The Link Between Construction Lawsuits And The Types Of Fasteners Used
If you have a career in building construction, one of the issues you should always seek to avoid is being the subject of lawsuits. Lawsuits that involve problems with building quality tend to be very expensive and lengthy, and there are many contractors who end up losing their businesses on account of them. There are […]
If you have a career in building construction, one of the issues you should always seek to avoid is being the subject of lawsuits. Lawsuits that involve problems with building quality tend to be very expensive and lengthy, and there are many contractors who end up losing their businesses on account of them.
There are many things that could contribute to the risk of being sued, and one of the most important of these is the quality of fasteners you use for the job. This is why it’s very important to make sure that your fastener policy is designed with this in mind.
How do fasteners contribute toward the risk of being sued?
The integrity of any building normally depends on the quality of fasteners used to put it up. This means that if you use the wrong type, you will most certainly end up facing some sort of failure that could be catastrophic. For instance, a roof may collapse, injuring some of the people within the building. In such a case, it would be very difficult for you to avoid a lawsuit particularly if investigations reveal that the problem was on account of poor build failure.
Most of the time, the problems that arise from poor build failure also extend to other aspects of your business. If a significant number of houses you construct collapse, for instance, your customers may lose confidence in you and you may find it more difficult to secure cheap insurance. In the end, it simply makes it more difficult to be profitable.
The factors you need to consider when choosing fasteners for such jobs
If you have a business in the construction industry, it would be wise to have a policy regarding the way you use fasteners for each job. Some of the things you can use to design such a policy include:
Make sure that fastener types are chosen depending on the job at hand. This involves identifying the loads that the fasteners will be required to bear, and then investing in fasteners that can do so with ease. For instance, Hastelloy C276 carriage bolts might be a good option for heavy duty commercial construction.
Try to make your decisions evidence-based. There is a lot of research going on about how to optimize construction, and you can use this information to decide on how to choose fasteners. For instance, having an understanding of the pros and cons of Monel 400 hex head cap screws from research will make it easier for you to determine when to use them and when to avoid them.
Remember that proper placement is also important
For building to be safe, the fasteners should not only be of high quality, but they should also be put in place properly. This calls for training on how to do so, as well as provision of the right equipment for the job. Not doing this increases the possibility of using high quality fasteners that will still fail during critical moments.
As long as you keep the above in mind, the risk of fastener-related legal issues is likely to be low.
