U.S. Embassy

RRJ was retained by Navigant on behalf of the U.S. Department of State to perform a review and analysis of the construction of the U.S. Embassy Building, a complicated reinforced concrete building with seismic and blast-resistant requirements built into the face of a hill.

The review and analysis focused on the technical basis for issues alleged by the general contractor for their Claim for Equitable Adjustment related to the detailing and placement of concrete reinforcing steel and concrete floor flatness.  These two issues, among others, the general contractor claimed constituted constructability issues that were not, nor reasonably would have been foreseen from the Contract Documents within the relatively short time for bid preparation.

RRJ’s review of the project records, contract documents, and depositions of the structural engineer concluded that allegations that the drawings were misleading or unclear regarding the complexity of the project were simply unfounded.  The construction of the concrete structure hinged on the quality of the detailing, especially in a market where unsophisticated trades would require extreme clarity.