The Falcon Group consists of Forensic Architects and Engineers who consult on construction claims. We provide claims consulting for: Construction Defects, Architectural Standard of Care, Delay, Errors and Omissions (E&O), Building Codes, Specifications and costs. The Falcon group has Professional Engineers, Registered Architects, Roofing Experts, Stucco Experts, EIFS Experts, and Building Envelope Experts. We perform dispute resolution and prepare expert reports for a wide range of construction issues. Litigation sometimes becomes necessary to resolve construction, engineering, architectural or materials-related disputes. For virtually any type of property or project, we provide a variety of analytic and related services to assist clients in obtaining successful litigation outcomes, related to:
- Developer Transition
- Expert Witness/Professional Testimony
- Material Defect Claims
- Construction Defect Reports and Claims
- Construction Litigation Support and Documentation
- Education
| - Municipalities
- Banks
- Commercial Property Managers
- Insurance Companies
- Attorneys
- Private Property Owners
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Professional Services Provided Include:
- Design Plans and Specifications
- Forensic Engineering
- Litigation Support
- Construction
- Administration and Inspection
- Specialty Services for Community Associations
| - Land Surveying
- Civil Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
- Construction and Material Testing
- Architectural Services
- Property Condition Assessment (PCA) Reports
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Litigation Support - Litigation sometimes becomes necessary to resolve construction, engineering, architectural or materials-related disputes. For virtually any type of property or project, we provide a variety of analytic and related services to assist clients in obtaining successful litigation outcomes, related to:
- Developer Transition
- Construction Defect Reports and Claims
- Material Defect Claims
- Expert Witness/Professional Testimony
- Construction Litigation Support and Documentation
View Falcon Group's Consulting Profile.
As discussed in my first window article titled "The View Of Your Windows Is Not Always The Same", there is great variation in the suitability of a window for a particular application. In all cases, there is a very specific need for proper detailing and attention to detail with respect to integration of the window with the building envelope and proper detailing during installation. This sequel to my first window article focuses on quality control measures for installation once your window has been selected and specified.
10/14/2015
· ConstructionIn March 2013 a catastrophic sinkhole collapse swallowed a central Florida bedroom killing the occupant without notice. The home was a total loss and the event made national news making many property managers keenly aware of the costs and dangers of sinkholes. Residents of the Northeast are not immune from these occurrences. Understanding possible causes and remedies should help with decision making at all levels of property management and ownership.
Community associations, building owners, engineers, contractors and property managers deal with the constant battle of keeping water out of the building envelope, but sometimes the water that causes stains, mold and decay actually originates from within the building envelope. The cold temperatures of the winter months combined with specific interior conditions will result in excessive condensation. The condensation may be in the attic, basement and crawl spaces or inside wall cavities. Deficiencies in the original construction or recent reconstruction of exterior wall cavities, basements, crawl spaces and/or roofs /attics can exacerbate the conditions resulting in excessive condensation conditions and potential for damage and mold development. Sometimes, the conditions may be seen but many times the condition and subsequent damages may be hidden from view and worsen with each passing winter season, escalating repair costs.
"Where were YOU when the lights went out?" was a famous slogan from the 1965 Northeast Blackout, but a better slogan in light of the more recent Superstorm Sandy Blackout of 2012 might be "How did YOUR building perform when the lights went out?"
We have been responding to homeowner's complaints of sagging ceilings in the living space of townhomes which were built in the 1980's. Beginning in 2010 and continuing through today, Falcon Engineering has observed the condition of ceilings in over 30 homes in a Lincoln Park, NJ townhome community of close to 400 homes. Our findings are that upwards of 80% of the homes investigated have deflection which exceeds design criteria and are in need of repair. Repairs are relatively simple, but costly to the Homeowners Association having responsibility for the structural components of these buildings. Because of the need for financial planning, Associations want to understand the factors which influence the failures of these aging structures. For the purposes of this discussion, we are talking about failures which occur due to mysterious origin, rather than catastrophic failures of excessive wind or snow loads, or abuse from excessive loads that the trusses were not designed to accommodate (such as water beds or heavy stone finishing materials).
It's that time of year again. That snow that is pretty for some is scary for others. You have experienced, read or heard about ice damming. You are familiar with the damage the phenomena can cause. Perhaps your Association has even spent several hundred thousand or even over a million dollars on roofing improvements and/or replacements within the last few years. Why do we have leaks from ice damming? Was the roof replacement performed correctly or designed correctly? The answer is simple, with a properly designed and installed roof system, the possibility of damage resulting from ice damming should be significantly reduced.
Manufactured stone is a very popular product for both the interior and exterior of homes and buildings. There are many manufacturers of this type of cladding system, Cultured Stone® and Coronado Stone® among the most recognized names. A man-made stone manufactured primarily for decorative purposes, these systems are typically comprised of cement, natural aggregates and iron pigments. In order to give manufactured stone a realistic appearance and shape it is often created by using molds of actual real natural stones. Like many building materials, the use of manufactured stone has both advantages and disadvantages, and installation is vital to its long term success.
A condominium development located in northern New Jersey was experiencing water infiltration and severe cracking in the concrete foundation walls and floors in the garages. In support of the Association's overall litigation approach, Falcon performed concrete crack mapping, concrete petrographic analysis, and overall concrete evaluation.
A New York City building underwent litigation pertaining to the construction of an addition to the existing structure and resultant structural support system depriving tenants of proper light and air through their existing windows. Falcon performed a light and air study on the effect of both the addition and the structural support system on lighting and air flow in defense of the claim.
A condominium building located in northern New Jersey was experiencing water infiltration into various locations around roofs, curtain wall systems, and balcony access points. The Condominium Association engaged Falcon to investigate these issues in support of their dispute resolution with the Developer
As your community or building ages, it will require an increasing amount of maintenance and large scale replacement or improvement projects will become necessary.
Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) include a group of exterior cladding systems that was introduced from Europe to the United States approximately 30 years ago. EIFS was first used in Europe after World War II to reclad many bombed and damaged buildings
Mark C. Vanderslice has been actively involved in almost all aspects of the Roofing and Waterproofing industries since 1978. Mr. Vanderslice is an active member of RCI, Inc., formerly The Roof Consultants Institute, an international association of building envelope consultants who specialize in design, investigation, repair and management of roofing, exterior walls and waterproofing systems. In 1984 Mr. Vanderslice was the 16th to receive certification of 426 nationally recognized Registered Roof Consultants in the United States from a professional membership of approximately 2,800.
John Gillies is a Chartered Building Surveyor and the Senior Director of Johnson Gillies. Mr. Gillies is frequently involved in dilapidation assessments for Landlords and Tenants. In addition, he is often called upon to produce opinions and evidence in matters of dispute. Mr. Gillies provides Expert Witness reports for legal issues and appears in Court as an expert on construction and related matters.
James M. Miller, PE, PhD – Founder Dr. Miller is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and a registered professional engineer and consultant with over 30 years of experience as an expert witness. He has served as a consultant to industry and government and is highly qualified to give engineering testimony.
Mark R. Lehto, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Lehto is a Professor of Engineering at Purdue University. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan in 1985, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. He has taught courses at Purdue in human and safety factors areas, as well as decision making and artificial intelligence. He has authored numerous professionally-reviewed articles, and he has authored / coauthored internationally-recognized textbooks in the areas of human factors and ergonomics.
Scott Friesen, PE, is a licensed Professional Engineer in California, Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, Mississippi and two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Manitoba), and is LEED Accredited (CaGBC) and certified as an Energy Manager. Scott has more than 14 years of experience in Design and Construction of HVAC, Plumbing and Building Energy Conservation, System Design, Construction and Forensic Analysis. He has also performed commissioning, energy audits and was involved in marketing and business development.
