Communication, Collaboration, Investigation, and Follow-Through: How to Survive the Denial, Regrets, and Revenge of Failures After New Construction

What happens when a building owner calls with leaks into a building they just finished? After verifying whether they want to file a lawsuit or not, the course of action is important. An investigation and preliminary testing are typically recommended to understand the original design and the quality and consistency of the construction. Design of remedial repairs and a pilot repair program followed by retesting to confirm results. How extensive are the failures and how invasive do the repairs need to be? Costs? What materials were used and were they compatible? Public perception and developer/owner reputation are important. The occupants have just moved in. Higher expectation of successful repairs. Can we involve the original design and construction team? These are just a few of the issues that need to be faced early in this process. One must communicate often and clearly with the owner and rest of the project team in order to manage expectations, costs and construction quality control. Designs need to be constructible, adaptable and efficient. This paper will discuss the range of technical and teamwork issues that develop soon after a new construction project is completed.

Presentation Learning Objectives:

1. Conditions documentation
2. Communication with clients, contractors and occupants
3. Material compatibility 
4. Constructability and adaptability of repair designs