H. JOHN GRIFFIN, P.E.
PE No. 38647
Case No. 2015033401

Licensee was charged with violating Section 471.033(1)(g), Florida Statutes – negligence in the practice of engineering. Licensee acted as Structural, Electrical and Mechanical Engineer of Record for a two-story office building, and created, signed, sealed and dated engineering documents. The plans contained deficiencies. The deficiencies include, but are not limited to: (Electrical) the drawings contain an electrical riser diagram but no short circuit values and no voltage drop calculations for the feeders, no surge protective devices, no circuitry for outlets, equipment or devices, no electrical load computations, etc.; (Mechanical-HVAC) the drawings show four A/C package units on the roof, but no size, no voltage, and no circuiting, the drawings do not contain adequate information for the AHJ to determine compliance with codes and ordinances, no specifications for heating equipment, no condensate discharge piping layouts, etc.; (Mechanical-Plumbing) the drawings contain no plumbing equipment schedules, no cleanout is shown on the plans or on the sanitary risers, no storm riser diagrams are shown, no materials for plumbing systems are shown, etc.; (Structural) the project design loads are missing for concrete, reinforcing steel, masonry, grout and wood members, no details indicating splice or lap length for the reinforcing steel in the footings, masonry walls, beams or slabs, no indication of connecting the wood roof sheathing to the trusses, the footing along the font of the building is under designed, the masonry walls below the second floor are overstressed for combined vertical gravity loads and horizontal wind loads, etc.

Ruling: The case was presented to the full Board upon a Settlement Stipulation. The Board imposed an Administrative Fine of $1,000.00, Costs of $4,000.00, a Reprimand, Appearance, a Board-approved course in Engineering Professionalism and Ethics, the Board’s Study Guide and project review at six and eighteen month intervals to include all projects and reports signed and sealed by Licensee and this will include Structural engineering; however, Licensee is Restricted from producing MEP’s until such time when Licensee submits a request to the Board to amend the Final Order to allow Respondent to produce MEPs. Upon that notice, the restriction will be lifted and all MEP projects will be reviewed at six and eighteen months. Final Order was issued on 2/9/17.

Violation: Section 471.033(1)(g), Florida Statutes