Yankee Chronicler
REGISTERED
We have another no-win situation.
Plans received for a pre-engineered metal building to be used for atmosphere-controlled storage of fruits. One sheet of "architectural" plans and two sheets of foundation plans, all on the title block of the contractor who is the local dealer for the brand of PEMB involved. No seals or signatures.
Architecturally, the building just squeaks under the square foot limit for buildings that are exempt from requiring an architect. There is no comparable exemption for engineering. In this state, parsed to the essence, anything that leaves an engineer's office is required to be sealed and signed. However, the engineers' regulations do allow an engineer to seal and sign drawings prepared by someone else, if the engineer prepares a written report (sealed and signed) describing the nature and extent of his review. (There is no corresponding exemption for architects. In this state, architects cannot -- legally -- seal and sign anything not prepared by themselves or under their direct supervision. We know it happens, but it's not legal.)
The drawings were accompanied by a letter -- sealed and signed -- by a PE stating that he had reviewed the foundation design and he found it to be adequate. This engineer did NOT seal and sign the structural drawings, and his letter did NOT say he was assuming the role of Structural-Engineer-of-Record, or that his review was to assure himself that he could affix his seal and signature to the drawings. In fact, the letter read a lot like a standard, third party, peer review letter. So I called the engineer and asked him what he had been retained to do, and what his intentions were. He confirmed that he was only retained to review the contractor's design and to write a letter. He said he was NOT intending to become the engineer-of-record, and that his professional liability insurance would not allow him to seal and sign the drawings unless he prepared them. And the contractor -- his client -- didn't want to pay him to do that.
So, here we are. State law and the building code require the drawings to be sealed and signed, and the only licensed engineer who has any involvement in the foundations acknowledges that he didn't design them, he isn't responsible for them, and "Not my job, Mon."
Monday is going to be interesting ...
Plans received for a pre-engineered metal building to be used for atmosphere-controlled storage of fruits. One sheet of "architectural" plans and two sheets of foundation plans, all on the title block of the contractor who is the local dealer for the brand of PEMB involved. No seals or signatures.
Architecturally, the building just squeaks under the square foot limit for buildings that are exempt from requiring an architect. There is no comparable exemption for engineering. In this state, parsed to the essence, anything that leaves an engineer's office is required to be sealed and signed. However, the engineers' regulations do allow an engineer to seal and sign drawings prepared by someone else, if the engineer prepares a written report (sealed and signed) describing the nature and extent of his review. (There is no corresponding exemption for architects. In this state, architects cannot -- legally -- seal and sign anything not prepared by themselves or under their direct supervision. We know it happens, but it's not legal.)
The drawings were accompanied by a letter -- sealed and signed -- by a PE stating that he had reviewed the foundation design and he found it to be adequate. This engineer did NOT seal and sign the structural drawings, and his letter did NOT say he was assuming the role of Structural-Engineer-of-Record, or that his review was to assure himself that he could affix his seal and signature to the drawings. In fact, the letter read a lot like a standard, third party, peer review letter. So I called the engineer and asked him what he had been retained to do, and what his intentions were. He confirmed that he was only retained to review the contractor's design and to write a letter. He said he was NOT intending to become the engineer-of-record, and that his professional liability insurance would not allow him to seal and sign the drawings unless he prepared them. And the contractor -- his client -- didn't want to pay him to do that.
So, here we are. State law and the building code require the drawings to be sealed and signed, and the only licensed engineer who has any involvement in the foundations acknowledges that he didn't design them, he isn't responsible for them, and "Not my job, Mon."
Monday is going to be interesting ...