Stamping Old Stamped Plans 1

[tehparadox86]

So I'm a PE, with a background in water/wastewater engineering. I was asked by a friend to stamp his old grading plan he had made for his home that he was going to build. The approved plans are over ten years old and the PE who stamped it is retired and no longer has a license. The county is asking for a current PE to sign and stamp. I said I would seal it but then I realized I wasn't even sure what the correct procedure is when stamping an already approved plan. Do I simply cross out the old PE seal and stamp right next to it? Working in a govt the last few years (reviewing developers' plans), I was oblivious to the correct procedure on such matters.

 

[GeoEnvGuy]

10 years ago the plan may have been to the standard of care. By stamping next to original and updating the title block you are saying that you reviewed in detail all the engineering and it's to the current standard of practice. This also assumes site conditions have not changed. Also you will now be liable for the design.

 

[Lomarandil]

Practicalities aside, I'm not sure that I'm crazy about the precedent set by agreeing to the county's request for a current PE. A stamp should be a stamp, unless they have grounds to require an updated design or updated language because the standard of practice changed. Right?

Granted, I know that your friend isn't concerned with that here, he just wants to build his house.

----
just call me Lo.

 

[msquared48]

Is there anything on the grading plan besides the elevations?

Does it show utilities and lot lines, current easements, legal description, setbacks, etc. All this would have to be verified.

Does he really have a plot plan instead of a grading plan?

Being 10 years, I feel that an update is reasonable, but verify, verify, verify!

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA, HI)

 

[Lizard7709]

I would recommend you look up the rules in your state for “successor engineer”.

In my state, the rules state that if you take over a job you become responsible for it as if you were the original engineer. You would also be responsible for running calculations needed to verify the design using good engineering judgment. Lastly, my state requires you inform the engineer with a certified letter that you are taking over. I have looked over the rules for a couple other states and they will vary slightly in level of intensity. The common thing I’ve seen is that you are always responsible for what you sign.

 

[beej67]

You might not even be allowed to stamp his plans, for copyright reasons.

Presuming you're comfortable that the design is still good, I'd ask the municipality if they'd be okay with you writing them a letter stating you've reviewed the plans and find them in conformance, and then stamp the letter.

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

I was about to say something similar to what beej67 said. Be sure you are 100% ready to write it before the call to the building official though. It will be awkward for your friend if you don't follow through for some reason.

 

[chicopee]

Good replies above. Always recheck the work from the previous engineer. It is not to say that the original work is in error but in 10 years, a lot of changes either in the regulations or in the physical conditions may have changed.