Engineering Design & Construction Management for the Construction Industry

Overview

VHS Associates has specialized knowledge and experience in engineering consulting and construction administration and management. VHS Associates' professional staff consults with architects and their clients in the following areas:

• Engineering design
• Civil and structural plans
• Construction cost estimating and scheduling
• Building condition surveys
• Construction administration and management

Types of projects

• Engineering design tailored to small residential and commercial construction, remodeling, building repair, and water-proofing, as well as ongoing preventive maintenance needs of single family home, multi-unit apartment complexes, condominiums, and small commercial facilities. VHS personnel work with the architect and owner to develop civil and structural plans and coordinate mechanical and electrical plans. VHS also offers a review program during the conceptual phase to check project technical and economical feasibility.

• Construction coordination and management to ensure quality standards are met, schedules are kept and budgets are maintained. VHS Associates is a general contractor bearing both "A" (General Engineering) and "B" (Building) Contractor Licenses (currently inactive). VHS is thus able to execute a variety of skills and trades, including securing and supervising known subcontractors.

• Project Control Services ranging from conceptual Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules and budget cost breakdowns based on preliminary information to a complete project control system meeting the needs of a particular project.

Representative projects

• Conducted numerous structural designs for residential structures in Northern California. Also have conducted inspection and analysis to support litigation for faulty workmanship in townhouse construction.

• Provided construction drawings and specifications for the $3+ million repair of water and dry rot damage of Shelter Bay Condominiums in Mill Valley, CA.

• Developed an estimate intended to simulate a contractor's bid of the "cut and cover" tunnel for the Bart/SFIA Extension in San Francisco, California, working with a group including Bechtel and Parson Brinderhoff.

• Provided clerk of the works for monitoring construction following fire damage to courthouses in the San Francisco Bay area. • Provided construction management for rehabilitation of a 136-unit condominium complex. This includes administering the contract, monitoring construction for costs and quality, resolving design issues, and coordinating the activities of construction with residents and other on-site contractors.

• Investigated claims involving delays, owner interference and changed conditions for support to litigation. It involved analyzing CPM schedules, evaluating productivity and the effects of incidents on the cost of construction.

• Provided an independent estimate of construction and engineering costs for a proposed design-build toll road project in Orange County, California, including conceptual design to a degree adequate to determine what was to be built.

Support to the Insurance Industry

Overview

VHS Associates has specialized knowledge and experience in insurance-related engineering and construction matters for consulting in the resolution of claims for insured property losses. VHS Associates personnel consult with insurance adjusters and their technical staff in the following specialty areas:

• Evaluate the extent of damage
• Determine probable cause
• Develop cost estimates including the segregation of costs
• Evaluate code upgrades and improve utilization, as appropriate
• Develop a plan for restoration
• Manage and/or monitor the reconstruction work

Examples of projects

Project experience has included:

• Conducted cost estimates for repair and structural design for residential structures in Northern California. Also conducted inspection and analysis to support litigation for faulty workmanship in townhouse construction.

• Investigated extent of damage and estimated the costs to restore to pre-storm conditions of several structures in New Orleans and Pascagoula Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. Structures included a fourteen story office building, two low rise commercial buildings, and two high end homes that had suffered wind and flooding damage.

• Provided clerk of the works for monitoring construction following fire damage to courthouses in the San Francisco Bay area.

• Provided support to the adjustment of approximately 100 million dollars of repair to PG&E systems caused by winter storms. The consulting work included isolating work of interest to adjusters and estimating the value of the replacement of numerous hydroelectric facilities.

• Engineering consulting support to insurance adjusters on 1994 Los Angeles earthquake losses to Kaiser hospitals. This involved estimating repair costs, segregation of the costs into categories that were affected by the insurance coverage and helping negotiate the repair contract. Instrumental in substantially reducing repair costs of a medical center by negotiating a restructuring of the contract to put the contractor and major subcontractors on a cost plus basis with an altered incentive clause to target the project on VHS's estimate rather than that of the contractor.

• Provided technical consulting in the mediation of cases involving seismic deficiencies in industrial structures and scheduled delays for a boiler installation project.

• Provided expert testimony for asbestos removal costs in a condominium project and for scheduled delays in the construction of a three-story parking garage.

Key Personnel:

VHS Associates was founded in 1974. Key personnel are:

Charles C. Swensen, Jr., President. Charles has done claims analysis for litigation support, provided support to insurance adjustors for earthquake damage and other projects requiring analysis, investigation and estimating, and has managed a number of large construction projects. He holds a civil engineering degree from Cornell University and is a Registered Civil Engineer in California and Nevada.

Walter Weibezahn. Walter has over 45 years of design experience in commercial, residential, power and transportation facilities. He joined the firm in 1987 and holds a degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and is a Registered Engineer in California.

Retired, but available for specific projects

Herbert J. Dix, Vice President. Herbert joined the firm in 1982 bringing expertise in instrumentation design and installation. At VHS he has added remedial design and project administration to his skills. He holds multiple degrees from Northwestern University and is a Registered Civil and Geotechnical Engineer in California.