An alternate method for casting of three-dimensional footwear imprints in snow and sand

Abstract

Great Stuff™ is presented as an alternative material for the casting and preservation of three-dimensional footwear impressions located in snow and sand. This method generates a detailed, 1:1 foam cast of questioned footwear imprints. Great Stuff™ is a readily available commercial grade construction foam, normally used to fill voids and cracks in walls and interior window installations. The spray foam is applied by squirting the compound from the can into the footwear impression. A compression tool made from a wood plank fitted with two handles and covered on its base with a sheet of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic is placed over the foam-filled impression. The wood plank is gently pushed downward onto the impression. After a short period, the foam cast hardens. The cast is then removed, cleaned, and trimmed. It is then placed into an evidence box and marked for I.D. The resulting questioned impression can be directly compared to the outsoles of known suspected items of footwear or impressions of known items of footwear made with Great Stuff™ foam.