The still-empty Harmon Hotel at CityCenter

The Clark County Building Department recently announced that MGM Resorts has until August 15th to either propose a repair plan for the crippled Harmon Hotel at CityCenter, or bring the tower down. Construction on the tower was halted at approximately half of the tower's original designed height. The halt was ordered when inspectors discovered that steel reinforcing bars within the floor slabs of the building were not built as designed. The skin of the building was finished and it now sits unoccupied.

We found this news interestingly coincidental to a topic discussion we recently started in a LinkedIn forum: "Should Structural Engineers be expected to anticipate the possibility of poor execution and design projects accordingly?" This topic raised a lot of opinion and response from several angles, particularly those of fellow engineers, contractors, plan check reviewers, and even legal professionals. We've summarized the different viewpoints below.

Engineers:

Fellow engineers believe that the variations in material quality, workmanship, and modes of failure accounted for in building codes and regulations are sufficient; construction documents should not include room for error. This avoids additional liability for all parties involved and reduces litigious outcomes. It is impossible to design for poor construction because there are varying degrees of poor construction. Structures should be designed to meet the codes they fall subject to and nothing further.

Contractors:

To avoid error in construction, structures should always be designed in the simplest ways possible, and therefore most of the burden lies on design professionals. Skill levels of construction labor should be taken into account, and complicated structural systems should be avoided if possible. Structural Engineers should design structures with Constructability in mind, and make their documents as accurate and understandable as possible. (a viewpoint also shared with an engineer who responded to the topic) Engineers should also be flexible and willing to respond to specific conditions in the field and respond to RFIs, etc., accordingly.

Plan Check Reviewers:

Most of the burden lies on the designer to comply with appropriate code as design criteria. Accuracy and completeness of construction documents is paramount to the success of construction of a project.

Overall, it is clear that every discipline has responsibility leading to the successful completion of the construction of any building. Each must do its part and rely on clear and concise communication in construction documentation and between themselves to avoid conflicts and errors during the construction process.

Situations like the one found at The Harmon Hotel can and should be avoided, as these mistakes are costly to all parties involved and are potentially dangerous to occupants in and around the structure. Follow us on LinkedIn to participate in the discussion.