The last post I published here at AECforensics.com was a recap of the 2019 West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar. As I write this in the last days of June, it makes me a little sad to think about the conference we should have had this year in May, but obviously could not.
For me personally — admittedly not my favorite topic — I’m busier than I ever have been in years and years. While that is one of the primary reasons for the absence in publishing much, I also find myself listening more.
Just listening.
As far as things go with the built environment, the current pandemic has heightened the role that building science will play in risk management. Instead of trying to calculate the ROI for Wellness measures, healthy buildings will very quickly become one of our frontline defenses.
As more information becomes available and that seems relevant, I’ll try to pass it along with more frequency than in the past. (Writing and publishing is one of my new goals in terms of better work-life integration…)
In the meantime, here are some of the latest resources from my colleagues and I on life in the modern world:
Untangling the Knot: COVID-19’s Impact on the Building Industry
This article was a collaboration between myself, Justin Cox and Xpera’s founder Ted Bumgardner. In it, we looked at some of the interconnected issues likely to impact the industry and stakeholders.
The biggest challenge for construction attorneys and experts will be figuring out the extent to which each delay can be attributed to COVID-19 versus a host of other issues our industry is facing. For those projects that were entirely shut down by a jurisdictional order, it is fairly straightforward. But for projects that were allowed to continue, it will require deeper analysis.
Visit the Xpera Blog to read the full article.
COVID-19 and the San Diego Economy
Xpera’s chief economist Alan Nevin was tasked by numerous organizations and agencies for his read on the economic fallout to be expected from the pandemic at local, regional, national and global scale. His first take on the topic:
The big question on everyone’s mind right now: Will there be a recession? My answer is yes, but it will not be severe. Nothing like 2008-2009.
By federal definition, recession is two consecutive quarters with no increase in gross domestic product (GDP). By that standard, we will have a recession. However, there is a difference between a recession and a worldwide financial meltdown…
There is an enormous difference between 2008 and today.
COVID-19 Construction Claims: 4 Steps to Ensure Successful Mitigation Risk
In uncertain times, it is necessary to have a strategy to minimize risk. To manage the risk it is important for contractors to protect any entitlement to additional time and cost that might exist and for owners not to be unjustly burdened with risk not owned by them.
In the midst of this unprecedented pandemic many of us involved in the construction industry are contemplating:
Who is responsible for damages suffered as a result of COVID-19 and what should I do to mitigate risk?
Can the contractor claim for additional time and cost due to the impact of COVID-19?
So begins a great article by Dr. Hendrik Prinsloo, who was recently hired by Xpera to lead our construction scheduling and delay analysis services. Stay tuned for much more great and informative content from Hendrik.
Read the 4 steps to mitigate risk on COVID-19 construction claims.
Pro Tip: Read Hendrik’s book, Construction Delay Analysis Simplified, just updated with a new chapter on COVID-19.
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