Reasons to Hire a Structural Engineer for Foundation Inspection

A structural engineer is a licensed professional who has the knowledge to analyse the various factors that exert forces such as temperature, pressure, wind and gravity upon a building and to make sure whether the structure can hold up and resist those factors. The structural engineers in Kwinana are well trained in the areas concerning the structural soundness of the buildings. Structural Engineers undertake a different function in the construction process to for example architect or contractor. However, they are very much part of the holistic process to achieve a building that is robust and well designed and built.

The foundation of your building plays an extremely important role in its stability and robustness, and so it is crucial to undergo foundation inspection of your building to ensure the reliability of your existing foundation. It helps you to get the necessary repairs done before the issue become more severe and expensive. Hiring the right structural engineer for foundation inspection will be more beneficial. Why do you need foundation inspection or structural assessment? -

• Settlement of foundation due to undermining of ground bearing materials;
• Overload on the foundations from unforeseen structural loadings;
• Poor durability performance of foundations from chloride ingress or water corrosion around the foundation;
• Initial poor design of the foundation leading to poor structural performance;
• Modification of existing properties requiring an upgrade in the foundation design and performance;
• Other unforeseen structural performance issues that become apparent over the age of the building.

Right Qualification

Structural engineers have been earned a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering which takes four to five years. Also, they should finish a five years internship under an experienced structural engineer. This makes the structural engineer you hire have the necessary training and experience to assess the condition of your foundation design and provide the required recommendations. Always assess the competence of the structural engineer through their appropriate experience in similar construction.

An Engineering Report

After the foundation inspection, the structural engineer will produce an inspection report that contains the information about the damage caused and the recommended repair plans. Some structural documentation may accompany this report. The reason for these reports are varied but they will provide a degree of certainty to the repair and solution for remediation ion the foundation structure as necessary. It can also act as a guide for the contractors to install a professionally designed installation plan. The details in the report will enable contractors to appropriately price the necessary works. During the installation of the works, a degree of oversight by the engineer may still be required as part of the certification process.

No Sales Pitch

Even the contractors can help you get the inspection done, but they are likely to pressure you to hire them for the job. They may also use the inspection to sell you on services which is not necessary at the moment. This can become a conflict of interest in costing you more than hiring a structural engineer to carry out the inspection. These individuals have no vested interest in how many repairs you need. The Structural Engineer is independent. Their review and structural appraisal will be independent of any future commit for works. There is no conflict of interest with an independent engineer.

Peace of Mind

Not knowing the basement condition of your building can result in serious issues in the future. The structural consultants in Kwinana can give you peace of mind that your building is on a solid foundation that could last longer.

If you are looking for a company that offers site structural investigation in Kwinana, you can contact NRM CONSULTANTS PTY LTD.

The author of this article is one of the experienced structural engineers in Kwinana who offers comprehensive foundation inspection service. In this article, he has mentioned few reasons to hire a structural engineer for the foundation inspection. Visit http://nrmconsultants.com.au/

NRM Consultants builds upon the experience of Dr N Mills in the fields of precast and Reinforced concrete structural design. The foundaer of the company has over 20 years in the field of structural engineering.