Working behind another engineer

[engpe35]

I have a project that is giving me a lot of heart burn. What is my responsibility in this project. Our client has fired his last engineer and everything is just messed up. His calculations are wrong, he has used wrong number etc..
We have a design that says there is a certain capacity, and based on the corrections of his error there not much capacity as designed. The owner has now wants to develop according to his design. The last engineer has already signed and sealed his work and has been approved by the local/state regulatory agencies. I am now trying to work within the limits of his constraints so I do not have to re do his design.

Part of the project has been constructed and there is no room to expand if we had to fix this issue.

I want to know where we stand with our design.

 

[cvg]

if it were me, I would sit down with the owner, lay all the cards on the table and promise you will do your best to make all better. This may mean delays, re-work and additional cost which your company had better eat. Otherwise, you are in a tough spot. better to fix it now than in court a few years down the road.

 

[SteelPE]

What is it your are exactly being asked to do? Are you being asked to correct his mistakes? Are you being asked to oversee the construction portion of this other engineers design? Are you being asked to sign off on the calculations/drawings? I would guess that your responsibility would depend on the answer to the questions above.

 

[1gibson]

Write a general (not too detailed) proposal to do everything correctly, incorporating what has already been constructed as much as reasonably possible.

Then discuss the change order to make the rest work, or fully develop your alternate design.

 

[Ron]

You have lots of issues with which to deal.

First, I will assume by your handle you are an engineer in Florida. Assuming this project is also in Florida, I would suggest that you immediately read Chapter 479 of the Florida Statutes, the engineering law. Then read Chapter 61G15 of the Florida Administrative Code to be clear on the assumption of another engineer's work. You don't want to take on excess liability by assuming the substandard work of another engineer.

Next, check with the owner to see who owns the engineering documents. In my contracts, I always own the documents; however, some owners require the engineer to give ownership of documents to the owner. This will help you to get all of the engineer's notes and other documents so that if you have to recreate a design or portion of the design, you can do so.

Next, do as cvg suggested....sit down with the owner and lay it all out. Let the owner know if you think a portion is underdesigned and doesn't meet the requirements of the Florida Building Code and/or accepted practice. Let him know also that you cannot be a party to substandard engineering work and must inform the building official if non-compliant design is used.

 

[engpe35]

We are trying to resolve to the best extent possible what is happening on site. There has been a lot money invested into this project. I think we can work it out but it will mean an unhappy client, but not with us.

 

[Ron]

Money is irrelevant at this point. You must first do an appropriate engineering job...the cost of the project is not your issue...being right about the engineering is your issue...that comes first.

 

[Forensic74]

Resolving best as possible? It either does or doesn't meet code. OP which is it? You'll likely be thrown in jail if someone is killed or hurt. Whether or not the you were the engineer who made the design errors, you know about them and need to remedy them no matter how much the owner squeals. Albeit, you should get paid for the remedial design. I think the OP needs to read up on engineering ethics ASAP!!

 

[racookpe1978]

The steel and concrete don't CARE what the design was, nor what the original engineer thought he/she was doing, nor what the owner "wants".

The steel and concrete and nuts and bolts inside the building (if this were a process plant or power plant, the actual amount of energy generated or chemical output) will FAIL if they are actually not installed in sufficient amounts at the right places. You can't "resolve" the matter unless you either reduce loads (eliminate floors or change wind loads, etc.) or increase the amount of materials in the right places: redesign (so you know what is actually needed); then re-order, re-install, replace or rebuild.

 

[engpe35]

I know what I need to do. We are working towards a solution. The owner is not happy, that was expected. I had to push the issue to let the owner know everything.

"Resolve as best as possible" meant it will be done right (code, good practice), but still trying to meet the owners ideas that are feasible.

As for money, it has been one thing i have been arguing about. It does not matter how much has been invested we need to correct the problem. Others don't seem to see it my way.

 

[Lgarr]

Sometimes it is a lack of foresight that causes disagreements in whether a problem should be corrected properly or not.

By foresight I mean it depends on what they are looking at as important, profitability on the current project or avoiding future court costs and losing a good reputation because of it. (insert bean counter logic here)