Harry Pearce

Mr. Pearce has over 21 years of expertise in the field of structural crashworthiness. He gained industry experience with nine years at General Motors, serving as the Lead Structural Design Engineer for multiple vehicles. 

Mr. Pearce has analyzed structural crashworthiness at Exponent for over 12 years. He has also served as an expert in accident reconstruction, and fire cause and origin.

Mr. Pearce explains the complex topic of structural crashworthiness with simple, straight-forward methods. He assesses the crashworthiness of automobiles with peer vehicle analyses of the collision load cases to which they are designed: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) including 208-front, 214-side, 201-interior, 301-fuel, 216-roof, and consumer metrics including: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) small offset, moderate offset, side, rear, and roof; and front and side New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). He compares intrusion and injury performance. He researches and analyzes the use of high strength and ultra-high strength steels and aluminum in vehicle structures. He is experienced in acquiring structural components from entire roof structures to bumper beams for groups of vehicles and performing design analysis and testing.

Prior to joining Exponent, Mr. Pearce held several Lead Design Engineer positions during his nine years at General Motors. Most recently, Mr. Pearce was the Upper Structure Lead Design Engineer for the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia midsize crossovers. He was also chairman of the product development teams responsible for all aspects of the vehicle development process. Mr. Pearce was responsible for the release of math models for analytical validation and the construction of prototype vehicles for physical validation. Mr. Pearce has worked in assembly plants and is experienced with the manufacturing process from part stamping to final vehicle assembly. Mr. Pearce has extensive knowledge of the vehicle development process from initial design concept to production. He is well-versed in the engineering of the body to meet the multitude of collision load cases, durability, and metal forming. He is knowledgeable in materials selection, including the use of high strength and ultra-high strength steels and aluminum and weld placement. In the area of accident reconstruction, Mr. Pearce has conducted site inspections, vehicle inspections, photogrammetry, momentum and energy analyses, and computer animations. In the area of fire cause and origin, Mr. Pearce has experience in the investigation of off-road vehicle fires and building fires. He has conducted research on automobile fuel tank location, material, shielding, and pipe routing. Mr. Pearce has conducted extensive data analysis, including National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), warranty, and complaint data.

With his knowledge and experience with vehicle sealing, Mr. Pearce has addressed claims of Carbon Monoxide (CO) intrusion. He has performed Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) testing in anechoic chambers and Brake Override System (BOS) testing at Exponent's Test and Engineering Center (TEC) in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Pearce is also knowledgeable on the implementation of vehicle technologies and has developed efficient methods to survey the entire vehicle fleet.

Mr. Pearce is experienced in: the acquisition of all types and ages of automotive parts; photography and videography; Computer Aided Design (CAD), FARO arm, FARO laser, and Mantis scanning; material testing; and component testing.