Design Review Ethics

[dhoward26]

A contractor approached me and asked that I review a set of (2) story residential plans that he received from an owner as the owner has retained him for construction purposes. He has approached me because he is concerned about the lack of detail and is questioning the loads. These plans were engineered for vertical loads only. The contractor has asked me to completely re-design the home.

Do I need to contact the engineer of record to inform them that I am reviewing their plans and am re-designing the home that they have already drawn? The snow and dead loads used in the calcs are incorrect. I think I do need to inform them that I am reviewing them at a minimum.

 

[JAE]

In most states yes - engineers are directed to notify the engineer of record if they are hired by the owner to supplement or supplant their original design. In your case you are not directed by the owner, but by the contractor.

What I would suggest, is that you could provide a design review of the structure, a report of sorts, outlining all your concerns and issues, pointing out the errors you believe are true, and then submit to the contractor (your client) who can then forward that to the owner.

 

[paddingtongreen]

This is peculiar, the Owner bought the design from the Engineer and gave them to the Contractor, who has no relationship to the Engineer. The Contractor should hire you to review and inform the Owner and the Engineer of this. Send your comments, via the Owner, to the Engineer. If the Engineer is unreasonable, The Owner can fire him and then you can be hired.




Michael.
"Science adjusts its views based on what's observed. Faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved." ~ Tim Minchin

 

[racookpe1978]

But now that you know there are errors in the calculations, you cannot in good faith let the project (owner and contractor and original engineer) remain ignorant of their liability when (if) it fails.

 

[dhoward26]

Agreed. I have to inform of the errors. It's a sticky situation because I'm not hired by the owner. I was planning on drafting up a memorandum of the issues I see with the drawings and design and giving that to the contractor who would then give it to the owner. I don't think I can really control if the owner gives it to the EOR though. And now I'm not sure if it is my place to contact the EOR directly as I wasn't hired by the owner. I verified the design loads with the building department to make sure they actual were incorrect.

 

[BAretired]

As a professional courtesy, I would contact the EOR and explain the situation just as you stated in the OP. I would discuss with him my preliminary concerns about his design and indicate my intention of conducting a review of his documents and preparing a report to my client, the contractor.

In so doing, it may turn out that there were mitigating circumstances of which I was not aware. Depending on his response, I would proceed as deemed appropriate.

BA

 

[kipfoot]

I'm in a similar situation. I was contacted by an owner whose general contractor feels there are cost savings to be had at a retaining wall that is specified to be backfilled with gravel at a 45 deg angle.

The first thing I told him was that I would first want to call the EOR to talk it through and let him know that I'm involved in the project. In this case, I may be making suggestions that he would have to accept as the EOR because the owner doesn't want to switch EORs.

What I really wanted was for him to handle the matter with the owner and GC so I wouldn't have to be involved, but it's a professional courtesy that may also be called for by engineering boards.

There was one technical issue I noticed so far, unrelated to the backfill $ that the owner is focused on, that I will put in a separate thread.

 

[SLTA]

The other thing - if the EOR didn't do a full design, and doesn't correct it, you should report the EOR to the board for insufficient plans. A big ol' mess.