J.S. Held Releases Insights on Risks & Opportunities Expected to Impact Organizations in 2025
Read MoreThe owner of a mushroom composting facility hired a contractor to construct a new composting facility. Based on the contract, the contractor was to supply and install the prefabricated metal building. The finish of those purlins and girts was revised from a galvanizing coating to a paint. Shortly after the completion of construction, corrosion of purlins was observed and reported, and the corrosion advanced so rapidly that some steel angle braces fell onto the floor only a few months after construction. This led to a dispute over whether the plant was designed and constructed appropriately for its intended use and in compliance with applicable standards.
J.S. Held was engaged to review multiple aspects of the plant, including project specifications, design, steel construction, ventilation, and operations, and to identify the underlying issues causing the damage. Our scope of work involved interviewing the owner of their site representative(s); reviewing available documents; and conducting site investigation, project research, and analysis. Our experts reviewed and commented on the paint application of the purlins and girts in the facility and addressed the questions stated in the retainer letter. We summarized our findings in a comprehensive report, providing commentary on the damage causation, risks mitigation, and standard of care of the parties involved in the construction.
Ben Daee, PhD, P.Eng, PE
Vice President,
Forensic Architecture & Engineering
+1 289 812 5116
[email protected]
Kenny Yip, P.Eng., P.E., S.E., M.ASCE
Senior Engineer,
Forensic Architecture & Engineering
+1 778 561 2119
[email protected]
> Structural Engineering
Our team is composed of civil and structural engineers who specialize in forensic investigations, repair scopes, code upgrade/compliance evaluations, and repair plans. We provide detailed forensic analysis of property and infrastructure damage by leveraging our understanding of the built environment and the impact of wind, water, fire, deterioration, construction defects, and outside forces.
> Forensic Engineering
J.S. Held’s forensic engineering experts include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, and biomechanical engineers. Our forensic engineering analyses address what happened, why it happened, when the incident occurred, extent of damage, repairability, and applicable code upgrade/compliance requirements.