Steve MacInnis, P. Eng. (Vehicle, Mechanical, Civil)
Steve has over 35 years of mechanical and civil engineering experience. His expertise in failure analysis (oilfield, fires, civil, mining equipment) as well as vehicle accident reconstruction (speeds, computer simulations and animations, occupant dynamics, seat belts, etc) is well known in the insurance industry. He has given expert evidence in court numerous times.
Gilles Amirault, P. Eng. (Mechanical, Vehicle)
Gilles graduated from Dalhousie University's co-op mechanical engineering program in 2004. With SAMAC since graduation, he has focused on high speed collision investigations (speeds, vehicle motions, event data recorder analysis, occupant dynamics, seatbelts, etc.). He has also performed low speed collision investigations to investigate impact severities, vehicle and occupant dynamics, collision sequences, vehicle damage matches, and vehicle speeds. Gilles has also been responsible for instrumented mechanical tests (vehicle idle speeds, seatbelt compliance, etc.) as well as for independent mechanical failure analyses.
Brent Fukuda (Electrical Engineering)
Brent is our electrical expert and, as a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, one of our origin and cause investigators. He focuses on failure analysis and product liability investigations of electrical equipment and components; fire investigations; vehicle fires; and residential, commercial & industrial equipment failures. A 1980 graduate in electronic technology, he graduated from the University of Calgary as an electrical engineer in 2006. He has over 30 years of experience in electrical installations, electronic equipment repair & maintenance. He also has extensive knowledge of electrical codes and related fire and building codes.
Vladimir Panlilio, M.Eng, M.Sc.P. Eng. (Mechanical, Vehicle)
Vladimir has over 25 years of mechanical engineering and forensic experience in accident reconstruction, injury causation, and defect investigations. For 15 years, he was the coordinator of a Transport Canada funded road safety research project at the University of Calgary. Vladimir has extensive experience with event data recorders and conducts workshops on their use in accident reconstruction. Vlad is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the UofC, teaches at the RCMP's Pacific Region Training Centre and to the Calgary Police Service, supervises the UofC SAE MiniBaja Student team, and has been court qualified.
T. M. (Ted) Semeniuk (Mechanical and Safety Specialist)
Ted is a highly qualified vehicle defects investigator, OH&S specialist, and a heavy duty mechanic certified Canada wide. A native Calgarian, he has over 35 years of related experience, including 11 years as Transport Canada's defect investigator in Western Canada, 13 years with the Calgary Police Service Traffic Unit as their mechanical investigator, and 3 years as the OH&S coordinator for geophysical firms. Having been court qualified over 200 times, Ted offers our clients expertise in the following areas:
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Vehicle defect and SIU investigations on all vehicle systems
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Low speed investigations and collision reconstruction
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Event Data Recorder (black boxes) downloads and interpretation
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Occupant restraint system training and investigations
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OH&S related investigations
Tyler Dyck, B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering)
Tyler Dyck has recently joined our staff as a junior mechanical engineer. Tyler spent 5 years in the WHL (Western Hockey League), playing for the Kootenay Ice, Tri-City Americans, and the Brandon Wheat Kings. He went on to university and spent 3 years at St. Francis Xavier University (GPA 3.95/4.0) and 2 years at Dalhousie University (GPA 4.2/4.3), graduating with a mechanical engineering degree in 2009. A scholar athlete, he has received numerous academic and hockey awards over the years.
Chris deRosenroll, C.F.I. (Fire Cause and Origin Consultant)
Chis has over 40 years experience as a fire department professional and consultant. This includes 17 years as a Fire Chief and Fire Marshal, the investigation of hundreds of fires, and testifying over 25 times as a technical authority. He also reviews fire department management issues, building safety standards, and fire safety programs.
Chris works closely with our metallurgical and industrial engineering experts to approach problems with the wide range of training and experience needed to provide our clients with the right answers. He has investigated hundreds of fires and explosions including structural, industrial, aircraft, marine vessel, motor vehicle, heavy equipment, electronic installations, and natural cover.
Ron Harder (Civil Engineering Consultant)
Ron graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Calgary in 1975. His experience includes the design, construction and project management of residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. Ron has assisted with numerous failure analyses for SAMAC.
Taras Semeniuk, M.Sc., P.Eng. (Metallurgical Consultant)
With a unique blend of academic qualifications and hands-on field experience, Taras is an industry recognized expert in metallurgical and materials failure analysis. With over 20 years of experience, he provides the definitive "fingerprint" of a failure. Taras was with SAMAC for 6 years until recently branching out on his own. Taras is usually an integral part of any multidisciplinary SAMAC team that perform failure analyses and forensic engineering on industrial components, e.g. compressors, pipelines, and mining equipment, as well as on plastic and ceramic commercial failures.
We also utilize other engineering and technical consultants with failure analysis experience
