A design practice is often filled with legal pitfalls.  What if you finished contract documents for a new building a few months ago, and you just received a telephone call that an accident has occurred at the site.  You had specified installation of a suspended plaster ceiling system for the project and the ceiling had collapsed, injuring several workers.  OSHA has been trying for decades to tie design professionals to construction accidents in court, and now you might become their latest target.  How are you going to explain to your lawyer that you are not to blame?

You might not have utilized a structural engineer on the project… certainly not on the design of the ceiling...but you will probably need help teaching your lawyer the simple basics of material stress and strain.

• This video seminar could help you and your lawyer shave hours of time off that expensive learning curve.  No lawyer knows everything about construction or the nature of your design practice, and many architectural and engineering experts have a tendency to confuse lawyers.  Understanding basic concepts is the key to winning a technical case.
• This video seminar could help you and your lawyer prepare your case more confidently, and sharpen his or her questioning skills, by helping to master basic terms and principles used in daily practice by architects and structural engineers.
• This video seminar might also help you stay out of court in the first place.  Use this seminar to reinforce your own understanding of the causes of structural failures, and write your specifications accordingly.

Part one of the video seminar describes structural failure trends, the parties involved in the building construction process, their contribution to structural failures, failure investigation, liability and damages.

Part two focuses on simplified engineering principles related to actual failures.  Commonly used engineering terms are defined in a simplified manner. Extensive mathematical calculations are avoided. Topics include loads, forces, equi?librium, shear, moment, stress and strain in materials, and more.

The video seminar shows an actual San Antonio, Texas tower collapse.  An 8-page workbook/outline is also included with the video. VHS tape is 1.38 hours (83 minutes).

Note:  All seminars are privately financed and are not conducted under the auspices of any government program.  We are not affiliated with NCARB. If using credit card, your order will be processed within three days of receipt (weekends, holidays excepted).  Prices and availability of seminar materials are subject to change.  The seminars have been developed to assist design professionals and are believed to be accurate, but the speakers, editors and distributors cannot warrant that presentations or materials are free of errors or will continue to be accurate.  Verify presentation statements before relying on them.  Materials damaged in shipment, if returned within 30 days of receipt by purchaser, will be replaced at no charge of if supply is exhausted, remittance will be refunded.  NO OTHER WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  Texas law applies.