What’s New
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall for Kidde TruSense Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide alarms due to the risk of failure to alert consumers to a fire.
Recent Projects
- Forensic engineering consultation regarding pedestrian and cyclist safety pertaining to roadway drainage structures on behalf of a Westchester County, NY municipality
- Building code compliance evaluation for certification of an exterior staircase at a residential multiple dwelling structure located in Rockland County, NY
- NYS Labor Law and Industrial Code Rule 23 forensic engineering safety consultation regarding an accident involving electrical wiring at a New York City worksite
New York City moves to improve building construction safety
On May 12th The International Codes Council’s Building Safety Journal reported that “the New York City Department of Buildings announced five construction safety bills and thousands of proposed amendments to the city’s building construction codes. The legislation and revisions are aimed at protecting construction workers and the public. In addition, 627 new or expanded changes to existing codes have been proposed — including revisions related to construction safety, elevator safety, emergency response, fire protection, and building system construction and inspection — along with thousands of minor changes. If implemented, they’d be the first comprehensive update to city construction codes since 2014”.
Yarmus Engineering, P.C. makes it a priority to remain aware and knowledgeable of ongoing building code, industry safety updates, and similar regulatory changes so that we can incorporate same into our designs and inform our clientele of such new regulations which might affect their properties and projects. Firm President, Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, maintains his certification as a NYS Code Enforcement Official to ensure same. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.
The case of the flaking floor and other tales of concrete forensics
On May 10th Chemical & Engineering News reported that “sometimes concrete unexpectedly cracks, chips, or flakes. It may also become discolored, corroded, and weak, failing to stand the test of time and provide the strength to support the structures for which it was designed. The damage can be unsightly, defacing a pricey building, or it can pose a safety threat, leading to facility shutdowns and costly repairs. The source of the problem is often tough to pin down. That’s where the concrete detectives come into play. Scientists at engineering and consulting firms get called in when building owners, facility managers, or structural engineers find a problem with concrete and want to know how to fix it and, sometimes, who to blame. With backgrounds in geology, engineering, chemistry, and materials science, these experts in cement and construction materials use microscopy, spectroscopy and other tools to tackle concrete conundrums and decipher damage mechanisms”.
Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, as a Forensic Engineering consultant, licensed Professional Engineer, and State Certified Code Enforcement Official, has consulted on numerous construction, structural, and material failure matters. As a Past Chair of the National Society of Professional Engineers PE’s in Construction Interest Group, has also helped to facilitate discussions between Professional Engineers across the country on such matters. Yarmus Engineering, P.C. is available to consult with building owners, operations managers, property managers, real estate developers, builders, attorneys, contractors, insurance professionals, adjusters, and other related parties regarding such defects and failures. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.