Discipline Notice: Zhao Guan, P.Eng.

In an April 13, 2023, Consent Order, Zhao Guan, P.Eng., admitted that he demonstrated unprofessional conduct by failing to design a retaining wall to the reasonable standard expected of a professional engineer.

As outlined in the Consent Order, Mr. Guan’s registration with Engineers and Geoscientists BC is suspended for a period of 3 months starting on April 30, 2023. Following the conclusion of the suspension period, Mr. Guan will be subject to direct supervision by a professional engineer who is a registrant of Engineers and Geoscientists BC for a minimum of 1 year.

On February 2, 2018, Mr. Guan signed and affixed his seal to design drawings for a retaining wall in North Vancouver, BC. The drawings were not prepared by Mr. Guan nor prepared under his direct supervision. The drawings for the retaining wall contained serious errors including that the reinforcement for the retaining wall was placed on the wrong side and there were no dimensions identifying where the reinforcement should be placed. When problems with the construction of the retaining wall were identified in late August 2018, Mr. Guan failed to notify the appropriate authorities to ensure adequate site safety.

In the Consent Order, Mr. Guan admitted that he demonstrated unprofessional conduct related to the design of the retaining wall and acted contrary to the Bylaws of Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Mr. Guan agreed that, among other things, he failed to:

• Adequately check and identify errors in the drawings for the retaining wall before signing and sealing the Drawings;
• Have an independent review of the drawings completed prior to the construction of the retaining wall;
• Ensure proper installation of the retaining wall to a reasonable standard expected from a professional engineer; and
• Keep adequate records related to the retaining wall including the calculations supporting the design set out in the drawings, his recommendations regarding the reinforcement for the retaining wall, and documentation showing the rationale for changes made to the retaining wall during construction.

Following the three-month suspension period, all engineering work performed by Mr. Guan will be subject to direct supervision for a minimum period of 1 year. During the period of direct supervision, Mr. Guan must successfully complete an educational course as set out in the Consent Order. Two years after the completion of the direct supervision period, Mr. Guan must undergo a practice review conducted by the Audit and Practice Review Committee.

Mr. Guan paid $10,000 toward the legal costs of Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

More information

The full text of the Consent Order can be found in the Discipline Notices section of our website, at egbc.ca/discipline-notices.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s website contains information on the complaint, investigation, and discipline processes. You can contact us at 604.558.6647 or toll-free at 1.888.430.8035 ext. 6647, or by email at [email protected].