Written by Topic: Questions Regarding the Qualifications and Conclusions of the Engineer Behind the Stantec Report on the Water Tower Road Fence
Prepared By: Gregory Snow, Retired Electrical Engineer and Community Resident
Section 1: Professional Credentials and Engineering Competency
Q1: Please state your full name and your engineering license number. What is your academic degree, and in what field?
Q2: Are you licensed to practice structural or civil engineering in South Carolina?
Q3: Are you familiar with ACI 318 and PCI MNL-135, the standards for concrete design and tolerance?
Section 2: Column Placement Was Not Measured
Q4: How did you conclude panels were misaligned without measuring the actual location of the columns?
Q5: Isn’t verifying foundation location and alignment standard practice before blaming the precast work?
Q6: PCI MNL-135 allows for limited misalignment. Did you check if any columns were more than 1″ off-center?
Section 3: Foundation Overdesign Without Analysis
Q7: You propose increasing the foundation footprint 24 times. What loads or soil data justify this?
Q8: Were any load, bearing, or site condition calculations presented in support?
Q9: If the original footing was flawed, why wasn’t its performance measured?
Section 4: Concrete Mix and Cover Assumptions
Q10: Did you obtain the Permacast mix to confirm whether the 3/4″ cover rule applied?
Q11: ACI 318 allows for reduced cover in certain mixes. Did you evaluate that possibility?
Q12: Was any actual testing done on the panel concrete—or were assumptions made based on appearance?
Section 5: Questionable Call for Full Replacement
Q13: Your report admits full analysis was “out of scope.” On what basis do you recommend a full replacement?
Q14: Was a survey of column positions performed to confirm misalignment?
Q15: Even if issues were found, why does the report recommend total replacement instead of targeted fixes per PCI standards?
Final Statement to the BRRA Board and Membership
The author of the Stantec report lacks essential structural credentials. His conclusions ignore field measurements, code-based tolerances, and engineering best practices. Not measuring column position—possibly the root cause—while pushing a full rebuild is professionally indefensible.
“Recommending full wall replacement without checking foundation alignment, verifying concrete mix, or completing structural analysis is not engineering—it’s a costly assumption dressed up as an expert opinion. It reads more like a sales pitch than a technical report. The HOA should seek competent second opinions and consider filing a complaint with the South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.”