Professional & Legal Structural Assessments
Where the structural condition of a property becomes the subject of a dispute, insurance matter or professional instruction, an independent engineering opinion can provide objective technical evidence on the condition observed at the property.
These assessments are often required when the question is no longer simply “What is this crack?” but rather “What does the available structural evidence show, and what further investigation is justified?”
Instructions From Professional Parties
I undertake structural assessments for circumstances where attorneys, property professionals, insurers, loss adjusters, property managers or other professional parties require an independent structural opinion.
Typical matters can include:
• Disputes concerning cracking or building movement
• Alleged structural damage
• Boundary or retaining-wall concerns
• Damage allegedly caused by neighbouring works
• Disputes involving alterations or additions
• Settlement and differential movement
• Structural concerns arising during property transactions
• Insurance-related structural damage
• Assessment of previously repaired structural defects
• Professional opinions required before deciding whether further investigation is warranted
The precise scope is agreed according to the question that needs to be answered.
Start With The Engineering Question
A useful assessment begins with a clearly defined instruction.
For example, an attorney may need to establish whether cracking observed in a boundary wall appears to be associated with movement of the wall, rather than simply obtaining a general report listing defects.
In another matter, an owner may allege that building work on an adjoining property caused new cracking. The available evidence would need to be considered carefully before an engineering opinion can be expressed.
The distinction between an observed condition, a possible cause and a conclusion supported by sufficient evidence is important.
What The Inspection Involves
The assessment is primarily visual and non-invasive. Accessible structural elements are examined for evidence of cracking, movement, distortion, deterioration or other conditions relevant to the instruction.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include masonry walls, slabs, beams, columns, stairs, retaining walls, foundations where visible and other structural components.
Photographs are taken where useful to document the condition.
The assessment does not automatically include destructive testing, opening-up, geotechnical investigation, laboratory testing or specialist inspections. Where such work is necessary to answer the engineering question, the need for it is identified.
Dealing With Uncertainty
Structural problems are not always capable of being resolved from a single visual inspection.
A crack may have several possible causes. A building may have undergone alterations. Ground conditions may not be known. Previous repairs may conceal the original condition.
In such circumstances, it is important not to express a level of certainty that the available evidence does not justify.
My approach is to distinguish between what was observed, what can reasonably be inferred from the evidence, and what would require additional investigation before a reliable conclusion can be reached.
This is particularly important when the report may subsequently be considered by other professional parties.
The Report
The report records the relevant observations and provides a professional structural opinion within the agreed scope of the instruction.
Where appropriate, photographs are included to identify significant conditions.
Recommendations may include monitoring, repair, further structural investigation, specialist investigation or engineering design, depending on what is found.
If detailed remedial design or structural calculations are required, this can be treated as a separate engineering service.
Engineering Opinion Is Not Legal Opinion
A structural engineer can provide an opinion on the physical and structural aspects of a property. Questions of legal liability, contractual responsibility, negligence or insurance policy interpretation fall outside the structural engineering opinion and remain matters for the appropriate professional advisers.
The report therefore concentrates on the engineering evidence and avoids making conclusions on matters that cannot properly be determined from the structural assessment.
Practical Experience Matters
I have extensive practical structural engineering experience covering residential buildings and more complex structures, including reinforced-concrete slabs, beams and columns, masonry construction, foundations, retaining structures and buildings affected by movement and settlement.
That experience is applied to the particular circumstances of each instruction rather than relying solely on a standard checklist.
Safe And Limited Access
The inspection is confined to areas that can be safely accessed. It is not assumed that every part of a building must be entered or opened up for a useful structural opinion to be obtained.
Where an inaccessible area could materially affect the conclusion, this limitation is identified and appropriate further investigation can be recommended.
Independent Structural Evidence
When a structural issue has become a professional or legal matter, an independent engineering assessment can help establish the physical facts before positions become entrenched.
If you require a structural assessment for an attorney, insurer, loss adjuster, property professional or other formal purpose, contact me to discuss the engineering question and the appropriate scope of assessment.
