Construction & Public Contracts

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Building codes are something most of us don’t hear much about (unless you binge-watch HGTV reno shows like I do). Created to establish minimal life safety requirements for the construction/renovation of buildings, they can vary from state to state and even town to town. Building codes first became part of the American legal landscape in the 1800s, driven in large part by fears of fires spreading through cities.

As federal, state, and local governments deal with the damage done…
Continue Reading What Engineers and Architects Need to Know about Building Codes and Climate Change

Less than one day after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominiums in Surfside, Florida, the first lawsuit was filed. Two days after the tragic collapse, at least one law firm launched a “Florida Building Collapse” website. While we have our own thoughts about these efforts, our focus has been on early detection and prevention of these tragedies. We have been studying and writing about construction defects involving shoddy steel and concrete for years.

Despite the apparent rush…
Continue Reading Building Collapse – Defective Concrete, Steel and/or Design

The risks presented by unknown site conditions are difficult to identify and evaluate, and the costs to address them can be very substantial. Saul Glazer discusses the necessity of using DSC – differing site conditions – clauses in construction contracts.

The basic purpose of the contracting process is to allocate risks among the various parties.

Many risks are easy to identify and evaluate. For example, a contractor can evaluate the risk of labor cost changes or material prices. Similarly,…
Continue Reading Construction Contracts: Differing Site Conditions