In any dispute, whether a court case has been filed or not, the decision to hire an expert witness is a tricky one at times. In most cases, experts are used to break down the complex facts of a dispute for a judge and a jury during a trial. They may also be consulted prior to filing a lawsuit to determine whether the lawsuit is meritorious. Structural steel experts help case parties and their attorneys analyze issues involving the use of steel in various types of building structures. Without a structural steel expert in certain cases, a judge and jury... Read More

A successful construction litigation case requires building strong arguments. The arguments a party presents in a construction litigation case must be supported by scientific evidence. Without proper evidentiary support, the party risks losing the case, and, likely, thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees. One of the most crippling types of damages parties in a construction case suffer is lost profits that stem from their claims. Expert witnesses, such as structural steel experts, may help these parties calculate their lost profits and present these arguments to a court. Structural steel experts are valuable in a variety of construction litigation... Read More

The proper construction of a building is impacted by dozens of factors. One such factor is known as the stacking of trades. In any construction project, workers from several different industries work simultaneously to complete the work as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, when there are too many workers in the same area, productivity actually decreases. Each worker needs a set amount of space in which to perform a job. When this space is not provided, the worker cannot complete the job in a timely manner, and this slows productivity. Structural steel experts may be hired to help estimate... Read More

On the one hand, calculating how much it will cost to build a steel structure in Alabama or anywhere else is a matter of math, and thus should be predictable within some very narrow boundaries. And it generally is, if you hire an experienced structural steel expert to help you calculate the actual cost of materials based on your building’s design, size, load requirements, and finishes. However, the fact that a ‘rough’ estimate is easily arrived at by plugging a few basic numbers into an equation leads some to imagine that they do not need the services of such an... Read More

In many construction projects, the first time anyone thinks about bringing in a structural steel expert is when there are problems: When a lawsuit has been filed, when the building is months behind schedule, when cost overruns have finally edged over into the territory of potential larceny. An expert can be very beneficial at that stage, of course, helping to analyze decisions, materials, costs, and other factors and offer you either an explanation as to why things have gone wrong, or the ammunition you need to win concessions or even a settlement from those involved. However, this could be termed... Read More