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New York building collapse blamed on engineer who did inspection.

CodeWarrior

CodeWarrior

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May 18, 2016
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A PE hired to repair a 7 sort building erred in marking load bearing column as decorative, even saying temporary supports weren't needed. Not sure if he was onsite when the work occurred leading to the collapse. No one was killed, and no major injuries.
The engineer was suspended by the city and fined $10,000. Then the civil actions will start as 170 occupants were forced to evacuate.


'Negligent' engineer whose botched inspection led to NYC apartment building collapse agrees to fine, ban https://tiny.iavian.net/1yppb
 
I read that and was surprised the penalty was so insignificant. Do you suppose if someone had been killed, it would have been different? I would have thought that error would get registration revoked at least a few years if not lifetime. It seemed like they just can't be hired by NYC for inspections for a few years.
 
bill1952 said:
Is QEWI just the city inspections? And he can still practice engineering?
Click to expand...
A QEWI is a city-mandated periodic inspection of an existing facade conducted by a private 3rd party.

Key clarification: this QEWI engineer did not design the building, and is not the engineer of record for the building.
At question here is his ability to evaluate every 5 years the structural stability of existing facades that were designed by other people, looking for the potential of elements to fall off and injure people below.

So in this settlement, they are focused on his 3rd party forensic inspection abilities; they are not (yet) questioning his legal permission or abilities to engineer new buildings, or to inspect them.

See https://fontanarchitecture.com/what-is-a-qewi-nyc-fisp/
Excerpts:
***
In New York City, buildings over six stories must be inspected once every five years to ensure the public’s safety. An architect or engineer authorized to perform this inspection type is called a QEWI.

What is a QEWI?​

A Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector or QEWI is a qualification that a Registered Architect or Professional Engineer can obtain through the Department of Buildings to perform exterior wall inspections for the NYC Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), previously known as Local Law 11.

FISP​

The Façade Inspection & Safety Program requires all buildings over six stories to have an inspection performed of the building façades. These inspections are performed by private companies such as Architecture and Engineering firms.

FISP exists to ensure the public’s safety and protect people from potentially falling debris. The goal is to look for deficiencies and unsafe conditions, or conditions that could one day become unsafe, and repair them promptly. FISP comes from Local Law 11 of 1998.

Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector​

To become a QEWI or Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector, one must first have a Registered Architect or Professional Engineer license in the State of New York. If the architect or engineer has the appropriate experience, the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) will give them the qualification of a QEWI.

A QEWI is the only person who can perform FISP inspections, and only a QEWI can submit a FISP report to the Department of Buildings. The QEWI has an account with the DOB to submit the reports.

FISP Report​

The QEWI will identify the building in one of three categories.

  • Safe
  • SWARP Safe With Maintenance and Repair Program
  • Unsafe
If the building is Safe, there is nothing to do until the next cycle. FISP cycles are five years. Every building must be inspected every five years, even if it was safe in the previous cycle.

If the building is SWARP or Unsafe, then repairs must be performed. An architect or engineer will prepare drawings and details of the repair work. These are filed with the DOB to obtain permits. Upon completion of all the repairs, the QEWI will submit an amended report changing the status of the building.

QEWI’s in New York​

The QEWI is essential in maintaining the public’s safety in New York City. The DOB regularly issues fines and violations to buildings for noncompliance. Building owners should always take building safety seriously.
 
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This program was originally known as the "Local Law 10" inspection program. It was initiated in the 1980s, after a woman pedestrian was killed when a chunk of terra cotta trim along a parapet fell off the building and struck her on the head. The law that created the periodic inspection and repair program was Local Law 10. I used to work for a firm that did Local Law 10 inspections.

To be honest, we considered the program to be a joke. We only did inspections for major property owners who cared about their buildings. Our inspectors went up on roofs and "over the side," riding scaffolding to get up close and personal with what we were looking at. Many firms used to perform these inspections from the opposite side of the street, using binoculars. We obviously couldn't compete against them on price, and we didn't want to.
 
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