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The engineering and construction industries are integral to shaping our world. From towering skyscrapers to bridges and roads, engineers have a significant impact on the way we live, work, and move. Nonetheless, the industry comes with many challenges which require professionals to uphold the highest standards of care and due diligence in their quest to protect the public’s safety.
One field expert with extensive knowledge of navigating the construction industry challenges is Greg Batista, P.E. and the founder of Florida-based G. Batista Engineering & Construction. With over 30 years of experience, Batista has been both engineer and contractor on various large-scale construction projects as well as serving as an expert on more than 100 cases.
During his extensive career, Batista has developed innovative solutions to address complex engineering issues dealing primarily with structural problems and unsafe structures, which is a relevant topic in the past few years, given multiple collapses where many have lost their lives.
His success story dates back to his elementary school years when Batista dreamed of designing and erecting large buildings. “I loved making things with my hands. I had an incredibly visual, three-dimensional mind. Even back then, I knew where I wanted my career path to take me,” Batista states.
By his 30s, he knew that the next step in his dream was to create a construction and engineering firm to add to his already impressive experience. Within the first five years, Batista had more than 15 employees in his engineering firm, providing inspections and building design services to the public and private sectors. Fast forward to today, G. Batista Engineering & Construction has over 50 employees and specializes in structural repairs and engineering on existing structures.
His success is a massive feat that Batista owes to his unwavering dedication and proven track record of delivering top-quality work and earning the trust of his clients. As a result, Batista is widely recognized as a reputable and knowledgeable figure in the industry and has won several awards and accolades, including the US Congress Community and Business Excellence Award in 2019. Mr. Batista has also sat on various boards, such as the Broward County Board of Unsafe Structures and the Technical Committee for the ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute).
Aside from his professional endeavors, Batista is deeply committed to sharing knowledge. He has authored several books that put into layman’s terms some of the more technical and difficult engineering and construction issues that residents and property managers face in their daily lives. Some topics include tips on hiring an engineer, guides for re-roofing your building, and in-depth explanations of the basics of concrete repairs.
Having been a first-hand witness to several fatal engineering tragedies, including the Haiti earthquake in 2010, where more than 200,000 people perished, and the recent Champlain Towers collapse that killed 98, Batista has also dedicated himself to advising individuals, authority figures, and other industry professionals about the dangers of engineering oversights, the lack of proper and expedient maintenance, and promoting the issuance of laws that require prompt inspections and repairs to structures that would otherwise pose a danger to its inhabitants.
Batista’s passion for promoting safety and preventing negligence in the engineering industry has motivated him to write several books containing safety recommendations based on his and his colleagues’ expertise. In the recent second edition of his book, Negligence! Averting Disaster at Your Building: Lessons Learned from the Champlain Towers Collapse, Batista reflects on his personal experience with the building and how the disaster could have been averted, and what lessons the public could learn from it.
Many of Mr. Batista’s recommendations in the first edition of his book became a reality through new laws passed by the Florida Legislature. As he puts it, “I couldn’t just hope someone would pick up my books and follow their advice. It wasn’t enough. The industry is in dire need of more effective measures.”
Even in the midst of a national infrastructure crisis leading national engineering firms and groups to give the US infrastructure failing grades, he continues to lead the charge for progress not only in Florida, but he aspires to spark change on a national level by educating the public and continuing to provide exceptional service to his clients.
“The reason people trust us, and hopefully will continue to trust us, is simple,” Batista says. “When we go to work, we work with the idea that we’re going to do things right the first time, and we’re going to ensure that people are safe in the process.”
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Photo provided by the author.