Adequacy and Analysis
Ensure the safety, stability, and regulatory compliance of your property with our comprehensive structural assessments and analysis services.
Comprehensive Structural Engineering Reports and Expert Advice
Our team of experienced Chartered Structural Engineers provides expert evaluations and delivers detailed, insightful reports tailored to your specific needs. We understand the critical importance of structural integrity, and our comprehensive analyses address a wide range of concerns, from identifying construction defects to ensuring building regulation compliance.
Beyond just identifying problems, we offer actionable solutions and clear recommendations. Whether you require site investigations, structural modifications, or guidance on building conversions, our team is committed to providing practical support. We strive to be your trusted partner, delivering expertise and professionalism throughout your project.
Analysis and reports on construction defects
Many building defects are the result of poor workmanship and errors in construction. These often result in legal action or an insurance claim, and we can assist with both of these. In the case of analysing and reporting on the defects, one of our local Chartered Structural Engineers would first inspect the defects and the rest of the structure or building and take photos and measurements where necessary.
They would produce a report which will be peer-reviewed by at least one of our other Chartered Structural Engineers, that highlights the cause of the defect and makes recommendations for how to resolve the issue(s). The report can be used in your insurance claim, and if required in a legal case, we can draw up the report in accordance with Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), which your solicitor can then use as part of the official case documentation.
Building regs regularisation
Often, building work such as a loft conversion or extension, has been conducted without approval from Building Regulations. If you are responsible for such a building, and you are trying to sell it, you may have difficulty doing so, as the buyer’s solicitor will ask for a copy of the building regs approval notice or completion certificate.
Building regs provide an independent, third party assessment of the structural integrity of the building work. In such cases, one of our Chartered Structural Engineers would visit and inspect the works, and provide you with a report that is formatted in such a way that you will be able to upload it to Building Control as part of an application for a Regularisation certificate.
Calculations to check adequacy of existing structures
Often, people have buildings or structural components like columns, walls or balconies that have shown them reasons for concern, such as steel reinforcement corrosion, bowing walls or uneven floors. We are able to inspect the structure, take readings and provide a report and calculations that state whether the structure is stable, or any special measures that should be carried out, such as strengthening.
Regularisation for Building Control
We are able to advise on certifying building works that have been conducted without Building Control approval (Building Regs). Building Control normally insists that a Structural Engineer must provide an adequate report, drawings or calculations. We will visit the site of the works, inspect the structure, take photos and measurements, provide a report, sketches or drawings and help you to submit an application that will achieve regularisation for Building Control.
Reports on suitability for conversion
If you are converting a building that wasn’t necessarily designed for the purpose for which you are converting it, or if there have been any historical issues with it, it pays to have us conduct a suitability survey. Our survey, conducted by a Chartered Structural Engineer, will consider all the structural components of the building including the ground and the foundations. The same engineer will then produce a report for you, which either approves the structural stability of the existing building, or highlights areas of concern, with recommendations for remediating them through strengthening or re-building.
Soil investigations: arranging and advising
In nearly every case, structural engineers need to know the ground type beneath the building’s foundations, be it base rock, general geology of the area and soil. We need to understand the strata, soil type, strength, water table, impact of local trees and so on. One of our local Chartered Structural Engineers will visit your site, inspect the ground type, conduct soil investigations (also known as soil tests or soil surveys) and advise on the ground’s suitability for construction.
Without a soil investigation, your project may experience delays or go over budget when the builders encounter ground-related issues with the construction of the building or services, (e.g. underground drainage). In the worst cases, the project may require a partial redesign, (e.g. selecting piled foundations instead of strip foundations).
Finally, if you are in the stage of appraising a site for purchasing, conducting a soil investigation before you purchase can save you a lot of money and allow you to plan your project better, because you will have a far better insight into the complexity of the building project.
Structural analysis of existing structures
If you are planning some additional work or a change of use to your building, structure or site, our local Chartered Structural Engineers are available to perform adequacy surveys on its current condition. For example, if you are going to be installing some new equipment on an existing steel mezzanine structure in a warehouse, or you are going to be installing solar panels on a roof.
We will inspect, analyse and measure the existing structure, consult on the loading of the change of use and report back on the suitability of the existing structure to support the changes. We can also then design any modifications that are required to make the structure fit for purpose, complete with drawings and calculations for your contractor and Building Control.
