Rhodes & Partners

Engineering Services

Our services include:

• Preparing design calculations and drawings for Building Regulations submission

• Expert advice on party wall issues

• Checking local authority calculations

• Preparing structural engineering inspections and reports

• Geo-environmental and site investigations.

Services Offered

Design Calculations & Drawings

Working from either a site visit or your architect’s drawings we will produce the design calculations and drawings needed for submission for Building Regulations approval. We use advanced analysis software and design to both British Standards and Eurocodes. Our drawings are suitable for construction on site.

Party Wall Services

Are you or neighbour building near to each other? If so, the Party Wall Act can assign legal rights and responsibilities to either party. We can advise on these issues and act as Party Wall Surveyor for building owners or adjoining owners. Read our Party Wall summary.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Party Wall Act can have serious consequences, as this picture shows!

Drainage Design

Using MasterDrain design software we provide flood risk assessments, detailed drainage designs for everything from single dwellings to large-scale developments. We liaise with utility providers to determine discharge rates and, based on the site conditions, we provide detailed calculations for storage or attenuation,.

Site Visits and investigations

We can make site visits at the beginning of a project to investigate ground conditions and existing foundations, using trial holes to permit visual inspection. We can also visit site during construction, either to liaise with your architect or contractor, or to inspect building work and award a Certificate of Structural Adequacy upon completion.

Local Authority Checking

All Building Regulations submissions submitted to local councils are checked to ensure compliance. We have been commissioned to provide this checking service on behalf of many Councils, including Halton, East Cheshire, High Peak and Warrington.

Geo-environmental Studies

We provide cost-effective geo-environmental studies to investigate both geotechnical and contaminated land issue on proposed development sites. These can include both Phase I (desktop study) and Phase II (site investigation) reports.

Safety Inspections

We work with sports stadiums and are involved in regular meetings and structural inspections to ensure compliance with Safety at Sports legislation.

Structural Engineering Reports (SERs)

We complete SERs on all types of small and large properties to identify subsidence and cracking issues etc, or to assess suitability for potential alterations.

SER's

Domestic Properties

Mortgage lenders often require a property survey to be completed by a chartered surveyor. If structural issues are discovered, (e.g. cracks or sloping floors etc) further investigation and a Structural Engineering Report (SER) may be required. Even without any sign of structural faults, an SER can still pay dividends in the long term.

‘Andrea and Stephen only got a standard building survey when purchasing this house – perhaps a full structural report would have seen more (and revealed these problems)’ Sarah Beeny

How an SER works

If you wish to organise an SER, we will ask you for basic information on the property – e.g. style, number of floors etc. – and details of any surveyor’s report that you have.

We then agree a cost with you, and one of our engineers will visit and inspect your property. The cost will depend on the size and location of the property, but can start from as little as £300 + VAT– a small percentage of the total cost of your property!

The inspection itself will be visual, and will cover the load bearing elements of your property. No tests or investigations will be carried out, but a reliable, informed opinion will be given as to whether faults may exist and further investigation is required.

A written report will cover the results of the inspection. This will be broken down into easily understandable sections – e.g. Internal Ground Floor, Roof Space, External Elevations etc, See a typical SER report.

Exclusions; Concealed defects cannot always be uncovered, but our engineer will use experience and professional expertise to assess as much of the property as possible. Woodwork and roof coverings will not be inspected and neither will any inaccessible or underground parts of the property. Services such as drains, gas, water and electricity etc. are not included in the inspection.

Timescales are important when house buying, so we will always look to finalise our report within just a few days of the inspection.

Barns

Structural inspections and reports on barns concentrate on the structural feasibility of converting them into residential accommodation. We investigate walls, roof coverings and structural timbers and, if required, foundations too. Where necessary we will consult other specialists advisors. Our final report will outline any recommended remedial structural work and, if required, we can provide a detailed design for this work and any other structural elements required for a Building Regulations application.

Commercial properties

We are regularly commissioned to report on the condition of many non-domestic properties. These include both buildings in use and derelict structures – everything from care homes, town halls and churches through to mills and student accommodation. This photo shows a recent inspection project on a derelict mill.

Other Structures

We are happy to work on other types of unusual project, and our expert opinions have been sought on such varied things as old tunnels, religious structures and even rock salt storage hoppers!

Consulting Structural & Civil Engineers