HG Cornerstone’s Construction Expert Blog

One of the most iconic images of Superstorm Sandy’s wrath has been the collapsed tower crane atop the under-construction One57 Building, a 74-story tower located at 157 West 57th Street in Manhattan. When we think of the hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage from severe storms over the past couple of decades alone,...Read More

The Boston Globe, on Thursday, March 5, 2015, reported officials said 231 buildings have collapsed or suffered serious damage so far this season due to heavy ice and snow loads. A total of fifteen collapses were reported on March 5 alone. Why so many? And, what careful considerations should be made upon inspecting the damage and...Read More

Welcome to Part 1 of our blog on identifying and correcting potential causes flood damage and water damage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the number two cause of property damage claims, second only to wind and hail claims, is water damage related claims. Water damage claims total in the billions of dollars every year....Read More

Whether it’s strength of materials testing, metallurgy, thermodynamics, or physical chemistry, the advancement of materials science and engineering is critical to our better understanding of how and why materials fail, our improved ability to forensically examine and test physical evidence, and our furthered capacity to furnish verifiable proof that can withstand even the most rigorous...Read More

This is a very well written article published by PropertyCasualty360.com and it addresses many of the most important aspects that counsel should be looking for when selecting and interviewing a potential expert witness. It also addresses one of the most common issues litigators face which is the fear of using the same specific witness on...Read More

Potential construction defects can be eliminated early on through sound project management techniques. Here’s one I like to use for private contracts. The period of time between when a contractor’s bid has been accepted and the signing of the construction contract presents unique opportunities and this “sweet spot” is typically underutilized. This is the period...Read More

Very interesting aspects to this case: 1) the plaintiff’s expert applied “total cost” methodology vs. “measured mile” (expert did not err in this per judge), 2) the judge found that the subcontractor-plaintiff suffered an “increased workforce” under a “compressed schedule”, 3) judge listed both design problems and project mismanagement as grounds for loss-of-productivity damages, and...Read More

This past week I attended the Architectural Boston Expo 2012 a.k.a. ABX, held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center—Nov 14-16. I brushed up on everything from social networking to the anticipated future of multifamily living. Topics addressed included: What are our twenty- and thirty-somethings looking for in apartment communities? Can we keep them in...Read More