Thomas M. Hetzel
Expert Areas
- Schedule Delay Analysis
- Contract Evaluation
- Demonstrative Graphic Preparation
- Construction Claims Management
- Root Cause Analysis
- Engineering Analysis
- Document Management
- Discovery Assistance
- Cost Estimation
- Litigation & Arbitration Support
Expertise
- Provides analysis in support of testimony in various dispute resolution forums, such as arbitration, litigation, mediation, and regulatory proceedings
- Evaluates design, procurement, and construction issues
- Prepares demonstrative, complex technical graphics
Biography
As a senior consultant with Interface Consulting, Thomas Hetzel utilizes his education in mechanical engineering and hands-on manufacturing facility design experience to assist clients in the dispute resolution process. Mr. Hetzel specializes in performing CPM schedule delay analyses and designing high-impact graphics for complex construction projects and claims. His work focuses on forensic document analysis, data collection, labor productivity analysis, and damage quantification.
Work History
Interface Consulting International, Inc.
Senior Consultant
- Prepares, evaluates, and quantifies construction claims related to schedule delays and labor productivity
- Performs data analysis to create visuals and graphics for use in reports, presentations, mediation, arbitration, and litigation
- Analyzes project documentation to quantify damages in relation to cost deviations, change order management, and schedule delays
- Identifies, collects, and organizes project data to provide actionable insights regarding construction variation claims
Sloan Valve Company
Lean Manufacturing Intern
Credentials
- BS – Mechanical Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Professional Affiliations
- Associate Member – Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC)
- Member – Order of the Engineer
- Member – Rice Global E&C Forum
Publications
- Benteler Steel Tube Manufacturing Facility
- Children’s Learning Adventure Childcare Center
- Continental Tire Manufacturing Plant
- Hampton Inn & Suites
- Hyatt House
- Legacy West Shopping Center
- Paris ISD High School
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Casino Expansion Phase II
- Blue Creek Ranch Turf Runway
- Questa Water Treatment Plant
- San Jacinto River Authority Water Line Segment W2B
- WR Grace Conveyance Channel & Stormwater Retention Basin
- Phillips 66’s Sweeny Midstream Pipeline
- REX Seneca Lateral Pipeline
- The Chesapeake and Access Pipeline Projects
- Vermont Gas Addison County Natural Gas Pipeline
- Articulated Tug Barge Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge
- M/V MAERSK KENTUCKY Allision with High Island 624 Platform
- Port of Long Beach Fireboats Vigilance & Protector
- Walter Coelacanth Field Platform at Ewing Bank Block 834
- Crestwood Bear Den II Natural Gas Processing Plant
- NatGasoline Methanol Production Plant
- Santa Fe Midstream 30-30 Gas Treating and Process Plant
- Sonatrach Menzel Ledjmet East Field
- Agilon Energy Victoria Port Power II & Agilon Energy Victoria City Power Plants
- NRG Cedar Bayou Generating Station
- Enterprise Products Propylene Dehydration Plant
- Huntsman Iron Oxide Pigments Production Plant
- Wacker Polysilicon Plant (Poly 11)
- Yara & BASF Freeport Ammonia Plant
OIL, GAS & CHEMICAL PROCESSING
- Project experience in oil & gas pipelines; gas transmission & distribution; gathering systems; oil & gas processing; chemical & petrochemical
MARINE & OFFSHORE PRODUCTION
- Project experience in offshore oil & gas platforms; shipbuilding; dredging; allisions
BUILDINGS & FACILITIES
- Project experience in commercial buildings; education; manufacturing facilities; hotels & convention centers; entertainment & sports
Chemical & Petrochemical
Enterprise Products Propylene Dehydration Plant
Analyzed project changes, contractor performance, productivity issues, mismanagement, engineering issues, and construction failures leading to the termination of the EPC contractor. Assisted with the development of multiple damage models and provided assistance to Interface’s testifying expert and the law firm leading up to and through the end of trial.
Huntsman Iron Oxide Pigments Production Plant
Performed an in-depth review of the base project costs and the ongoing and repurposing costs for the purpose of assessing the reasonableness of these costs. This included a thorough review of labor reports, invoices, purchase orders, and other cost documents.
Wacker Polysilicon Plant (Poly 11)
Analyzed claims related to material take-offs (MTOs) and the use of a third-party pipe support material. Assisted in preparing a report discussing these issues, concluding that MTOs were not in the client’s scope of work and its use of the third-party pipe support material was sufficient despite the material’s inherent limitations.
Yara & BASF Freeport Ammonia Plant
Performed a site evaluation and analyzed various warranty claims, including contractual entitlement, potential damages, current system performance, and costs to repair/replace equipment. Evaluated repair/replacement solutions for each claim. Assisted with the preparation of an expert report prior to the case settling favorably for Interface’s client.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Chevron Questa Water Treatment Plant
Prepared demonstrative graphics for use in affirmative and rebuttal reports. Assisted with the review and analysis of various project schedules in a windows delay analysis to identify the project’s as-built critical path at particular points in time.
San Jacinto River Authority Water Line Segment W2B
Reviewed repair costs, repair procedures, and rupture reports related to three pipeline failures during the first two years of operation for a 30-inch water line. Also assisted with the analysis of contemporaneous project documents related to the design and construction of the water line.
WR Grace Conveyance Channel & Stormwater Retention Basin
Provided claims preparation assistance for additional compensation, including schedule delay analysis and analysis of several cost growth issues, including impacts from two named storms and various engineering errors and omissions. Resulted in favorable settlement for the client.
Petroleum Refining & Gas Processing
Crestwood Bear Den II Natural Gas Processing Plant
Assisted with evaluating the causes of increased project costs, including identifying major changes to the project through a P&ID analysis. Analyzed project schedules to determine critical and near-critical path delays in an as-planned versus as-built schedule delay analysis.
NatGasoline Methanol Production Plant
Assisted with the development of a schedule delay analysis utilizing a windows analysis. Researched and quantified critical path delays in various areas of the project and assisted in the development of graphics for use in a mediation presentation.
Santa Fe Midstream 30-30 Gas Treating and Process Plant
Assisted with the development of a preliminary report discussing cost increases during the construction and testing of a 30-30 gas plant. Analyzed bulk material quantity increases, increased construction labor, late and revised engineering drawings, and added work.
Sonatrach Menzel Ledjmet East Field
Assisted in analyzing over 50 alleged changes with a claimed value in excess of $1 billion USD. Provided engineering analysis by reviewing piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), heat and material balances (H&MBs), the 3D piping model, plot plans, equipment of construction, equipment data sheets, vendor quotes, purchase orders, and project specifications.
Power & Energy
Agilon Energy Victoria Port Power II & Agilon Energy Victoria City Power Plants
Prepared demonstrative graphics for an expert report and a rebuttal report. Assisted with schedule delay analysis to assess various delays and disruptions to key events, such as the contractually required owner deliverables.
Siemens Energy, Inc.
Reviewed and analyzed documents related to the failure of a steam turbine, including root cause analyses, contemporaneous project records, and fact witness testimony, in preparation for the issuance of an expert report which ultimately resulted in settlement.
Land & Subsea Pipelines
Phillips 66’s Sweeny Midstream Pipeline
Prepared demonstrative graphics for use in affirmative and rebuttal reports. Assisted with the research, review, and development of an expert report relative to productivity impacts, disputed invoices, and adverse weather conditions.
REX Seneca Lateral Pipeline
Analyzed numerous claims related to lack of temporary workspaces on a natural gas pipeline located in southeastern Ohio. Assisted the testifying experts with the development of a rebuttal opinion responding to two damage calculations related to productivity, weather, procurement, and other issues.
Vermont Gas Addison County Natural Gas Pipeline
Assisted with the development of an expert report analyzing change orders, basic concepts and practices of pipeline construction, costs incurred during performance of the work, and typical overhead and profit on a 42-mile gas pipeline extension.
Buildings & Facilities
Benteler Steel Tube Manufacturing Facility
Assisted with the evaluation of productivity issues, such as stacking of trades. Prepared demonstrative graphics to assist in expert report preparation.
Children’s Adventure Childcare Center
Performed a site evaluation and assisted the Interface testifying expert in analyzing issues related to ongoing water intrusion problems at the CLA Pearland building. The owner alleged that the contractor’s work was not performed in accordance with the contract documents, was defective, was not performed in a good and workmanlike manner, and was performed with substandard materials.
Continental Tire Manufacturing Plant
Provided assistance in an advisory capacity on the development of change order requests related to design changes and value engineering services, which ultimately resulted in the requests being accepted.
Hampton Inn & Suites
Assisted with the development of an expert report opining on force majeure weather conditions, construction delays, and an assessment of additional time. Supported Interface testifying expert throughout trial, which resulted in a decision in favor of the client.
Hyatt House
Assisted with the development of an impacted as-planned schedule delay analysis on the renovation of several floors of a Hyatt hotel. Prepared demonstrative graphics for use in the rebuttal report and recreated the schedules in scheduling software to accurately assess the project’s critical path.
N.E. Development & Affiliates
Assisted with the performance of a DCMA 14-point schedule assessment of numerous schedules related to the construction of a 29-story high-rise apartment tower in Plant, Texas. Assisted in preparing a report of Interface’s findings after conducting the schedule assessment.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Casino Expansion Phase II
Assisted the Interface testifying expert in developing a presentation to aid the client in arbitration regarding an incomplete facility design featuring over 100 architectural supplemental instructions correcting the incomplete design and design errors and adding additional work.
Hotel Paso Del Norte
Assisted with the initial analysis of various construction defects and damages, such as water damage, failure to secure windows, non-conforming roof drains, and others. Developed the windows schedule delay analysis with the Interface testifying expert.
Marine & Offshore
Articulated Tug Barge Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge
Assisted with the review and analysis of various critical path delays and productivity losses experienced during the design and construction of two vessels (Hull 252 – Tug & Hull 253 – Barge). Developed presentation for use in negotiations resulting in favorable outcome for the client.
M/V Maersk Kentucky Allision with High Island 624 Platform
Opined on the alleged damages related to the allision of the M/V Maersk and the High Island Block platform. Specifically, reviewed and opined on the platform’s scheduled value, the costs to remove the platform, and the value of the platform as scrap materials.
Port of Long Beach Fireboats Vigilance & Protector
Developed two damage models for use in settlement negotiations involving productivity losses during the construction of two fireboats. This analysis included a thorough review of the project record and a measured-mile productivity analysis.