re-engineering.
Maintenance Supervisor, John Sevier Fossil Plant (1992-1994)
• Responsible for mechanical maintenance of plant equipment, including boilers, piping, heat exchangers, pumps, and conveying systems.
• Utilized root cause analysis for accident investigations and hazard analysis.
Mechanical Engineer, Boiler, Heat Exchanger, and Valve Group (1990-1992)
• Performed boiler inspections to determine root causes of failures.
• Inspected fans, pumps, ductwork, and other plant equipment and designed modifications and upgrades as required.
Maintenance Engineer, John Sevier Fossil Plant (1988-1990)
• Performed predictive maintenance and failure analysis of plant equipment.
• Designed and coordinated equipment modifications and upgrades.
Valve and Heat Exchanger Specialist (1985-1988)
• Designed upgrades and modifications of power plant condensers, valves, and heat exchangers to improve performance and reliability.
• Performed failure analysis on plant equipment, including heat exchangers, condensers, valves, and piping.
• Performed boiler inspections to determine root causes of failures.
Piping Analyst (1983-1985)
• Performed piping stress analysis for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.

Licenses

Registered/Licensed Professional Engineer in 27 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Legal Experience & Services

Since 2002, Mr. Griffith has provided expert witness services and litigation support for cases involving HVAC design, plumbing design, pipe failures, plumbing component failures, scalding, water heater failures, and gas furnaces in numerous cases. He has provided deposition and trial testimony.

Affiliations

American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
• past Vice-President of Technical for East Tennessee chapter
• past Vice-President of Education for East Tennessee chapter
American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE)
American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM)
International Code Council (ICC)
National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE), Board Certified
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)

Qualifications

Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE), 2016.

Certified Legionella Water Safety and Management Specialist, ASSE 12080 Certification Number - 46687. October 21, 2020.

Awards & Honors

Graduated with high honors - Magna Cum Laude.
Pi Tau Sigma, Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, past member
Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society, past member

Seminars & Training

(Partial List)
Law of Construction Defects and Failures – Lewis, Krieg, King & Waldrop, PLLC, 2011
Plumbing Water Systems – Design Considerations, James M. Pleasants Co., 2010
Geothermal Seminar and Drilling Demonstration, Tennessee Valley Authority, 2007
National Electric Code Seminar, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 2007

Publications

What is Meant by ‘Feet of Head'? ASPE newsletter article, East TN chapter, 2004
Pipe Sizing, ASPE newsletter article, East TN chapter, 2005
Sizing Thermal Expansion Tanks, ASPE newsletter article, East TN chapter, 2004
“NFPA 96 and Building Code Requirements for Commercial Kitchen Hood Systems”, presentation to Fire Officials and Building Officials, Sevier County, Tennessee, 2004
Quality Improvement Tools & Techniques; Instructor, TVA University course, 1993 - 1997
Fault-Tree Analysis; Instructor, TVA University course, 1996 - 1997

Professional References

Available upon request.

Education

·Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN
Graduated magna cum laude.