Massive Stairway Goes Down… Way down
With crane malfunctions and collapses becoming all-too common on construction sites these days, we don’t intend to make light of such disasters. Fortunately for all parties concerned, in this month’s highlighted case study, there were no fatalities nor even any injuries. But the cost to a construction project can be, as you well know, enormous and financially devastating all the same.
With crane malfunctions and collapses becoming all-too common on construction sites these days, we don’t intend to make light of such disasters. Fortunately for all parties concerned, in this month’s highlighted case study, there were no fatalities nor even any injuries. But the cost to a construction project can be, as you well know, enormous and financially devastating all the same.ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION
When Guardian Group, Inc.’s Construction Defect experts were called to the scene of this Southwest commercial construction site, a hotel and entertainment complex, they quickly discovered what had occurred: a crane that was in the process of placing a massive, 20,000-pound steel stairway… failed. The stairway dropped, which caused it to crash into a section of the pedestrian walkway below. Again, thankfully, no people were in harm’s way, but the impact to the $100MM property was substantial, with the biggest consequence being the disruption to the construction schedule and potentially exorbitant delays.
Upon a thorough site inspection, a review of construction plans and drawings, as well as interviews with key personnel, Guardian Group, Inc.’s forensic engineers had no choice but to conclude that the rigging crew had deviated from standard safety requirements. The stairway had not been secured properly. In addition to the technical investigation and expert fault apportionment, Guardian’s Construction Defect Group prepared a remediation scope and real-world repair cost estimates for both the pedestrian walkway and the staircase. With considerable experience on both the claims and construction/engineering sides of these issues, Guardian’s unique combination of technical understanding and practical, business-minded guidance helped bring all parties together on this crane case, which put construction back on track.