#91 - Case History - Is There Value in Value Engineering? Beware of Panic Mode!

GBA Case History Series – Case History #91 - Is There Value in Value Engineering? Beware of Panic Mode!

Summary

Member Firm conducts forensic evaluation of mold in a crawl space of a 180 unit nursing home and gives an “Engineering Opinion of Probable Cost” for the remediation of mold condition. When the owner investigated the construction records, it was found that the constructor- in- charge was at fault.

Our Hosts:

• Elizabeth Brown, PE - Principal Geotechnical Engineer/JLT Consultants

Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues.

• Abi Corbett – Project Consultant/SME.

Abi is a Project Consultant at SME experienced in managing a variety of steel, concrete, coatings, and nondestructive testing projects. She specializes in managing projects related to DOT fabrication quality assurance reviews but also supports project managers throughout SME’s various service groups.

Lessons Learned:

• Follow-up Is a Professional Essential
• Effective Communication Is Essential
• Emphasize the Value of Construction-Materials Engineering and Testing (CoMET) Services
• Cheap Engineering Can Be Expensive
• Residential Projects Create Elevated Risks
• Use Important Information about This Geotechnical-Engineering Report
• Risk and the Go/No-Go Analysis
• Understand Why You Should Not Issue Cost Estimates
• Be Cautious When Design-Team Members Lack Experience

Calls-to-action:

• Download Case History #91
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This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Abi Corbett – Project Consultant/SME.
• Elizabeth Brown, PE - Principal Geotechnical Engineer/JLT Consultants
• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Apex Companies, LLC