there are no damages yet, so it would be a hard case to proceed with. The exposed risk I have been put in, which doesn't have a monetary value until I get sued by the home owner, is the item at hand.
I think in retrospect the reason this happened was because the architect (drafter in this case) builder , developer and real estate agent are one person.....him.
There were no checks and balances, no team. If there was, it would have been harder for him to do this. I still can't identify why; it...
he was built a home I engineered, then turned and built several more without telling me, using the same plan, but modifying the title block so the building dept wouldn't know.
Found out today that my "friend" who had mysteriously stopped asking us to design his houses for a 2 year period had been deleting the title block, adding the home address, and developing without us. What things can we do to prevent this from happening in the future? Some note on the plans...
I cannot find a clear explanation in the book.... I'm assuming that this is the shear value on a per foot basis for this particular metal decking. I'm sure someone here knows the answer. Thanks in advance.
I found a niche in forensic engineering because of a boss years ago. When the chrome wears off and the new home market plunges, houses still need fixin'.
What I learned along side many insurance inspectors and lawyers, is that "they aren't falling down everyday" is a myth that exists in the...
So how do so many engineers design a basement retaining wall with a footing at the base that is barely wider than the wall, and claim "the loads balance out"?
The footing below a 9 foot retaining wall is 20 inches wide, 12 inches thick. It has no overturning resistance and is clearly designed...
I have designed sonotube piers for many years for light use residential decks basically, where
the reaction is around 2500 lbs, the sono tube is 10 inch diameter and extends 3 to 4 foot into the ground
where it is supported by a pad footing. We never used ties. The guy who taught me never used...
They want to win the job (by being the lowest bid) and get through the building department with as little contact with an inspector as possible. They also want to "use my own experience" to build, and then see what you will do after they do that. "What, you're gonna make me take it all down?"...
Communication is key; get the owners and design team together, state your concerns, explain that no further construction is happening until you
check the design and issue clarifications and addendums, which will happen at an outrageous price and long time frame. This will probably be met with...
I live in an area that has several markets. The markets exist because of geographic diffences. The 'mountain people' with very
stringent building departments (engineering stamp required for literally everything) and the valley people, with little to no
building department requirements. Mountain...
I have never experienced this until now, but this just happened.
I was contracted on fairly complex duplex residential project; went through design and Building Dept Approval and then was
told that they had 'sold' the project to a new developer. My scope of work, as usual, was for design, and...
Looking for some ideas on Heavy Timber Post Bases.....
I'm just not happy with the prefabricated options, or the options we have come up with.
We produced a similar post base as this with 4 bolts into the column....
It was large, clunky, took forever to install and basically not very builder...
In my 17 year career I have avoided pole barns. Until now.
Recently landed a pair of jobs because we need the work. One mid size, one fairly large.
Both jobs ended abruptly with the following converation:
Us: We as engineers cannot do that or your building will collapse. Have you thought about...
On of my jobs has these cracks in the concrete.
Bars are No. 4 at 18 inches on center with proper dowels.
Concrete is a 20 inch wide x 11 inch thick strip footing.
Concrete is extremely creamy (lots of cement) based on observation of the forms.
Concrete guy mentioned that they 'routinely add...
I have a connection that the contractor was unable to bolt because of a field alignment issue.
It is a moment connection. Their solution was to add on this
external horizontal weld line. I'm not understanding how the weld can penetrate if
there is no bevel on one of the plates (or bottom...