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BUSINESS NEWS

6 THORNTON TOMASETTI PROFESSIONALS PRES- ENT AT THE CTBUH 2015 Thornton Tomasetti ’s Dennis Poon, Eli Gottlieb, John Peronto, Jian- hai Liang, Gunnar Hubbard, and Edward Peck presented at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 2015 International Conference in Manhattan on October 26-30. „ „ Poon has experience in the structural engi- neering of a variety of building types, par- ticularly supertall structures. He is skilled in the application of state-of-the-art engineer- ing technologies for building analysis, de- sign, and construction. As part of the Tech- nological Advances in Asia session, Poon discussed the Chengdu Dongcun Green- land Tower. His presentation, “Designing a Non-coplanar Exoskeleton Supertall Tower that Transforms the Skyline of Chengdu,” looked at how the 468-meter, mixed-use main tower adopts a non-coplanar 3-D exoskeleton system, which integrates col- umns that zigzag along the height of the tower and steel mega-braces on the edges of the surface facets.

„ „ In 2009, Gottlieb became the youngest- ever principal at the firm. His experience includes structural analysis, design and review of commercial buildings, hotels and sports facilities. Gottlieb participated in the panel discussion “Creating Real Estate from Thin Air: Hudson Yards” along with George Leventis and Marc Gallagher of Langan International , Anthony Mocelli of KPF , and The Related Companies ’ Michael Samuelian. „ „ Peronto is a vice president in the firm’s Chicago office. He has designed commer- cial, residential, cultural, and aviation facili- ties. His structural design expertise ranges from long-span structures to mega-tall buildings. Peronto talked about the newest addition to the Los Angeles skyline in the session “Wilshire Grand Center: Practical Application of Performance Based Design.” „ „ Liang is an associate with the firm’s New York Pacific Rim team. He has experience in the structural analysis and design of su- pertall, mixed-use, industrial, institutional,

and hospitality projects. Liang gave the presentation “Skyscraper Structure Sys- tem Comparison in High Seismic Zone in China.” „ „ Hubbard has more than 25 years of experi- ence as a licensed architect and a sustain- ability consultant, educator, and advocate. Hubbard discussed “FORMulating High Performance Towers: Envelope Shape, Tectonics and Functionality,” as part of the Tall Building Development Trends Host Room, where presentations focused on trends in sustainable design and technolo- gies. „ „ Peck is a vice president and leader of the firm’s Midwest U.S. Façade Engineering practice. He collaborates with design teams to integrate innovative and sustainable technologies into high- performance buildings. Peck presented on the “Myths and Tales of Transparency: Bringing Clarity to Emergent Façade Technology” panel.

MIKE HERLIHY, from page 11

quality; „ „ Contractor alleging delays in review and approval of submittals; „ „ Any injuries occurring on the site; „ „ Refusal to pay invoices; „ „ Disputes between owner and contractor. RECOVERY AND INSURANCE. Whenever significant problems arise, your team leader should contact those members of your crisis management team who can assist. This likely will include your insurance broker who can then engage your insurer to help you gain the full benefits of insurance. For instance, some insurers provide “pre-claim” assistance at no additional cost. In particular, the professional liability insurance policy is there to protect the architect or engineer and help defend your reputation. Design firms should also be aware of their obligation to report circumstances under their insurance policies. In most cases, it makes sense to report a problem before it becomes a formal claim. While this isn’t always required by your insurance policy, filing a pre-claim or circumstance notice can provide access to important insurance company resources and ensure there is insurance coverage for a related claim. Effective crisis management requires careful planning and timely execution. A well-structured risk management plan, supported by a team of professionals and a solid insurance program can help with several aspects of the recovery process. The key is recognizing the value of pre-planning and utilizing the capabilities of your risk advisor and others to assist. MIKE HERLIHY is an executive vice president and equity partner at Ames & Gough. Contact him at mherlihy@amesgough.com.

„ „ Establishing a pre-project planning checklist with an agreed- upon schedule for submittals and a change-order approval process. Maintain a complete list of project contacts, includ- ing key contractor personnel. „ „ Requiring written documentation of all site observations, submittal reviews, payment application reviews, and con- sultant’s Certificate of Substantial Completion. Detailed and complete documentation are essential should a problem arise. „ „ Implementing review procedures for documents and deliver- ables, including appropriate peer review, and consider estab- lishing a constructability review process. CONSTRUCTION TEAM RELATIONSHIPS MATTER. You can also avoid po- tential problems by strengthening your firm’s relationship management with contractors and other members of the construction team. In particular, focus on the following: „ „ Respond in a timely manner to RFIs, shop drawings, and any other submittals; „ „ Make sure contractors stick to schedule and report when they don’t; „ „ Avoid assisting with construction ways, means, methods, or additional services if contractor falls behind. DEVELOP AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM. Firms also should have pro- cedures to alert management of potential problems and warning signs, including: „ „ Contractor concerns that drawings lack necessary detail, are delaying the project, or driving up costs; „ „ An unusually high number of RFIs; „ „ Escalating project costs; „ „ Concerns by the owner about the project’s progress, look, or

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THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 9, 2015, ISSUE 1127

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