The Executive Council will vote Wednesday on whether to accept a nearly $10 million settlement the state reached with a Maine engineering firm over flawed foundation pilings that have stalled progress on construction of a new secure psychiatric unit attached to New Hampshire Hospital.

The Legislative Fiscal Committee last month approved receipt of a $9.9 million payment by the insurance company for SMRT Inc., the company that designed the pilings that will support the 41,000-square-foot facility being constructed by PC Construction of Vermont.

Under the settlement, neither SMRT Inc. nor PC is admitting any fault, and both firms are remaining on the job.

State officials say the settlement payment will cover costs associated with replacing the flawed pilings and the nine-month delay they

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