Engineer faces discipline over Langford residential projects

An engineer involved in four residential projects in Langford is facing discipline for accepting jobs for which he lacked sufficient training or experience.

A decision by the association of Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. found that Ahmed Raza Syed breached its code of ethics in accepting work related to installation of glass guard rails, because he wasn’t adequately trained or experienced in the engineering of such rails.

Syed was also found to have demonstrated unprofessional conduct for a number of reasons, including failing to prepare required drawings or conduct necessary calculations, failing to meet building code requirements and applying his professional engineering seal on work that had not yet been completed.

Engineering and geoscience professionals regulated by the engineering association are required to affix their seal to most design documents. The seal provides assurance that the documents have been prepared by a professional engineer in good standing with the association and that relevant bylaw requirements have been met.

The four projects are in Langford, but the addresses have been redacted from the association’s decision document. The projects are identified by names only: Navigators, a single-family home; Timber View, also a single-family home; two units in a duplex project called Champion Way; and two units in a condo project called Copper Rock.

The discipline hearing took place on Jan. 21 and 23 and addressed seven allegations raised in complaints by Langford’s senior building official, Cameron Edwards, from June 2016 to January 2017. According to the association’s decision, Edwards testified in the hearing that he is not an engineer.

Edwards testified that Syed did not provide all the information required for the projects and submitted some documents out of order. He said the city received a field review document nearly two weeks after receiving another document that indicates that a field review has been completed.

The association called an expert witness to give evidence regarding the design and construction of glass guard railing systems.

According to the association document, Rudolph Kevesdi has more than 20 years of experience in providing services to the glazing industry and 12 years as a general structural engineer. He has been involved in a number of large projects in the province and he primarily works on commercial projects, instead of residential.

Kevesdi testified that Syed lacked an understanding of glass guard design principles, safety requirements and relevant building code and guidelines.

“Lack of competence is evident throughout the design document review,” Kevesdi told the hearing. He said Syed was not qualified to carry out the design and approval of glass guards.

Kevesdi said that glass guards are required to have a top cap rail, and the absence of one is a safety risk, because there would be insufficient support for a person standing next to a glass guard if the glass were to break.

At least two of the projects did not include a cap rail.

Syed testified that two of the projects included a top cap rail when he inspected them, but the owners removed the caps.

In cross-examination, he testified that he had no specific training in glass guards, but he had worked with a senior engineer who performed all the design calculations. The senior engineer was not involved in the design drawings for the projects. Syed said the senior engineer died in July 2018.

Syed’s membership in the engineering association was suspended in December 2018 pending a decision in this case. It had been reinstated on June 29, 2018, after a previous one-month suspension arising from his work on projects in Abbotsford. Syed was required to pass a professional exam, complete an online seminar and pay a $5,000 fine as well as $7,500 in hearing costs to the association.

The association also issued Syed a six-month suspension in June 2019 related to his work in Abbotsford. The association’s discipline committee will determine what penalty Syed will face for the Langford projects.