Forensic Engineers & Investigators
Forensic Engineering – Construction Disputes
Prosolve Ltd provides in depth forensic engineering analysis to both contract clients and contractors involved in construction disputes. These services assist in the preparation of claim and defence documentation.
Aspects of construction disputes which can benefit from Prosolve’s forensic engineering services are:
Contract Variation Claims
Extension of Time(EOT) Claims
Delay and Disruption
Workmanship- Quality and Performance Issues
Pre-contract Risk Assessment & Contract Drafting
Our forensic engineering services are able to methodically search and piece together engineering evidence in a logical meaningful way that comprehensively but simply, answers the questions at hand. This is possible even if evidence has not been able to be collated during the course of the contract.
Case Study: Delay & Disruption
A contractor manufactured and delivered tilt slab panels to an apartment construction project. Although the tilt slab panels were delivered on time, they were of poor quality with many different types of defects ranging from broken edges, dimensional mistakes, gross size and shape errors and poor surface texture. Records kept during construction were not orderly or comprehensive as at the time of construction, each defect was considered in isolation and not overall significant. However by the end of the project the number and extent of slab defects had incrementally accrued considerable disruption to the construction project delaying its end date. Prosolve Ltd. was engaged by the client’s solicitor to quantify the extent to which the tilt slab defects had disrupted and delayed the project. Andrew McGregor convened several meetings with the architect, project manager and client. After some discussion it became apparent that all parties could contribute information and relevant photographs. After considerable effort several hundred photographs were able to be identified and collated in the form of a ‘Scott Schedule’ which summarized and collated dates with slab defects and other relevant information.
From this Schedule it was possible to categorise defect types with building location and link these with area/section/item delays that in turn could be summarised on a Gantt chart. Referencing this to a baseline program allowed delays to be determined in accordance with the guidelines of the Society of Construction Law (UK). The dispute was settled outside of court.
