Posted on 02/28/2023 4:51:09 PM PST by nickcarraway
An engineer who designed a bridge that collapsed hours after opening in rural Saskatchewan in 2018 is prohibited from practicing for now.
The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan’s (APEGS) discipline committee panel sent Scott O. Gullacher an interim order outlining the stipulations on Jan. 24, 2023.
Gullacher was found guilty on three counts of professional misconduct, with one count relating to a formal complaint on the Dyck Memorial Bridge in the R.M. of Clayton, Sask. which collapsed hours after opening on Sept. 14, 2018.
He was found to not have practiced in a careful and diligent manner by “not employing a site-specific geotechnical analysis and by not providing adequate engineering designs for the helical pile foundations,” according to a news release from APEGS.
The second complaint pertained to five municipal bridges, one located in the RM of Scott, one in the RM of Caledonia, one in the RM of Mervin, and two located in the RM of Purdue.
The designs for these bridges lacked relevant design information, design code deficiencies, lack of welding detail plans, as well as other deficiencies, which resulted in the bridges not being able to carry the minimum loads required by code.
A hearing was held in June 2022 regarding two additional counts, but the panel did not receive sufficient evidence to prove professional misconduct.
A hearing is scheduled for March 13, 2023, where the panel will hear submissions from the investigation committee and Gullacher. A final written order will be issued to Gullacher and if there is no appeal, the order will be published in the spring, according to the release.
The fact that he was “practicing” should have been a big red flag.
“Dyck Memorial Bridge”
Why allow a GUY to be involved in a bridge with that name? Seems like the problems are far ‘deeper’ than one (male) engineer.
I was thinking the same thing about a "bar" being mentioned lol.
Order of the Engineer, anyone?
I have my ring.
LOVE the sweater!!
Dyck Memorial Bridge?.......................
Nothing in that design makes sense to me. I am not a civil engineer but 20 years in other engineering including structural and stress. Did no one review the plans or design? Did none of the contractors question this?
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