Mark A. Rhodes, P.E.
Director, Construction Practice
Get to know the expert
Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
Having testified as an expert witness, what’s the most challenging aspect of presenting construction dispute findings in a way that resonates with judges and juries?
Most construction claims and disputes are very complicated and stem from complex engineering and construction issues. The ability to relay the pertinent information in a straightforward, concise and simple manner that explains the key principles behind your findings is key to being a successful testifier. The expert has to teach and inform the judge and jury in an easy-to-understand manner that is factual, informed and reliable. This is a skill that Rimkus experts excel in and distinguishes us in the industry.
What’s something about construction claims and disputes that would surprise most people outside the field?
The amount of time and money that can be realized by a party to construction by what seem like very minor mistakes and small but poor decisions during the design and construction phase. For example, the use of fasteners that can corrode in critical framing connections that can jeopardize long term structure performance when the cost difference between those fasteners and non-corrosive ones for the entire structure was less than $100. This could easily be a design or construction defect.
What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving clients over and over again?
Never count out that there were two or more things acting at the same time to create a construction defect or issue and not one predominant thing. These issues may very well have been the result of two or more different parties with little to no interaction with each other that created the issue that occurred simultaneously. This is a common issue seen with geotechnical structures and failures such as mechanically stabilized earth walls as well as structure settlement.
Background
Mr. Mark Rhodes holds a B.C.E. degree in Civil Engineering and an M.S. degree in Construction and is a registered professional engineer in multiple states.
During his career, Mr. Rhodes has provided construction materials and geotechnical engineering services and supervised construction materials testing services and engineering inspections on numerous projects. He has initiated and managed multi-year geotechnical and materials testing contracts. He has consulted on a variety of complex geotechnical engineering applications, particularly construction related.
Mr. Rhodes has extensive experience in the design/implementation of construction materials and repair techniques for all types of projects. Some of his construction and design specialties include earthwork, foundations, concrete (mix designs, field problems, and repair), structural metals, coatings, pavements, and polymer materials. For 9 years, Mr. Rhodes was also the resident engineer on several projects on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) system in addition to his other duties. He had the overall responsibility for the project construction management. He was responsible for all schedule adherence and construction cost management. He has extensive experience in all areas of construction management and administration.
Mr. Rhodes’ primary areas of expertise are in geotechnical engineering, construction materials consulting, catastrophe damage evaluation, building structural assessment, building envelope (roofing, facades, and waterproofing) failures, construction dispute resolution, construction contract review, and construction defects. He has also provided engineering consultations and deposition testimony to attorneys for construction, forensic, and cause and origin disputes.
Education and Certifications
- Civil Engineering, B.S.: Georgia Institute of Technology (1988)
- Construction Management, M.S.: Southern Polytechnic State University (1998)
- Registered Professional Engineer: Georgia (#20677), South Carolina (#24565), Tennessee (#110293), Kentucky (#24411), Mississippi (#16999), Alabama (#27271), Florida (#63510), New Hampshire (#13742), Virginia (#050398), Rhode Island (#9899), Maryland (#42571), Pennsylvania (#PE079887), District of Columbia (#PE906804), Delaware (#18006), West Virginia (#20023), Maine (#13131), Connecticut (#29319) and New York (#092132), New Jersey (24GE05122200), Texas (123984), Missouri (2014026245); Illinois (#062.072865)
- Registered Roof Consultant: IIBEC, Inc. (#747)
- LEED® Accredited Professional, Building Design and Construction (BD+C) Specialty: U.S. Green Building Council
- Certified Mobile Crane & Rigging Inspector: Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau (#MRCI-12-0606-1071)
- Memberships: American Society of Civil Engineers; IIBEC (formerly Roof Consultants Institute)
- OSHA: 30-hour cardholder
Publications
- “Pavement Maintenance Programs: Initialization and Implementation for Transit Authorities.” General Conference of the American Public Transit Association in Washington, D.C., June 1997
- “Direct Fixation Rail Pad Anchorage Testing at MARTA.” General Conference of the American Public Transit Association in San Diego, California, June 1998
- “Inspecting Structural Steel in the Field.” Parsons Brinckerhoff Construction Management and Inspection Quarterly newsletter, September 2003
- “Soil Nail Walls in Residual Soils.” GSP on Soil Improvement “Big Digs”, ASCE, 1998