Improving the quality of life through a soundly built structured environment

Whether we are working with a developer, architect, contractor, or a homeowners’ association, DEI collaborates to create solutions that meet the goals and vision for each project we approach. We create structural systems that balance the unique characteristics of a project with the budget, expectations, and design parameters of our clients – always adapting our techniques to ensure project success. Our commitment to helping understand and prioritize project needs allows us to offer creative approaches that stand the test of time.

DEI’s expertise is concentrated on new construction, remodels, tenant improvements within existing structures, engineering for deferred submittal, and seismic retrofits. Our projects typically range from one to ten story structures.

When structures fail, DEI provides structural investigations to understand a building’s issues, and create an effective remediation plan. Our investigations include reliable results and tested solutions, outlined in concise reports that owners, architects, and contractors can use for construction repairs. Clients and contractors appreciate our clear scopes of work, responsiveness to questions, and our willingness to educate audiences on causes, solutions, and prevention for the future.

DEI serves as an expert witness for legal counsel and homeowners’ associations, helping to bring resolution to project challenges. Our experts work with both parties to explain the causes of problems and propose reliable solutions based on building codes and best practices. We have experience testifying on behalf of both the plaintiff and defense, and are always committed to clearly communicating the facts surrounding the case in a fair and professional manner.
Our background in building investigation and remediation design ensures that we have the engineering knowledge to effectively prepare for each case, and provide clear testimony that presents a thorough yet compelling picture of the situation at hand.

DEI’s team includes seismic experts who design modifications to existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. With broad experience in analyzing and retrofitting a variety of structures, we create safer facilities that can endure the Puget Sound area’s unpredictable seismic activity. Our understanding of the region’s geography, local and national standards and regulations, and our commitment to utilizing the latest techniques allows us to help control potential building damage and protect the safety of occupants.

DEI offers clients project efficiency in obtaining permits for structurally based work. We know that time is money, and we keep projects on schedule and help avoid unforeseen permitting challenges. By serving as the prime consultant, we successfully manage the permitting application process with building departments. We create the drawings and calculations required for submittal, conduct pre-application appointments with regulatory departments, complete required forms, and serve as the primary contact to obtain permits and keep projects on track.

DEI utilizes our broad scope of design experience to assist contractor teams by serving as the Specialty Structural Engineer (SSE) for unique structures. Our comprehension across a variety of project types allows us to help create solutions for soil shoring designs, tide gates, pump structures, detention vaults, bridges, concrete retaining walls, and pedestrian bridges. These components are often noted on contract documents as being bidder-designed, deferred submittal, or designed-by others. In addition, we serve public agencies by helping to implement these designs through construction support, ensuring that improvement needs are appropriately addressed.

When structural systems and building components fail to function as intended, DEI works to isolate the cause of failure and assist owners, attorneys, and contractors in settling disputes.  We determine the cause of the problem, develop a solution, implement the repairs, and help mitigate legal conflict.  Our team is comfortable working with all parties to simply explain the cause of the system failure and propose reliable solutions based on best practices.  Using a straightforward approach, we aim to resolve defects and eliminate the need for litigation.  However if needed, our experts are experienced in testifying for both the plaintiff and defense parties, focusing on bringing resolution to structural challenges.

As full service engineers, we pride ourselves on being responsive to our clients’ needs, especially during the construction process. We ensure that designs are implemented as intended by reviewing shop drawings, calculations/drawings for elements designed by others, and special inspection reports. We provide clarifications for contractors, and promptly reply to Architect’s Supplement Instructions and Requests For Information. We offer an in-person presence to address design and construction challenges immediately, with the goal of keeping projects on track for successful completion.

Value engineering is the practice of analyzing and balancing the functions and costs of a project, resulting in value improvements. DEI participates as members of value engineering teams, where we collaborate with other design professionals to offer creative solutions that balance project costs with design functionality, while preserving quality. Our final recommendations save money and often result in compressed schedules, offering efficiency in the design and construction phases.

DEI also serves as a peer reviewer, offering a second set of eyes on structural designs created by others, to offer ideas to value engineer the structure.

Whether clients require a due diligence report on the structural condition and safety concerns of a potential real estate purchase, or a post-event condition assessment after a fire, earthquake, or other property damage, DEI offers a thorough investigation process that evaluates structural performance and ensures code compliance.

Our staff members are certified in post-event on-site assessments, and we offer in-depth knowledge of a variety of construction techniques.

When purchasing a property or a building, clients rely on DEI for comprehensive reports that assess the structural condition of a site. We help keep the real estate transaction process moving by responding promptly to urgent assessment requests. We also help prospective building owners understand the feasibility of potential structural modifications.