Florida Reg for Successor Professional Engineer

[SteveGregory]

Ron and Friends, When and how does this 61G15-27 apply?

If I design a pipe rack to run across a roof and a support for a new AHU on an existing industrial roof, what does the regulation mean by "recreate all the work done by the original professional engineer"? Does "all" mean for the whole building or just for the "4 beams" affected by my design?

If "all" means the whole building and the building has been expanded or modified 8 times, do I have to write a letter and take full responsibility and send the letter to the last person that modified the building or to the first engineer who designed the original building or who?

If "all" means just the 4 or 10 beams that were affected by my design and the building has been modified 8 times, do I write a separate letter to each engineer whose work is affected by my design or just to the last engineer who modified the building or who?

Finally, could some of you Florida PE's attach a sample letter that you typically use for this stuff? Thanks! Whew@#?$&

 

[Ron]

Steve...you bring up a good point, but most of the time this does not come under the successor engineer rule in 61G15.

You are not assuming the work of another engineer. You have only to satify yourself that the changed conditions are not detrimental to the structure. For that, check all affected areas, but no need to check the unaffected areas.

That part of the rule is written to define the responsibilities of an engineer who takes over and completes a project started by another engineer, or who takes a completed, but unbuilt project designed by another engineer and then assumes that work as his own for the purpose of planned modifications or expansion.

Once a project is permitted and constructed, the successor/assumption rule doesn't really apply...it's off to new analysis and design.

 

[SteveGregory]

Thanks Ron, you made my weekend! That was the way that I read the regulation too.

But earlier today, I spoke with one of your neighbors who designed one of the additions about 15 years ago. He was very nice to me and offered to send me some cad drawings that I was missing. He then wanted me to know that I needed to send him that "letter" so that I wouldn't get in trouble with the Florida Board.

I reread the regulation in light of what he said to see if it did apply to me. If that rule applies, I thought that maybe I should be writing it to the last engineer who designed an addition and not to him and then my mind went crazy at that point.

Are you late getting away from the office tonight? I should buy you a beer tonight but I'm back in Virginia now.

 

[Ron]

Steve....send him a generic letter that states what you will be doing, but disclaim responsibility for the entire structure if your modification doesn't affect such..

I'm always at the office!! I have a home office and a "real office". In either case, I'll take the beer!!

ps...I'm not very smart! I love what I do so I tend to get a bit absorbed in it...much to the displeasure of my wife!!

If you are driving through Jacksonville on your trek back to O'do, let me know.

 

[a2mfk]

In your situation that rule would have only applied if he had drawings of something that was never constructed and you were taking over the project and wanted to use his drawings. You would then have to check all the dimensions and rerun calcs as necessary to claim the work as your own, and I think obtain a written release from that engineer.

What he should have done is sent you a CAD release form for you to sign and return to him which protects him from liability of your use of his CAD files. If he had a dimension bust or something of that nature then you, the owner, contractor, etc. would not hold him responsible for his drawing error. I just sent one out on a project for a home addition...

I've done hundreds of projects on existing buildings using existing drawings and never once talked to the previous engineer. I once took over a project from an architect who passed away while the project was being built, he was an older guy and still did his drawings by hand with blue prints (this was just a few years ago!)... I recreated the applicable details on my own sheets and made sure they were good.

 

[a2mfk]

I thought I would add on something since I am taking a Laws and Rules online class right now for my CEUs for my FL PE.

You don't even if have to have PERMISSION to reuse somebody's drawings, you just have to NOTIFY them. However, I would be ware of some type of civil action in terms of intellectual property, but the FBPE does not require PERMISSION. There was a very specific question about this on the test and I got it right even though it seems odd. But I guess that person may not be with us or impossible to contact, so they don't want to restrict an owner from moving ahead on a project when he has paid for S and S drawings...

Remember, this is for actually using their drawings and then you use your title block, you sign and seal, and you are the EOR.

This was not the original OP's circumstance, but you have more leeway than I had previously understood.


61G15-27.001 Procedures for a Successor Professional Engineer Adopting As His Own the Work of Another Engineer.

2) Prior to sealing and signing work a successor professional engineer shall be required to notify the original professional engineer, his successors or assigns by certified letter to the last known address of the original professional engineer of the successor’s intention to use or reuse the original professional engineer’s work. The successor professional engineer will take full responsibility for the drawing as though they were the successor professional engineer’s original product.