An Evaluation into Development-Wide Construction Defects Results in $11 Million Saved

Industry

Real Estate

Location

New York City, NY

Services Involved

Forensic Engineering, GIS Services, Building Consulting, Construction Dispute Resolution, Forensic Architecture, Litigation Support

Year

2024

The Assignment

A legal client engaged Haag to evaluate alleged construction defects across a 250-unit multi-family housing development. The claims centered on moisture intrusion and structural damage linked to exterior cladding, including adhered stone veneer, vinyl siding, and fiber cement panels. The opposing expert recommended complete re-cladding of all adhered stone veneer, estimating repair costs at $11 million.

construction defect analysis by forensic engineer

The Approach

Haag’s forensic engineers, forensic architects, and building consultants conducted a comprehensive investigation, despite joining the case years after initial investigations by others.
Our team:

  • Visually inspected all 250 buildings, documenting conditions across the development.
    observed destructive testing, moisture probe tests, and remediation in progress on several representative buildings.
  • Reviewed nearly a decade of raw data previously collected by others, which allowed a comprehensive analysis of opposing experts’ investigational methods.
  • Applied GIS-based overlays to visualize patterns in the multi-faceted data, revealing confirmation bias inherent to the opposing expert’s methodology.
  • A detailed review of applicable investigational standards further revealed multiple violations of these standards within the opposing expert’s work product.
  • Conducted statistical analysis to assess the validity of the opposing expert’s conclusions. This revealed significant errors in the data presentation and interpretation, undermining the credibility of their recommendations.
  • Re-analyzed field evidence to determine actual causes of damage, which were unrelated to the allegations.
construction defect results from forensic analysis

The Result

The matter proceeded through alternative dispute resolution and then to litigation. The case settled one day after the deposition of Haag’s lead engineer. The alleged $11M in repairs was reduced to $0.

Haag’s multi-disciplinary approach combined forensic engineering, forensic architecture, and GIS to provide clarity in a complex dispute. By deploying complex data analysis and visualization services (DAVS), our work answered critical questions about the legitimacy of opposing claims, actual field damage, and cost-effective remediation options. Our testimony ended the litigation. Haag’s forensic team uses GIS-based technologies to deliver rapid visualizations that support early case management and ongoing litigation strategy.

Adam Croker Forensic Engineer

Expert Highlight

Adam Crocker, PE - Forensic Engineer

Adam Croker is a licensed Professional Engineer in 13 jurisdictions, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Puerto Rico. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in forensic engineering, structural damage assessment, and repair design for buildings, bridges, and infrastructure.

Adam is a Structural Specialist with NJ-TF1, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team, where he performs emergency evaluations of severely damaged structures. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rowan University.

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