The Saskatchewan Engineers Association APEGS says Scott Gullacher violated the rules when he designed the Dyck Memorial Bridge in the Rural Municipality of Clayton. On September 14, 2018, the infrastructure collapsed hours after its inauguration.
The Rural Municipality of Clayton has sued Gullacher and two companies he and his wife control.
Scott Gullacher is the owner of Can-Struct Systems Ltd., described as a bridge buildingand Inertia Solutions Ltd., which provides engineering services.
The Municipality of Clayton said Mr. Gullacher and his companies violated their contract because the bridge was meant to last 75 years but only stood a few hours.
In its lawsuit, the Rural Municipality of Clayton sought damages for the costs of repairing and replacing the bridge, as well as for loss of use of the bridge.
The prosecution explained thatno geotechnical report has been prepared to determine the underground conditions below the bridge at The Can-Struct bridge design called for the use of screw piles instead of industry standard piles.
The municipality has instructed that no geotechnical investigation should be done to avoid additional costs and delays, said Gullacher and Inertia in their statement of defense.
Inertia admitted that part of the bridge collapsed, but denied that its design caused the collapse.
In addition, the Rural Municipality has installed gravel on the deck to a depth of 13-16 inches, with an average depth of 14 inches, which significantly exceeded the specified loadaccording to the defense statement.
Disciplinary hearing
The Society of Engineers APEGS states that Scott Gullacher did not work in a careful and diligent manner when he designed the bridge. He also says Mr. Gullacher provides services or advice in an area that is beyond his professional ability.
Moreover, the association considers that he did not show up caution and diligence in the design of bridges in four other rural municipalities in Saskatchewan: Scott, Caledonia, Purdue and Mervin. These bridges are also the subject of a series of lawsuits.
In an interview a few days after the collapse, Clayton City Warden Duane Hicks said some of the pillars on which the bridge was built collapsed.
Mr Hicks revealed that the engineer who designed the bridge, Scott Gullacher, had not done a geotechnical survey of the river bed before installing the piers.
Maybe something happened underground. I do not know what that is. They don’t know what that is. No one knows what it isexplanation by Duane Hicks.
With information from Geoff Leo
Source: Radio-Canada
