Litigation Consulting and Expert Witness Services
Construction Defect Litigation Consultants and Experts
Construction litigation firms and their clients trust us to provide informed, accurate data regarding their building envelope issues. We have extensive experience with the litigation process and have successfully testified as experts at many jury trials and arbitration proceedings throughout the USA.
Construction Litigation Consulting Services
Our services include failure assessment and performance analysis of all types of distressed building enclosure systems and components. This typically involves in-depth forensic analysis and identification of causes of system failures.
Services include:
- Claims management
- Construction defect litigation support
- Deposition assistance
- Discovery assistance
- Document review and analysis
- Evaluation of claim pricing methods and damages calculations
- Expert presentations and consultation at mediation and arbitration proceedings
- Expert reports, written and oral
- Expert witness testimony at depositions and trials
- Identification of issues and necessary actions to resolve claims
- Independent investigation and analysis of issues regarding a claim
- Interrogatory assistance
- Performance testing and product evaluations
- Rendering of expert opinions
- Representation in settlement negotiations and mediation
- Resolution consultation services
- Review and evaluation of 3rd party expert reports
- Risk management and mitigation services
- Site investigations to review field conditions
- Site testing to confirm building performance
- Technical issue fact-finding and analysis
Our Experts
Our team specializes in all areas of the building enclosure, including wall systems, glazing systems, waterproofing, and roofing. Our objective is to investigate and evaluate claims using a fair and objective approach that follows a logical process and is supported by the construction sciences. We have decades of experience in claims review analysis and are seasoned in the field as well as the courtroom.
Chris Matthews has over 35 years of experience working with building envelopes, and specializes in the installation and performance of these systems. He has consulted with owners, architects, engineers, insurers, attorneys and builders on hundreds of projects throughout the US and Caribbean.
Dan Johnson, FMPC, has over 30 years of field and laboratory experience in the evaluation of fenestration product and façade performance. He has worked on hundreds of projects from the design stages, inspection, and testing of new construction to the forensic investigations of existing structures. In addition, he serves as a litigation support consultant and expert witness in disputes related to exterior wall, window, and glazing system installation and performance.
Jason Bondurant, PE, RRC, is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. He has over 10 years of consulting and engineering experience. He leads forensic investigations, develops repair plans and specifications, provides construction management services, performs quality assurance inspections, and provides expert witness testimony. He has worked extensively in both new construction consulting and forensic analysis of existing buildings.
Paul Beers has over 32 years of experience in the window and glazing trade and with building envelopes. He is a leading expert with glazing systems, facades, water leakage, wind mitigation and hurricane damage.
Shauna Serafini, RWC, REWC, FMPC, has been a member of the GCI team since 2009. She has over a decade of experience working with exterior glazing, walls, and waterproofing systems specializing in the design, installation, water infiltration resistance, and performance assessment of these systems.
Will Smith has approximately 50 years of experience in the design and construction of glazing systems and building envelopes. He is a certified building contractor and a member of several industry associations. He has served successfully as an envelope expert in hundreds of cases throughout the country.
Before You Hire An Expert...
Not all building envelope consultants are qualified to be expert witnesses.
Before you hire an expert witness and put them in front of a jury, listen to our recent podcast "Is Your Expert Really An Expert?"
Methodologies for Forensic Investigation of Construction Defects
Construction defects happen. Sometimes it is a design or installation error. Other times, the building enclosure components simply fail. While many recognized methodologies exist for the investigation of various failures and defects, our experts understand and apply the ones most appropriate for your case and circumstance.
GCI is accredited as a certified AAMA Field Test Agency by the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) and certified as a Miami-Dade County Approved Testing Laboratory by Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER). These accreditations underscore our commitment to providing expert opinions that hold up under scrutiny.
- Water Penetration Testing
- Air Leakage Testing
- Air and Water Pressure Testing
- Frost Point Testing
- Flood Testing
- Roof Moisture Survey Testing
We adhere to industry best practices and follow standards such as ASTM and AAMA testing methods. We use proven methodologies to conduct our forensic investigation and testing in construction defect litigation matters.
- ASTM E783 "Standard Test Method for Field Measurement of Air Leakage Through Installed Exterior Windows and Doors"
- ASTM E1105"Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference"
- ASTM E576 "Standard Test Method for Frost/Dew Point of Sealed Insulating Glass Units in the Vertical Position"
- ASTM E2128 "Standard Guide for Evaluating Water Leakage of Building Walls"
- ASTM D5957 "Standard Guide for Flood Testing Horizontal Waterproofing Installations"
- ASTM D7954 "Standard Practice for Moisture Surveying of Roofing and Waterproofing Systems Using Non-Destructive Electrical Impedance Scanners"
- ASTM D7053 "Standard Guide for Determining and Evaluating Causes of Water Leakage of Low-Sloped Roofs"
- AAMA 501.2 "Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems"
- AAMA 511 "Voluntary Guidelines for Forensic Water Penetration Testing of Fenestration Products"
- TAS 126 "Standard Procedures for Roof Moisture Surveys"
Experience the benefits of quality assurance on your next project.
From design consulting to inspections and field testing, our building envelope experts know how to collaborate with all stakeholders and team members involved. With industry-leading expertise in waterproofing, glazing, and enclosure systems, we provide comprehensive consulting to enhance quality assurance, mitigate potential risks, and contribute to your project's success.
Request a Free Consultation
For reliable and expert construction consulting and field testing services, GCI is your trusted partner. Our comprehensive approach helps ensure your project meets the highest standards of quality and performance. Contact us today to learn more and get started.