For the category of Structural Engineer Baton Rouge, it is very important to find a professional engineer who can communicate their findings to you. When you are hiring a structural or forensic engineer as a realtor or a home owner, there is usually a serious question about the structure of the home. And, at this moment, there are probably many scenarios playing in your mind. One of the main questions or fears may be how this impending analysis will affect the sale of my home. The best prescription for treating these fearful thoughts is to find an engineer who can speak your language.
What does this mean? There are many structural or forensic engineers who can “walk the walk” with all of the super sophisticated analysis. They can analyze and investigate the overall condition of the structure with the best of them. But, often times, this same type of engineer will forget their audience. In another words, they will start to use terminology and phrases of the industry that will be understood by no one but themselves. So, at the end of the day, the analysis may be spot on, but the communication was a complete failure.
In the Engineering field, communication is half the battle. Most of the emphasis is placed on the analysis and science of the job. If you are able to analyze the situation and come to an overall perfect conclusion, but are not able to communicate your findings to the people who need your information the most, then you have not been successful in your job.
When choosing an Engineer for a structural assessment on your home, please ensure that you are hiring someone who can speak your language. This search may be a hard one, but it will be well worth the effort. A professional who can both analyze the structural components of a home, and then communicate these findings in a language that everyone can understand, is truly a rare find. If you can discover someone who can balance out the science of the analysis and the art of the conversation, then you have yourself a keeper for life.
For your next structural assessment, make sure you find the right person who can speak your language. An engineer with this gift can be hard to find. Once you find the engineer who can balance the aforementioned skills, you will realize that they will make your life so much easier.
Michael LeBas
LeBas & Associates
Building Damage Baton Rouge
Who do you call the moment you think discover there is some sort of problem with the structure of your home. At LeBas & Associates, we understand that a structural issue with the home can be an overwhelming experience. But, before jumping to any conclusions, like hiring a contractor, we suggest contacting a Forensic Engineer first.
At LeBas & Associates, we have witnessed many cases where a home owner automatically jumps to the conclusion that Foundation Repair is needed, when the actual problem has nothing to do with the foundation. There are common symptoms in buildings caused by either foundation settlement or framing problems where there are indications that the foundation needs to be repaired, when it is actually the framing of the home that is the issue, not the foundation.
When a structural issue with a home or building arises, one should realize that there are many different scenarios that can be causing the issue. An automatic response may be to call a Foundation Repair Company, but our question to you is, “What if it is not a foundation problem?”. There are many reputable foundation repair companies out there and we work closely with some of the best. But, a forensic engineer will evaluate the entire structure of the home to identify the cause or premise of the damage. This is why it is so crucial to contact first, instead of last.
There is a wise saying, “Prescription Without Diagnosis Is Malpractice”. As trained and specialized Forensic and Structural Engineers, companies like LeBas & Associates can give you a complete analysis of your building. Our goal is not to sell you on one particular service. Rather, we are there to completely analyze the situation before advising any solution. Sometimes the solution may seem obvious to even the most naïve and inexperienced eye. But through the vision of a trained and seasoned Forensic Engineer, the expected solution or conclusion may not be the answer or outcome. There may be unforeseen circumstances causing the building issues that are totally unrelated to the foundation repair. A good example of this situation is when you are not feeling well and there is a certain pain in your chest, it would be a good idea to see a General Physician before visiting with a Cardiologist. What if your heart is not the main reason for your pain or sickness?
So before chalking up your residential or structural problems to a foundation issue, contact LeBas & Associates. We’re independent Forensic Engineers in Baton Rouge, LA. We are not contractors. We simply analyze, inspect, and investigate your structure and foundation. Simply put, we diagnose problems in buildings.
Allow us look at your foundation and assess your building before anyone else has the chance to give you a sales pitch on how you should use their system and spend thousands of dollars to repair your foundation.
Remember, “Prescription Without Diagnosis is Malpractice”. You would not want a doctor to prescribe medication or a surgical procedure without diagnosing the problem first. The same bolds true in this situation. Let an engineering firm like LeBas & Associates evaluate the structural integrity of your home before there are any repairs performed. In the end, you will be much happier that you called LeBas & Associates first.
Michael LeBas
LeBas & Associates
What is a Forensic Engineer?
Forensic engineering is the investigation of materials, products, structures or components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing damage to property, and the ability to defend one’s conclusions in a court of law.
When the process of Building and Component Failure is first noticed by a building owner or home owner, one is in need of competent, qualified professionals to diagnose the causation of the potential defect.
For example, while conducting a structural assessment or moisture intrusion assessment in a building, a review and analysis of the building for symptoms associated with deficiencies is one of the key ingredients to the role of a forensic engineer. This analysis requires a very delicate balance or mix of scientific comprehension, knowledge of building component products, and construction techniques. This knowledge is obtained through a mixture of detailed study and analytical experience. Another way of saying this is to state that many of the qualified Forensic Engineers have acquired steadfast street knowledge or on the job experience.
Forensic Engineers can inspect, analyze and deliver answers necessary for resolving claim disputes or mysteries on building and property losses. Investigations and quality assurance evaluations are most commonly geared toward (but not limited to) low and steep roofing, above and below water coatings and sealants, EIFS, stucco, bricks, vinyl, curtain walls, Facades, Fenestrations, Plaza Decks, and much more.
Yes, we are experts in the ability to make decisions under great amounts of uncertainty, but that is only one aspect of our work. Calculations may be necessary, but represent only a small fraction of all that we do; otherwise, we could be completely replaced by computers. Those of us who practice genuine forensic engineering in Baton Rouge are not only concerned about technical or theoretical matters. There is another more important ingredient that a computer would never be able to replace, and that is the artistic side of Forensic Engineering.
The mysterious, side to a Forensic Engineer is the artful viewpoint that is granted to a select few in the field. The art form takes place when one has completed the analytical and scientific evaluation, but is now genuinely moving towards a creative and imaginative approach in the assessment. At LeBas & Associates, it is where we recognize our “What if” moment – it is where we consider the “impossible” in determining damage causes. The science or analytical approach will lead you to this artful or emotional analysis, but it is not ultimately the determining factor. At LeBas & Associates, we feel it is this artful or emotional side to our business that separates the good from the GREAT! We also feel that this art form or approach is not something that can be taught, but it is something that is acquired.
As a property owner who has experienced a shell shocking moment, it is captivating to encounter a Forensic Engineer who lends this unique and effective approach in his work. Moreover, it is a gratifying feeling, as a forensic engineer, to lend your indispensable and constructive opinion to an individual who feels exposed or defenseless by the recent discovery or situation.
So, the next time you come across a Forensic Engineer, you may want to paint them more as a Monet and less as a CSI representative.
Michael LeBas
LeBas & Associates
Learn more about LeBas & Associates by clicking here.
Michael LeBas, P.E. was appointed to the LA State Board of Home Inspectors by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to represent the 6th Congressional District. The appointment is for a statewide, 6-year term and will allow Mr. LeBas to work with other industry professionals in developing and promoting the home inspection industry.
Michael LeBas, P.E. recently completed the 2003 IBC & IRC Wind and Flood Provisions Seminar sponsored by the International Code Council and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. The seminar focused on the code requirements for wind and flood design of residential structures pursuant to recently passed legislation (ACT 12) requiring all newly constructed, residential buildings to be ICC code compliant.
The damage caused by this storm has been catastrophic to the New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast regions. With the monumental task of rebuilding and assessing conditions, Michael LeBas & Associates, Inc. has been called upon to assist homeowners and insurance companies with structural assessments and forensic investigations of building failures.