Source: Engineering News-Record, November 26, 2012 By: Scott Judy Two independent sources with knowledge of the investigation into the Oct. 10 collapse of a parking garage at Miami Dade College have refuted a claim reported by Engineering News-Record that the structure was struck a second time by a crane pick just prior to the fatal […]

Source: http://www.tampabay.com, November 6, 2012 By: Craig Pittman The company that designed Tampa Bay Water’s cracked reservoir deserves $9.2 million in attorneys’ fees and $10.8 million in expenses for defending itself against the utility’s unsuccessful lawsuit, the federal judge overseeing the case ruled. U.S. District Judge James Whittemore called the fees “extraordinary” but explained in […]

A general contractor retained an architect in a design/build delivery system to design, procure materials and construct a structural retaining wall at a residential subdivision. The design lacked a proper drainage system, and the wall settled and cracked due to hydrostatic pressure. The owner sued for damages in excess of $500,000 due to necessary underpinning […]

A design build/delivery system was retained by commercial developer for the construction of a multi-story office building. The GC’s project manager failed to check the adequacy of the safety netting system installed in connection with the project’s roof installation. A worker fell and sustained serious injuries. His attorney alleged inadequate safety controls and monitoring on […]

A civil engineering firm was hired by a GC/developer to delineate wetlands on a high-end residential development project. During the first phase of the project, the GC was made aware that the engineer miscalculated the wetland area, jeopardizing the placement of seven homes already under construction. Typically when these situations arise, additional property is purchased […]

A construction manager and architect, retained by a developer through a “single point of responsibility” contract, engineered, designed and constructed a 70-story office tower. Architectural drawings specified a curtain-wall system. Two years after completion, one  fell from the face of the office tower, killing a pedestrian. The victim’s estate sued all parties involved in the tower […]

Source: Inforum, May 10, 2012 By: Marino Eccher 3 building contractors to go into court this week North Dakota State University’s lawsuit against three contractors over the collapse of Minard Hall finally made its way into the Cass County District Court this week. The lawsuit, which was served in December, claims the contractors failed to […]

Source: http://enr.construction.com, April 23, 2012 By Scott Judy After a federal jury took just four hours to rule that HDR Engineering’s design did not cause the cracks at Tampa Bay Water’s six-year-old reservoir, the utility was left with nothing for its gamble on a $30-million settlement offer but an estimated $24 million in legal bills. […]

Source: Rockhill Environmental/NECC Newsletter A general contractor contracted with a laboratory to provide analysis of mold spores taken from a school mold remediation and reconstruction project. Following a failed remediation project at the school, the school sued the general contractor alleging various errors in the contractor’s project services. The contractor filed a third party action against […]

Source: ENR Southeast, March 21, 2012 By: Scott Judy As the case of Tampa Bay Water v. HDR Engineering begins, a key trial expert says he still has no official opinion about the cause of the disputed cracking. By all accounts, Dr. David Carrier III is a preeminent geotechnical expert on soil science. A paper […]

Source: http://enr.construction.com, October 19, 2011 By: James T. Parsons Concrete pier caps supporting three bridges on the new Intercounty Connector (ICC) in Maryland may have to be rebuilt following the discovery of cracks by Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) inspectors. According to a project spokesman, 40 to 50 cracks ranging from .005 to .035 in wide, and […]

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal, March 14, 2012 By: Tim O’Reiley As the hearing over whether to raze the unfinished Harmon Hotel plodded through its third day Wednesday, Perini Building Co. injected a surprise by unveiling a temporary $2 million fix to keep it standing in the event of a serious earthquake. Perini, general contractor on the […]