Responsibility 2

[dik]

The following is a copy of an eMail sent to the professional association in Manitoba:

A set of documents have been prepared and sealed by an Engineer (orignial engineer). The client wants this original set of documents revised and the client also wants the revised drawings to be issued under seal.

If the documents are re-sealed by a new engineer, is the new engineer responsible for the information contained in the documents or only for the changes to the original documents sealed by the original engineer?

Do you have any clarification to the responsibility of the new engineer?

thanks, Dik

any thoughts about responsibility?

Dik

 

[JAE]

dik,
As you know, I'm responding from a US perspective.

Generally, if a new engineer "takes over" another engineer's design, whether partially complete or fully complete, and changes it, expands it, etc., then the new engineer is required to fully review the entire design to assure him/herself that the design is correct and safe.

You should not ASSUME that parts are designed OK without fully checking (calculating) as if you were designing it from scratch.

So I use the term "review" in a strict sense in that you don't just look it over. You fully re-create the design verification of all elements along all load paths.

After this, then the new engineer can certainly sign and seal the design.

[red]Structural Engineers.....the traffic cops of load paths"[/red]

 

[Ron]

dik...I agree with JAE. That is essentially what is stated in Florida's engineering law, which is similar to others in the US.

In the "legal" sense, I understand that review means to "review for adequacy".

Ron

JAE...new signature line? Not bad. Where's my badge? One of my structural professors put in his course syllabus "Aspirin is prescribed for stress and strain. If you confuse the two on the final exam, you'll need the aspirin".