Opinion ID: 1842796
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Common-law duty of reasonable care in design.

Text: The plaintiff asserts that even if the defendant did not violate the administrative code, the evidence established a common-law standard of care to use cross bridging for the particular steel joists used in this construction. Strong reliance is placed upon Swaney v. Steel Co. (1963), 259 N. C. 531, 131 S. E. 2d 601. We are of the opinion that plaintiff's reliance on Swaney is misplaced. There the fall was caused by a deficiency in the strength of the bolts connecting two struts of the truss at its apex. The court emphasized that the truss was of such a special and unusual design none of the testifying experts had seen anything like it before. This was coupled with the general lack of knowledge of the steel erector which would enable him to determine the strength or load capacity of the apex bolts. The defect, therefore, was latent and the designer was held to a duty to either design the truss so it could be lifted in the accepted manner or to instruct the workers as to the proper method of lifting it. In the present case, the testimony was sufficient to establish general knowledge in the industry of the special care required in installing horizontal bridging. Don Breed, an ironworker, testified that any careful steel erector would be sure to tie the first member with bridging to the end wall before proceeding to the next. Further, each successive member should be tied to the previous one. Paul Andersen, a practicing structural engineer and professor of structural engineering at the University of Minnesota, agreed that this step-by-step method of installation was the only safe method. Thus, unlike Swaney, the evidence in this case establishes that the procedures for erecting such joists and horizontal bridging were well known and not beyond the knowledge and ability of the ordinary steel erector. On oral argument, the plaintiff directed our attention to the recent case of A. E. Investment Corp. v. Link Builders, Inc. (1974), 62 Wis. 2d 479, 214 N. W. 2d 764. We are of the opinion this case is readily distinguishable from the instant case and does not relate to the issue here presented. The evidence in this case is sufficient to establish that the special precautions necessary when erecting long span joists with horizontal bridging are generally known in the steel erection industry. Further, the testimony of Professor Andersen, Orville Arnold, a consulting engineer, and Don Breed, was sufficient to establish that if correct erection procedures were followed, horizontal bridging was as safe as cross bridging. The trial court was correct in finding that defendant had not breached any common-law duty as to proper design.