Summary of engineer, builder responses

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 27, 1999

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Comments from engineers and builders whose house plans do not meet code, according to the Times analysis and review by other engineers.

"All of Ryland's homes meet all relevant codes and have received county approval regarding all aspects of construction and materials used. . . . We are a quality builder with a track record of meeting commitments -- often going beyond what is required."

-- William Wright, president, West Florida Division, Ryland Homes

"The company . . . requested that the engineers review the plans in question that they had originally sealed. . . . The engineers have re-signed and re-sealed the plans."

-- Sam B. Crimaldi, president of operations, U.S. Home Corp.

The Capri 4 "meets or exceeds state building code requirements and has been accepted by all of the various governmental agencies in the areas in which we build."

--Lawrence. F. Sietsma, president, Holiday Builders

"The design I use is much better than the method of construction that was present in the homes of Hurricane Andrew's damage. The net effort is at least to double the performance, which reduces to a negligible amount, any damage that could occur from this source. I would suggest that you might better spend your time investigating those engineers who seal plans without performing a full engineering evaluation. These individuals and the contractors who employ them are endangering the public as well as defrauding them."

-- Ralph M. Hansen Jr., P.E., Design Services Inc.

"I am astonished by your lack of knowledge and understanding of these issues."

-- J.M. Hoyt, J.M. Hoyt Homes

"All homes constructed by Windward Homes Inc. have been designed and constructed in accordance with the Standard Building Code."

-- Chad Horne, co-owner, Windward Homes Inc.

"We have met with (the engineers) on the homes that you have questioned. . . . Both engineers have gone over their designs and the calculations that support them, and are confident that they meet code. After reviewing these designs and the practical engineering knowledge that considers the home as a total engineered system, we are also confident that the homes meet the code and we stand behind them."

-- Lawrence S. Comegys, president, Florida region, Pulte Home Corp.

"In summary, our years of experience in design and construction, as well as material presented at various seminars related to high-wind design, have produced a cost-effective design which meets all applicable codes."

-- James Catalano, P.E., president, Catalano Engineering Inc.

"We have revisited the plan on which the St. Petersburg Times has requested information and have concluded that the plan conforms to . . . the Standard Building Code. The theoretical analysis that the Times has provided does not consider the entire structure, rather only selected components within the structure, none of which are designed to stand alone."

-- Samuel A. Greenberg, P.E, Dansco Engineering

"Based on our development of a three-dimensional, finite-element analysis, the capacity of the Capri gable wall exceeds the load applied by a 100-mph wind."

-- John E. Frazier, P.E., Frazier Engineering Inc.

"What we find missing from the theoretical analyses of the gable system is sound engineering practice, which is not only within our rights to exercise, but is our obligation to our clients. We see no advantage in using a more expensive design approach when our design already complies with the Code."

-- William T. Lindemann, P.E, chief executive officer, and Michael J. Bojack, P.E., vice president, Lindemann Bentzon Engineering Co. Inc.

"We understand that the professional engineer who is responsible for the engineering of (our) plan has also engineered over five thousand homes in Florida. We feel confident that he has performed a complete engineering evaluation."

-- Richard A. Van Orden, president, Richard Van Orden Homes

"If the (engineered construction details) are wrong, they're wrong, and we have to deal with it at that point. I take a lot of pride in my houses. I'd put my house up against anybody's. To tell you honestly, I probably would have bet my kid that I had the best-built house in Spring Hill. . . . We're not engineers, we're builders. The bad thing is, the builders are going to take the brunt, even though it's not our fault."

-- Steve Bartlett, president, Coral Bay Construction

"I can't stand up to an engineer and say, ÔYou're wrong.' His seal gives him the power of God on my homes. If I vary anything on what he says, his seal is null and void. . . . This is more than a livelihood to me. Building homes is a gift. I want to know what happened here."

-- Penny Szafran, president, Cozy Homes Inc.

"A lot of the plans are a minimum. I'm saying things are added to the plans. There's additional blocking on the gable ends."

-- Mitch Underwood, director, Mitch Underwood Homes

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