Specialist to Detail – The Industry Gap in Substructures (Concrete 2021)

This webinar was recorded at Concrete 2021 and the speaker is Phil Airey from Airey Taylor Consultants.
“Specialist to detail” is the notation encountered on many Structural Engineering plans for some of the most critical and risk prone elements of basements and foundations. These critical elements include pile design, joints, waterproofing, consideration of surrounding structures and environmental sensitivities, and post-tensioned concrete design elements. In the absence of comprehensive Engineering, this detail gap is filled by individual contractors independent of each other and of a holistic Engineering viewpoint.
This lack of coordination and resulting interface gaps are some of the primary causes of basement and foundation problems in the construction industry. These gaps result in significant project delays and damages to both the project and surrounding properties, with resultant litigation impacts. This vulnerability is rarely known to clients, who believe they have commissioned sufficient Engineering and due diligence to guarantee overall project success.
This presentation briefly examines several case studies with consequences of these detail gaps and the advantages of nominating Substructure Engineering as a distinct entity to Structural Engineering to ensure compliance.