Hipwell Consulting undertakes the following types of structural work:
Building and structure design/detailing
Professional services are provided for all building types, ranging from state-of-the-art to historic
buildings and from small-scale domestic to large-scale commercial and industrial projects.
Design expertise encompasses all conventional materials, using both recognised and advanced techniques;
design work is supplemented by hand- or CAD-prepared drawings as required and appropriate.
Foundation design
Design covering the entire spectrum of buildings and structures is undertaken, with particular emphasis
on foundations over difficult ground, or with special design requirements, such as reinforced concrete rafts,
piles and ground beams and cantilever or transfer foundations.
More straightforward conventional concrete strip or pad foundation design is, of course, also undertaken.
Ground and foundation investigation
It is crucial to gain a proper understanding of prevailing site conditions, often including those of adjacent
buildings and structures, in order to ensure the proper and efficient design of foundations, structures, groundworks
and retaining walls.
In-house investigations are often carried out, comprising trial pits, mackintosh probing, hand
auger excavations, level surveying and drains testing, with commissioning of specialist investigations and laboratory
testing, where required.
Structural engineering reports
For a property to be mortgageable, it must be suitable for buildings insurance subsidence cover. Quite often, building
structural defects are only noted during the course of a valuation survey for a prospective purchaser, which causes
stress for both the owner and the prospective purchaser alike. Such defects may include:
- Subsidence or settlement
- Superstructure cracking and distortion
- Roof spread or sagging
- Bulges to walls.
In order to ensure that further delays are kept to an absolute minimum, Hipwell Consulting is able to undertake a visual
inspection, or “first look” survey, of a property and provide a written report, within four working days of an instruction
(subject to access arrangements), all for a low-cost fixed fee.
This inspection will be sufficient to determine if there is any cause for concern and the report will identify the scope of any
further investigation that may be required and the likely extent of and budget costs for any remediation for both best- and worst-case
scenarios; in short, it enables the client to make an objective assessment as to whether to continue further, without committing
to further extensive costs involved in either the sale or purchase of a property.
These reports are always prepared on an impartial basis, regardless of whether the instructions emanate from a vendor or prospective
purchaser and not with the intention of benefiting one party over another.
Subsidence investigations
Hipwell Consulting has extensive experience in dealing with subsidence-related problems and provides a comprehensive service which
can range from a single auger and trial hole and water pressure testing, to deep soil investigations, camera surveys of drains and
arboricultural reports, depending on individual circumstances.
The provision of detailed remedial works drawings and schedules, obtaining tenders and instructing contractors, supervising works on
site is also often carried out.
Monitoring of the ongoing structural behaviour of a building is appropriate in some circumstances and this is achieved by the use of
stainless steel studs and high precision Vernier gauge, often supplemented by level surveying.
Current practice within the insurance industry is for them to appoint loss adjusters who also project manage the claim and determine
the necessity and extent of any remedial works. This perceived lack of impartiality often leads to resentment on the part of the insured
and they are often unaware that, under the terms of their insurance policy, they are generally entitled to retain their own engineer.
Hipwell Consulting is able to assist policyholders where they are dissatisfied with the advice given by the insurance-appointed loss adjusters.
Historic buildings and conservation
Hipwell Consulting enjoys an excellent local reputation for sympathetic and often innovative solutions to structural problems associated with older
properties, where a rigid adherence to current design standards and methods is generally wholly inappropriate.
It is this approach which has lead to the company being recognised by local authority conservation officers as having the requisite sympathetic
consideration for older structures and obtaining appointments for that reason.
