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During the course of a fire and subsequent exposure to the environment, iron and low-carbon steels oxidize by two mechanisms: high temperature oxidation and atmospheric corrosion. Of particular interest to fire investigators are oxide properties and distribution that could be of use to better understand important characteristics of the fire such as the location the fire originated, the direction the fire traveled or even temperature versus time characteristics. This could be particularly valuable in cases where burn damage to combustible material, which is known to be an important indicator of fire origin, is so extensive that little if any material remains after the fire. However, there is little data in the literature that specifically addresses the utility of oxide properties in the context of fire investigations.

Motorcycle crash tests are conducted for various reasons. Some tests are designed to focus on rider kinematics, while other tests are designed to focus on vehicle damage and post-impact dynamics. Often, tests are documented and conducted in such a way that data can be collected for multiple purposes. Through the use of two different motorcycle crash testing series, data has been collected for the purpose of studying the post-impact condition of the motorcycle steering head assembly after a frontal impact. The steering head research investigated the damage patterns related to known impact configurations and speeds and to determine if any relationship existed between the post-impact fastener torques and the pre-impact fastener torques for several steering heads assembled according to manufacturer's specification. Relevant fastener torques were measured and recorded prior to and after the collision tests.