Tag: construction defect

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Canada: Crumbling & cracking concrete cladding causing concern

Vancouver, British Colombia played host for a couple decades to a dramatic uprising of concrete-clad condos that permanently altered the city’s skyline. Developers rushing to sell units to (oftentimes  foreign) investors and empty-nesters cut corners, leading to years of litigation followed by tougher standards and improved oversight — particularly regarding the building envelope. Despite the … Continue reading Canada: Crumbling & cracking concrete cladding causing concern

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How to manage the increasing complexity of today’s Construction Claims and Disputes

Last week I was honored to once again have the opportunity to write a guest post for Virginia construction lawyer and mediator Chris Hill’s Construction Law Musings. The title of the post: Hard to Handle. The subject: How to manage the increasing complexity (and costs) of today’s construction claims and disputes. Continue reading “How to manage the increasing complexity of today’s Construction Claims and Disputes”

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New museum in Sweden celebrates the failure necessary for progress and innovation

Perhaps it should come as little surprise that Sweden’s new Museum of Failure sounds like the perfect museum for a person like me. Jason Zasky, writing for Failure Magazine (which is now one of my favorite subscriptions), reports the following: The Museum of Failure isn’t on any list of the Top Things to do in … Continue reading New museum in Sweden celebrates the failure necessary for progress and innovation

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Saying goodbye to a true architecture, engineering & construction forensics legend

Debra Rubin, of ENR, shares the sad news of the passing of an AEC forensics grandmaster:

John M. Hanson, who, as president, helped guide the growth of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. into an industry-leading forensics and failures engineer and who led probes into high-profile collapses of the Kansas City Hyatt hotel walkway in 1981 and the New York State Thruway Schoharie Creek Bridge in 1987, died on May 26 in Green Valley, Ariz., at 84. The firm did not release the cause of death.

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25 of the most embarrassing design and construction failures

Only by analyzing the failures of our past can we learn how to prepare for a better future. This is one of the core principles behind forensic science, and candidly, it is what personally drives me forward every day. InterestingEngineering.com compiled a list of “25 Extremely Embarrassing Architectural Failures,” although I would like to clarify … Continue reading 25 of the most embarrassing design and construction failures

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Reexamining one of the most infamous bridge collapses in history

Astrophysicist and author Ethan Siegel, writing for Forbes, just helped to expose a longtime myth about good ole’ Galloping Gertie, a bridge that (in)famously collapsed just a few short months after opening to public traffic. To help jog your memory, here is footage uploaded to YouTube of the bridge twisting and bouncing around: The story … Continue reading Reexamining one of the most infamous bridge collapses in history

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Liveblogging WCCCDS 2017: Why Women Matter in Construction Claims and Risk Management

Once again, West Coast Casualty Service is hosting their annual construction defect seminar at the Disneyland Hotel. As I have done in past years, I decided to liveblog some of the topics featured. One of the panels scheduled that I did not want to miss was a topic on the evolving role of women in the construction claims and risk management industry.
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ArchDaily’s list of the 9 worst architectural lawsuits and disputes

Thomas Musca, writing for ArchDaily, compiled a list of nine examples of the worst architectural claims, disputes and lawsuits:

What did Pritzker Prize winner Frank Gehry get when he designed the Stata Center, an exuberantly whimsical academic complex for MIT? A very large check, plus a major lawsuit, alleging negligence and breach of contract due to rampant leaks, mold, cracks, drainage problems and sliding ice. Sometimes the most inspired designs can go awry. And when they do, some clients lawyer up. Here are 9 fascinating examples.

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Artist repairs concrete cracks with gold as part of new project

Within the construction defect industry, we sometimes joke that the repairs proposed by some parties represent a much more costly approach than is truly necessary to solve a particular situation. You might hear comments like “that’s the Cadillac repair” or “how can this be so expensive — what are they trying to do, gold plate the building to keep leaks out?”

So when I learned that there was an artist using gold to fill cracks as part of a new installation, I couldn’t help but take a closer look. Allison Meier, writing for Hyperallergic, highlighted the work of Rachel Sussman inspired by an ancient Japanese art form known as kintsukuroi. Continue reading “Artist repairs concrete cracks with gold as part of new project”