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     CE 564 Legal Aspects of Contracting
 

Legal aspects of contract documents, drawings and specifications; owner-engineer-constructor relationships and responsibilities; bids and contract performance; labor laws; governmental administrative and regulatory agencies; torts; business organizations; ethics and professionalism. 3 credit hours

  
     

Prerequisite
  

Undergraduate degree in engineering and courses in related field or consent of instructor.

 
Course Outline  

The purpose of this course is to provide a practical introduction to the legal topics and issues related to the construction process.  This course will address the theories, principles, and established rules that regulate the construction industry.  The following topics will be addressed:

  • Legal Contest of Construction
  • Contracting Methods
  • Pre-proposal and Performance Considerations
  • Preparing and Interpreting Contracts
  • Building Codes and Design Officials
  • Subcontractor Relationships
  • Contract Changes
  • Inspection, Acceptance, Warranties, and Commissioning
  • Risk Management, Dispute Avoidance, and Dispute Resolution
  • Bonds – Bid, Payment, and Performance
  • Environmental and Safety Concerns
  • Construction Insurance
  • Labor and Employment Issues
  • Ethics and Professionalism

 
Course Requirements  

Homework (10%)

The student will complete one homework assignment each week for a total of 10 assignments.  These assignments will be questions from the text chapters and are intended to help guide the student through the required reading.

Papers (30%)

The student will submit two papers.  Each paper will be 15% for a total of 30% of the final course grade.  One paper topic will be assigned by the instructor and one paper topic will be selected by the student.

Tests (60%)

The student will complete three exams.  Each exam will be 20% for a total of 60% of the final course grade.  All tests are closed book and closed notes. Academic honesty and integrity must be maintained per the applicable Student Body Code of Conduct.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is typically offered during the Fall or Spring semester with duration of 15 weeks, however, this particular course offering is during a Summer Session with duration of 10 weeks. Therefore, the student will need to cover the course material at a considerably faster pace compared to the Fall or Spring semester. All course requirements must be completed during the 10 week summer session. This should be a consideration before enrolling in the course.

 
Textbook  

Smith, Currie & Hancock’s Common Sense Construction Law:  A Practical Guide for the Construction Professional, 4th Edition, 2009, ISBN:978-0470231364.

 
Computer and Internet Requirements  

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers that are generally used for courses. Those specifications can be found here: http://www.ncsu.edu/it/compspecs/

Engineering Online recommends that your computer meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications below. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, internet bandwidth, disk capacity) will be more likely to properly display the video content of Engineering Online courses.

Windows:

  • Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista
  • Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or later, Firefox 2.0 or later, or Google Chrome 1.0
  • Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

Mac OS X:

  • Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
  • G4 processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Safari 2.0.4 (or later) or Firefox 2.0 (or later)
  • Silverlight  (viewers may be prompted to install this when first viewing a presentation)
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)
  • NOTE:  The Flip4Mac plug-in causes problems when viewing Mediasite presentations and should be disabled.

Linux:

  • Playback of Mediasite presentations on Linux is accomplished via the Moonlight Project, an open source implementation of Microsoft Silverlight. For more installation on the installation and configuration of Moonlight, please visit http://www.go-mono.com/moonlight/. The compatible operating systems and browsers are listed on this page.
  • Microsoft Media Pack for Moonlight
  • Adobe Reader for Unix
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

 
Instructor  

Phil Lewis, PhD, PE
Department of Civil, Construction, & Environmental Engineering
North Carolina State University
213 Mann Hall
Campus Box 7908
Raleigh, NC 27695-7908

Phone: (919) 515-7430
Fax: (919) 515-7908
E-Mail: mplewis@ncsu.edu