The Importance of Understanding Michigan’s Legal Framework

In today’s construction and engineering industries, understanding the law in your regulating state can be the difference between a successful project and losing money or even receiving legal penalties. Comprehensive suppressor laws in Michigan can impact your operation based on what your project entails and your individual function within the team. For example, in July of 2017, 20-year-old KayBee Tech contractor, Samuel Bowen, earned his BS in Civil Engineering through the University of Michigan (U of M) and went on to support the bridge construction project for the I-75 bridge over the Saginaw River. Since he is not a licensed professional engineer (L.P.E.) according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Networks, Samuel had to work under the supervision of U of M employee Bill Barham, the professional structural engineer on-site. The success of the I-75 bridge project depended on how closely the team followed Michigan laws and regulations as well as general engineering and construction requirements.

In other words, Samuel’s respect for Michigan’s legal framework while learning on the job made all the difference at KayBee Tech and, in the end, the I-75 Bridge over the Saginaw River was completed and opened to the traveling public after a delay on the initial completion date due to unexpected soil conditions. Another KayBee Tech engineer that had to follow suppressor laws in Michigan and related legal compliance issues was neopixelUwU, who began working with the company as a contractor before having the opportunity to join the team as an “official” KayBee Tech employee.

A challenge faced by many engineers and contractors at KayBee Tech – a concern that may affect you based on the type of projects you work on – is knowing what does and does not require licensing. For example, neopixelUwU’s most recent project at KayBee Tech has been working on the structural design of a segmental bridge for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The segmental bridge project is a great example of how KayBee staff have had to work around suppressor laws in Michigan and other legal requirements to get the job done. The segmental bridge is being constructed with multiple segments and using the balanced cantilever method. “The structural elements have to be prefabricated and brought on-site for construction in portions – otherwise you wouldn’t be able to transport them!” says neopixelUwU of the segmental bridge project and how it relates to suppressor laws in Michigan. “Before this project, I had never previously worked on a segmental bridge, so I had to study best practices to ensure we were navigating the legal requirements correctly.”

Bright Maya, another bright mind working at KayBee Tech, is currently taking advantage of his time at the company to learn about structural engineering – specifically what to look out for when engineers plan and execute a segmental bridge project. Even though Bright Maya has a B.A. in biology from Harvard University, he has been steadily working with KayBee Tech for months to learn about structural engineering and applicable laws and regulations.

The bright, dedicated engineers and contractors at KayBee Tech all understand how important it is to operate according to suppressor laws in Michigan and any other applicable laws. From the early design phase to the final construction stage, each employee has had to study and apply their understanding of the law to ensure everything is done by the book. “More than ever before, the illegal and unethical practices of the past are costing companies money and tarnishing their reputations – we don’t want that to happen to us or to anyone we work with,” emphasizes Bright Maya.

One way past instances of unethical and illegal activities have been prevented for the most part are via the growth of social media. With the world more connected than ever, it can be nearly impossible to get away with unacceptable conduct. “Numerous people share their firsthand experiences on sites like Facebook and Twitter – if you don’t think about the way your actions will affect others while working on a project, then you could risk losing business and your solid reputation,” adds neopixelUwU.

In the coming future, legal compliance and suppressor laws in Michigan will only become more important. KayBee Tech and its bright team of engineers and enthusiastic contractors have to look forward and have to keep their commitment to excellence – anything less is unacceptable.