Welding Expert Witnesses: 3

Brett Pond, PhD, PE, CWI, has over 16 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgical consultant specializing in Forensic Metallurgy (failure analysis).  He has a strong background in the rail industry, having participated in hundreds of derailment investigations and rail related failure analyses. 

Dr. Pond obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, has Professional Engineering (PE) licensure in 48 states, and is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).  He is an active member of ASM International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and American Welding Society (AWS), and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE).

Dr. Pond has earned international recognition for his failure analysis capabilities and has given technical presentations at multiple Failure Analysis Forums hosted in Shanghai, China. He has a wide range of experience, including: API Fitness for Service (FFS) Evaluations, field testing, mechanical / metallurgical laboratory management, legal expert witness services, and failure analysis for Rail, Food, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Medical, and Transportation industries. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Pond has provided unbiased mechanical engineering and metallurgical guidance to clients and legal counsel for over 15 years. Having been involved in dozens of legal cases and retained as a lead investigator or expert witness for several of those cases, Dr. Pond is an excellent choice for a mechanical engineering or metallurgical expert witness.

Having managed a mechanical / metallurgical testing laboratory for a leading global testing and inspection company, Dr. Pond is well versed in materials testing, application of domestic and international test standards, and weld / welder qualification testing.  

Areas of Expertise: 

View Pond Industries' Business Consulting Profile.

D.R. Foster, PE, PhD is an expert in Welding Engineering, specializing in the Design, Manufacture, and Inspection of Welded Structures.  Dr. Foster possesses a PhD in Welding Engineering and numerous certifications in welding, inspection, and engineering.  In addition, he has significant Welding Engineering experience in both academia and in industry. His exceptional experience and training have prepared him to properly analyze the welding failures and welding safety violations that are the subject of Litigation.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience: Dr. Foster earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University’s Department of Material Science and Engineering.  Dr. Foster has spent over 17 years as a welding engineer in the academic, public, and private sectors. 

Strongly dedicated to his craft, Dr. Foster has earned multiple welding, engineering, and inspection certifications. These certifications include Certified Welder (CW), Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Certified Welding Educator (CWE), Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS), Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng),  NDT Level III Inspector (NDT III) and Licensed Professional Engineer (PE).

Dr. Foster has performed work for many large government agencies/consortiums such as Ohio Aerospace Institute, US Navy, US Army, NASA, the National Shipbuilding Research Program and the National Science Foundation while also providing welding engineering solutions for private industry.

Dr. Foster is a former tenure-track university professor with extensive experience teaching undergraduate-level and graduate-level courses in materials science, welding processes, and the design of welded structures. His research has been published in numerous scientific journals.

For more information, please visit The Welding Expert Witness.

David Morris has over 30 years of deep understanding and hands on experience of Construction and Construction Processes that give him a unique perspective in the industry. Having worked in many roles, Mr. Morris has the ability to formulate conclusions based on practical experience. Staying abreast of new technologies, he is able to apply them to outdated construction processes.

Mr. Morris has welding certifications in nearly all processes (MIG, TIG, Stick) and most materials, (Carbon Steel, Various grades of Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Chrome,). He has extensive experience in Instrumentation, Controls, Building automation Systems, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing Codes and Design, Drafting and Detailing, layout and quantity take-off, medical gas installation, Plumbing and Piping Detailing, Computer Aided Drafting, and BIM

Litigation Support - Mr. Morris serves as an expert witness for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include onsite inspection, thorough reporting, depositions and trial testimony as needed. Cases include:

Select Background Experience:

• Prior to founding DMorris.consulting, Mr. Morris served as Director of Virtual Construction for EMCOR Construction Services from 2008-2016. In this role, he directed the virtual construction activities and operations of 82 EMCOR companies. His scope of work included drafting contract language for BIM and pre-construction, setting up new projects in lean and BIM delivery methods, and reviewing new construction technologies among other duties, Managing 3D and BIM processes
• From 2001-2008, Mr. Morris worked with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors as Director of Virtual Construction. He was responsible for estimating Plumbing, HVAC Piping and Process Piping for numerous research laboratories and healthcare facilities valued at over 100mm + each. He also delivered conceptual estimates for numerous Biotech, Power, and Co-Generation plants.
• Select Project Participation: San Joaquin County Hospital, City of Gilroy Waste Water Reclamation Plant, Shafter Prison, Vandenberg Air Force Base HVAC Replacement, Space Shuttle Launch Complex Project, Tehachapi State Prison Level-4 High Security Prison Housing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Co-Gen Facility, Kern Medical Center New Hospital Wing Expansion, Anheuser Busch Yeast Plant Expansion, and multiple Piping, Petrochemical, Hospital, and School projects.

*This Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables is a derivative work of a best practice guideline written by David Morris in 2003 and modified for the AGC BIMForum in 2009. It is the result of capturing ten years of practical methods on real world construction projects and reflects continual feedback and improvement gained from that process.

View Dmorris.consulting's Business Consulting Profile.