The Practice
Buildings and other structures are critical to our safety and everyday life, and their construction, maintenance, and even demolition are therefore regulated by law. These regulations are codified in adopted Building Codes. In the United States, most states and municipalities adopt versions of the codes produced by the International Code Council (ICC), most commonly the International Building Code (IBC). When questions arise regarding whether a structure was properly designed or constructed, the answer often lies in determining whether it was designed or constructed according to the IBC, and a Forensic Building Code Investigator is consulted to help make that determination.
I
Building Code
A forensic building code investigation applies the specific code editions in force at the time of construction or alteration, the IBC and its companion codes, to establish whether an alleged defect is in fact a code violation, with legal consequences for permits, certificates of occupancy, and liability.
II
Project Management
A critical part of efficiently constructing and maintaining our built environment is proper project management. A project operates within constraints, budget, schedule, and scope, guided by best practices and authorities such as the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Mismanaged projects can negatively impact financial resources, reputation, and efficiency, and can even cause physical damage or death in extreme instances.
A forensic project management investigator evaluates the management of a proposed or executed project and compares it with best practices and guidelines to discover failures, identify root causes, and provide expert opinion.
Selected Cases
Building Code Expert Witness
MarcorSEN Engineering acted as a building code expert witness for 27 alleged code violations in a 20-unit apartment complex, studying multiple building codes, including the IBC, IEBC, NEC, IFC, IFGC, and IMC, and providing an expert report on whether each violation was supported by the building code.
Project Management Expert Witness
MarcorSEN Engineering acted as a project management expert witness at a three-day trial regarding the feasibility of constructing an underground 230 kV power line through Jurupa Valley, California, PMP-credentialed testimony grounded in the PMI Body of Knowledge.
