Our Facilities

Warren headquarters were designed specifically for forensic investigation. Our facilities, equipment and experts also can be made available for your investigation needs.

The proper evaluation of complex claims and losses calls for high-caliber facilities, equipment and capabilities. If you’re interested in utilizing our facilities to conduct a study or would like our assistance, email us at info@warrenforensics.com or call us at 803.732.6600.

Testing Services

Warren can build replicas to simulate the conditions of a loss and perform testing to collect data for reconstruction or demonstration purposes. We have tested dishwashers, washing machines, plumbing fixtures, plumbing supply lines, HVAC float switches, HVAC compressors, heaters, fireplaces, etc., as well as their component parts.

  • Recreate a loss condition
  • Conduct tests
  • Perform data acquisition
  • Demonstrate what happened during a loss
  • Fluke® multi-channel data logger with thermocouples

Multipurpose Laboratory

The multipurpose laboratory is ideal for joint evidence exams by multiple parties. Equipped with a 12 ft high by 14 ft wide roll-up garage door and plenty of tables and seating, it is possible to jointly-examine large pieces of equipment in an air-conditioned room. The lab is equipped with piped-in natural and propane gas, compressed air, and has single and three-phase electrical power for connecting and testing industrial machinery and commercial appliances. A restaurant exhaust hood with supply intake and exhaust fans allows simulation of restaurant conditions, testing of restaurant appliances, and other combustion process equipment.

  • Piped gas systems for natural and propane gas and compressed air
  • Exhaust hood
  • Adjoining observational room

Examination and Specimen Prep Rooms

Warren offers a range of examination areas including a wet lab equipped with ultrasonic cleaning equipment. This lab is ideal for cleaning, processing, measuring and treating samples for further study.

  • Examination and specimen prep rooms
  • Equipped with ultrasonic cleaning equipment
  • Tear-down bay for large objects

Microscope and Layout Room

microscope-room

Investigators can access a stereomicroscope with digital imaging along with varying light source devices to view exemplar parts and evidence at high levels of magnification. The lab, which also supports sample prep equipment, includes a high-definition, wall-mounted monitor to display microscope imagery so experts and attendees can view and discuss findings as a group. Access to cost-effective scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) from the nearby University of South Carolina plus a range of portable digital X-ray equipment from a local provider is also available.

  • Stereomicroscope with digital imaging
  • High-definition, wall-mounted display monitor
  • Cost effective SEM/EDS at nearby USC
  • Portable digital X-ray equipment from local provider

Electrical Testing

Warren retains a wide selection of electrical testing equipment including digital multimeters, earth ground clamp meters, fall-of-potential Earth ground testers, Fluke® high voltage insulation testers, circuit tracers, and a Fluke data acquisition unit that can monitor up to 40 inputs (such as temperature, pressure, flow, etc.) with appropriate transducers. Additionally, we have digital temperature measuring devices as well as an infrared pyrometer and thermal imaging camera for noncontact temperature measurement.

  • Access to a range of testing devices and data measurement equipment
  • Detect and measure temperature with or without direct contact
  • NAFI-certified fire and explosion investigators

Gas Testing

Warren maintains a gas-testing lab with capabilities including flow rate and pressure measurement. The lab includes combustible gas and refrigerant detection monitors and stain-tube testing for gas odorants. We can collect field samples of fuel gas to ASTM standards for further lab testing. Warren also has the capability to conduct testing of fuel gas-fired burner products of combustion for CO, NO, O2 and others.

  • Gas-testing lab (LPG & Natural Gas)
  • Measurement of flowrate and pressure
  • Combustible gas and refrigerant detection monitors
  • Testing of fuel gas-fired burner products of combustion

3D CAD and Simulations

Warren has in-house capability to create 3D CAD models and simulations for forensic analysis, creating alternative designs, and to create illustrations for reports and trial exhibits. Our SOLIDWORKS CAD, Simulation and Flow Simulation software is widely used and has been validated as a reliable tool for simulating real world events. Simulations can include finite element stress/strain analysis (FEA) of mechanical parts and assemblies and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of heat transfer and fluid flow. Simulations can reduce the need for physical testing and allow virtual testing of hypotheses in forensic cases.

  • 3D CAD and FEA / CFD simulations
  • Virtual testing of hypotheses
  • Illustrations for reports and trial exhibits

3-D Scanning Services

Our Trimble X2 and Faro Focus X 330 Scanner images and captures 360° panoramic photographs and three-dimensional point cloud representations. We can take measurements, flythrough animations, and conduct virtual tours. The laser-based scanner can be used indoors or outdoors, without regard to light levels. Scanned data can be used to preserve evidence of equipment and sites that cannot otherwise be preserved.

  • Capture and preserve 360° panoramic imagery of equipment or sites
  • Create flythrough animations or virtual tours.
  • Enable measurements in difficult or impossible to access areas

Conference and Meeting Rooms

conference

The Palmetto Conference room is an ideal environment for a deposition with multiple attorneys or for a strategic planning meeting with a 16-person team. The conference room, which includes 80” and 40” HDTV monitors, two wall mounted cameras and ceiling mounted microphones, is wired for video conferencing and includes a table that is equipped for a court reporter. Smaller conference and meeting rooms are also available for onsite meetings.

  • 80” and 40” HDTV monitors
  • Video conference enabled monitors
  • Supports the needs of court reporters

Training Room

Warren offers a 32-seat educational center for attorney, adjuster and engineer training or for live demonstrations of recreated loss scenarios. Presentations are supported by technology including a large center projection screen, two wall-mounted monitors, and audio equipment. A technical room has an observational glass window looking into the training room and allows technicians to control the audio levels, film the event and show recordings for the presenter without disturbing the speakers and audiences in the training facility.

  • 32-seat educational center
  • Center projection screen, wall-mounted monitors and audio equipment
  • Research library with references including codes, standards and scientific texts

Research Library

The research library contains hard copy and digital reference material, including an extensive collection of codes, standards and books that date back to the early 1900s.


Facility Services, Vehicles and Storage

Warren has a 3 bay workshop with 16’ ceilings that is equipped with wood and metal working tools as well as the hardware and supplies necessary to build and construct models, demonstrative aids, shipping crates, testing, construction mock ups and other projects as required.

A range of storage services is available onsite. A secure evidence storage bay is equipped with high rack storage and a forklift for heavy palletized evidence. The bay has space to store heavy and bulk evidence items. Very large items such as cars and ductwork can be protected and stored in a secure storage yard.

In addition to a fully equipped truck for rapid response for investigative fire scenes and other losses, Warren has trucks and trailers for the transportation of collected evidence and exemplars.