Our comprehensive technical offering comprises a range of complementary services that enable structural re-use of a wide variety of building types across built environment and infrastructure sectors.

Survey and Investigation

These activities are driven by the need to inform – the objective of the investigation is to enhance the confidence and knowledge of the existing structural form. Often, investigations are not guided by the early specification of the required information. Our skilled investigation teams collaborate with designers to identify the gaps in the existing information and to devise suitable and targeted survey works.
 

• State-of-the-art scanning and measurement, including drone capability for dimensional surveys.

• Intrusive and non-intrusive section investigation and scanning – GPR, rebar scanning, steel section identification.

• Intrusive investigation – opening-up and materials sampling, core drilling of structures, cold cutting of metallic elements. Recording of existing connections and details.

Materials Sampling

Materials sampling involves extracting properly dimensioned materials sample for laboratory testing and preserving these appropriately until testing. We also perform dust sampling for assessment of cement / chloride / sulphate content of concrete structures. We comply with the latest European and British standards for materials sampling, such as BS EN 12350 and BS EN 12390 standards for testing fresh and hardened concrete.

Structural Testing

Structural testing involves full and partial testing to determine the behaviour of structures and structural elements. We can test to determine loading at a serviceability level or take an element to failure to inform the behaviour of the remaining structure. We have experience of pull out or shear test at all scale from single bolt anchors to large scale floor testing with hundreds of tonnes of reaction.

We also have capabilities to load test lift beams, balconies & barriers, façade panels, cladding systems. We adhere to the relevant British standards for structural testing, such as BS 8539 for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry, BS 6180 for barrier testing, and BS 2853 for the test methods and requirements for steel overhead runway beams for hoist blocks.

We also provide specialist hydraulic services for pre-loading and load transfer applications such as bridge jacking, stressing of crane grillages, temporary works preloading, flat-jacking / load transfer between old and new structures. In all of these applications we provide full as-built records of loads and movements linked back to calibration records.

Geotechnical Testing

We have capability for a range of geotechnical testing from the management of site investigations and reporting through plate bearing tests. We follow the latest British standards for geotechnical testing, such as BS 5930 Code of practice for ground investigations, BS EN ISO 14688 and 14689 standards for the description of soils and rocks, and BS EN 1997-1 and BS EN 1997-2 for geotechnical design.

We offer the following geotechnical testing services:

Site investigation: We plan and conduct site investigation to collect and analyse soil and rock samples, using methods such as trial pits, boreholes, window sampling, and cone penetration testing. We provide a detailed report of the site investigation, including the geological and hydrogeological conditions, the soil and rock properties, the geotechnical hazards and risks, and the recommendations for foundation design and construction.

Plate bearing testing: We perform plate bearing testing to measure the bearing capacity and settlement of soil under a given load, using a circular steel plate of known diameter, a hydraulic jack, and a counterweight. We provide a load-settlement curve, the ultimate bearing capacity, the safe bearing capacity, the modulus of subgrade reaction, the spring constant, and the estimated CBR value of the soil.

We take pride in our comprehensive and detailed reporting and CAD and 3D drawings, which offer our clients a complete picture of the structural issues and solutions. We endeavour to provide the best structural testing and investigation service on the market, ensuring that our clients benefit from our expertise and experience.