Engineers call for more building-plan checks in wake of Moncton engineer's suspension
CBC
An engineering professor says there's a need for more independent reviews of building plans, particularly from single-person firms, to help catch potential mistakes.
Taylor Steele, a University of New Brunswick assistant professor specializing in structural engineering, made the comments after CBC News reported new details of allegations against suspended Moncton structural engineer Hélène Thériault last week.
"I think this is the most serious situation that I've heard of recently, especially in New Brunswick," Steele said of the allegations against Thériault.
Steele and Halifax structural engineer John Richardson, who reviewed some buildings allegedly designed by Thériault, spoke to CBC News about how building plans are approved by municipalities and checked during construction. Both said more engineers should be reviewing building plans.
Thériault was suspended on May 10 by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick, which regulates the engineering profession in the province.
The association cited "allegations of serious deficiencies in the design of multiple buildings, both constructed and under construction."
James Boudreau, a lawyer representing Thériault and her firm Match Engineering, declined to comment on the allegations, citing ongoing lawsuits related to her work and professional disciplinary proceedings.
Both Steele and Richardson say significant trust is placed in the work of an engineer, municipal authorities generally rely on building plans as submitted, and inspections during construction are largely to ensure those plans are being followed.
"One of the things that might be a misconception with the public is that the municipal authority reviews in detail the design decisions and calculations behind the proposed design, and that's rarely the case," Steele said.
"I would say in general, the municipal planners and those responsible for permitting, for example, generally just make sure that if there's something not clear on the drawings that it's something that gets reviewed by the engineer and detailed out."
The cities of Moncton and Dieppe, and the Southeast Regional Service Commission, declined interview requests regarding their approvals and inspection processes. The commission provides land-use planning for several municipalities like Riverview and Shediac.
A spokesperson for the City of Dieppe said in an emailed statement that the municipality requires developers to provide structural plans that have been stamped and approved by an engineer in good standing with the provincial engineers' association.
Spokesperson Julie Albert said the city also requires a structural engineer to provide a report about construction to show the work has followed the submitted designs.
The statement did not address whether the city itself verifies the assumptions or calculations used in the plans, or the adequacy of the plans during construction.
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