From CBS:
An engineer says shoddy materials and construction techniques caused a fatal collapse at a building site in Brooklyn last week.
Steve Schneider tells The Daily News that the contractor was using lighter gauge steel than required for the floor decking at the five-story condominium project. He also says crews had secured joists with nails and clamps instead of welding them or fastening them with special screws.
Schneider was responsible for checking the site’s safety before workers started pouring concrete, but he says the contractor never notified him that the workers were ready to begin. He says he would not have approved concrete pouring if he had known.
One worker was killed and four injured in the collapse on Tuesday.
6 comments:
Where is the regulatory oversight? How many more accidents have to happen before something is done? Heads need to roll starting with DOB!
No one is to blame? The law needs to be updated to reflect this type of issue to insure all parties are responsible and hold each other accountable.
Also are the laborers legal, did they understand instructions in English - what are they hiding from investigators that can help determine fault?
This engineer has been rubber stamping the plans for many jobs for years including 37-28 97 STREET and 98-25 50 AVENUE in Queens. Now he's final got big time.
Its not 'covering his ass' its standard contract terms for construction that a GC must notify the architect/engineers that the site is ready for obligatory inspections before proceeding with the work. The A&E aren't on site full time and are not required to guess as to when the work is ready to be looked at.
This is all on the GC (1) for not following the plans and (2) not notifying the A&E. The end.
I am willing to bet that if this accident didn't happen the architect and engineer would have signed off on the construction after the fact regardless of their not witnessing the work and submittted those TRs to the DOB.
Doesn't the DOB check the site before the pouring of concrete which would cover up any problems?
It's common practice in doing private home construction. Only when the building inspector gives the OK can the concrete get poured.
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