Pre-Construction Survey Work

“I have cracks in my walls, and the construction in front of my home is driving me crazy!  The construction is destroying my home!  Somebody must pay to fix my home!”  Does this sound familiar?

Of course, the inevitable large-scale construction will annoy neighboring residents and may cause damage to their homes.  How do the residents prove such damage was caused by the construction?  How does the construction company disprove the resident’s claim?  The best answer to both questions is a preconstruction survey.

Pre-construction surveys are an essential part in the beginning of the construction process. A pre-construction survey will identify any existing signs of damage and provide a baseline for future comparison. This will help ensure that any damage or settlement that occurs during construction can be attributed to the construction activities, and not to pre-existing conditions. They can also help identify any potential issues that may arise during construction, allowing the contractor/developer to take appropriate measures to mitigate this issue.

A pre-construction survey typically includes hundreds of photos of the home, all of which may be used as evidence to later prove that damage is new, likely caused by construction vibrations, or preexisting, not caused by construction vibrations.  Without such a survey as proof, it is possible to infer when and how such damage was caused, but this approach is not efficient nor ideal.  CED engineers typically marry together pre-construction survey data with noise and vibration monitoring data that CED captures during the construction project.  A scientific determination can then be made on the collected data to definitively demonstrate whether the construction played any role in causing or contributing to the reported structure damage.

Our engineers at CED are trained and bring extensive engineering expertise when performing pre-construction surveys and specialize in utilizing an evidence-based approach. CED has conducted hundreds of pre-construction surveys, performed many investigations of alleged construction vibration damage claims, and provided noise and vibration monitoring for a variety of construction projects.  We know what information to capture during such surveys to place residents and construction companies in the best position possible to prove/disprove their claims.

Please contact CED if you would like additional information or assistance with your case.