Source: Distinguished Programs A specialty concrete contractor under a design-build contract for a parking garage hired an engineering firm to  provide the structural specifications. Following construction, the garage owner noticed cracks in the support  columns. The cause was determined to be that the rebar specified in the engineering plan was insufficient to support  the structure. […]

Source: https://www.lexology.com/, September 21, 2023 By: Troutman Pepper Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel has filed suit against the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority to enforce demands by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) related to alleged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination of the regional drinking water supply caused by the […]

Source: https://business.libertymutual.com/ironshore/ Looking to the future, many enthusiastically embrace a clean energy shift, including a continued move away from coal-derived energy. Meanwhile, electric utility  companies are pressed to remove and legally dispose of hundreds of millions of tons of coal ash generated over the last 100 years as a by-product of coal-derived  energy. As planners […]

Source: Distinguished Programs A roofing contractor was hired to design and install the roof of a new office building including a solar panel array. The design was performed in-house by a  licensed PE employed by the contractor. After the building was complete, the roof collapsed during an ice storm. The PE failed to consider the […]

Source: https://brookingsregister.com/ By: Mondell Keck A new report indicated the presence of PFAS in shallow groundwater and shallow soil at the 3M plant in Brookings, city councilors heard Tuesday night. The report comes amid an ongoing effort to track, contain and clean up PFAS contamination at the plant. That effort will expand with new monitoring […]

Source: https://news.wttw.com/, September 20, 2023 By: Heather Cherone For decades, Monsanto released toxic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, into Chicago’s air, water and soil, causing significant harm to the city’s residents and its environment, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday. Now it is time for the agribusiness firm to pay to clean up the […]

Source: Distinguished Programs A GC was hired to build an athletic field using plans from a civil engineer who was retained by the owner to complete a preliminary design. At the owner’s  insistence, the GC hired the civil engineer under a design-build contract. After the field was constructed, it was determined that the completed design […]

Source: https://cbs2iowa.com/, September 19, 2023 By: Kaelei Whitlatch New findings from the University of Iowa out of Vermont show that toxic chemicals may be found in older school buildings. A UI researcher says that if schools can find the source of the chemicals, a more cost-effective remediation can be found. The study found that most of the PCBs (polychlorinated […]

Source: https://www.roi-nj.com/, September 19, 2023 By: Brett Johnson In the aftermath of the pandemic’s many construction sector interruptions, there’s a battle over who should take the blame for long-delayed projects. Those eager to recoup costs associated with those delays are sometimes pointing the finger at their contractors, as well as design professionals. That’s being seen […]

Source: Distinguished Programs A CM for a bridge replacement project was responsible for scheduling the procurement and delivery of steel beams necessary for the project. Due to a communication error, the delivery of the beams was going to be delayed for 4  weeks. Rather than have the steel subcontractor sit idle on the job site, […]

Source: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/, September 8, 2023 By: Jared Strong More than 500,000 gallons of manure-contaminated water has been pumped from a creek in Greene County because an aging storage basin began to leak, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The DNR received a report Aug. 18 that a creek southeast of Jefferson had discolored […]

Source: https://missouriindependent.com/, September 8, 2023 By: Allison Kite Two counties in Missouri’s Bootheel suffer from cancer mortality rates drastically higher than the state or national average. On the border between them lies a manufacturing facility in Portageville that for more than 50 years has pumped out parts for cars — and according to some residents, […]