Author Archives : Bruce A. Burt, P.E., SECB
Bruce Burt is Vice President of Engineering at Ruby+Associates, Inc., and Chair of CASE Contracts Committee.
As design-build continues to gain increasing use as a project delivery method, structural engineers should be aware of the added risk lurking in the design-build contract. Disproportionate risk allocation and an elevated standard of care are two primary culprits in expanding the engineer’s risk exposure. Much of this risk can be managed with fair and carefully worded contracts that cover the design-build project and any design services performed prior to contract award. Close attention to the provisions of the design-builder’s contract with the owner that flow down to the engineer’s contract is also essential in confining the engineer’s risk to a reasonable level.
… Mar, 2023
Bruce A. Burt, P.E., SECB
Business Practices
If you are a practicing structural engineer, you have no doubt come across various forms of contracts outlining the terms of your agreements. These contracts may be with parties that engaged your services or from whom you sought services. You may have your own contract composed by your legal counsel. More likely, your contract is based on a template created by an organization that develops and periodically updates standard contracts. This article provides a brief overview of the types of contracts you may encounter and contract offerings available from several respected sources.
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For the first time in nearly a year, my firm recently hosted an in-person employee gathering. It was a social event involving masks and social distancing. Everyone was quite happy and maybe a little relieved to be together again. I had the opportunity to talk at length with two recent hires, Shery and Jon. I had met Shery once, at her interview just before closing our physical office last March, and only knew Jon through his remote interview and videoconferences. Both were thrilled to meet their co-workers in person, and they shared their excitement at the prospect of one day soon joining them in an office environment. They were equally anxious to ask a nearby teammate the basic questions every new hire has. My experience at this company outing was the strongest confirmation possible that it was not a question of whether we should ever return to the office, but when and to what extent.
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It has been a turbulent and unpredictable past twelve months. Still, it appears engineering firms were in a better position to respond to the interruptions resulting from COVID-19 than many other companies. With the necessary network infrastructure in place, many engineering firms effectively performed design/analysis and small team collaboration in a remote environment. At least early in response to the pandemic, many surveys showed utilization rates actually increasing within engineering firms. While many firms dodged a disruption bullet, not all managed to do so. Valuable lessons were learned about a firm’s resilience, lack thereof, and preparedness for disruptive events. …
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If you work as a structural engineer long enough, you will probably have the misfortune of defending yourself against a baseless legal claim. We have all heard stories about firms forced to spend thousands of dollars in attorney fees to defend themselves against a nuisance lawsuit, or to make it go away. …
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How Your Firm Can Learn from Its Mistakes as Well as Its Successes
Despite advances in artificial intelligence and the increased sophistication of modeling software, at least for the time being, the decision-making process at engineering firms remains the domain of people. To err is human, as they say, and the consequences of a mistake can be painful to an engineering firm. How should a firm deal with this inevitability? The first line of defense is effective quality control that involves a robust checking and review process. Avoiding the costly, reputation-damaging, and perhaps even deadly consequences of an error should be the top priority of every engineering firm. …
Shade Canopy
Erecting a 14-acre shade canopy, weighing more than 17,000 tons, over an existing NFL stadium in one offseason presented exceptional challenges to the Hard Rock Stadium project team. Hillsdale Fabricators of St. Louis, Missouri, assisted by erection engineers Ruby+Associates of Bingham Farms, Michigan, were up to the task. A complete transformation of the 30-year old stadium is highlighted by the beautiful new canopy, and the engineering behind its erection tells a unique story. …