The association that regulates professional engineers in Saskatchewan has suspended Scott Gullacher for 18 months because he designed a bridge that collapsed just hours after it opened to the public.
Gullacher was responsible for the Dyck Memorial Bridge in the RM of Clayton, about 300 kilometres east of Saskatoon.
On Monday, the association released its final order related to its investigation into Gullacher's misconduct, including the bridge collapse — described in the document as a "catastrophic failure" — and other projects.
The association determined that Gullacher didn't operate in a "careful and diligent manner" on the Dyck Memorial Bridge, because he did not employ a site-specific geotechnical analysis and did not provide adequate engineering designs for the helical pile foundations.
The start of Gullacher's suspension is backdated to June 8, 2022 — the date he was ordered to stop practicing professionally in the province.
During the investigation process, Gullacher testified that he paid $250,000 out of his own pocket to repair the collapsed Dyck Memorial Bridge, according to the association.