Brian Pyle Associates was formed in February 1990. We are a specialist consultancy of forensic civil and structural engineers. Currently, there are two Directors and two Associate Directors.

Brian Pyle, Andrew Billingham and Stan Fletcher all undertake expert witness work and between them cover all matters as set out below. Bret Champion has been involved in construction disputes and has given factual evidence as the loss adjuster on a dispute.

It is likely that one of us will have the necessary expertise to assist as an Expert on disputes either in construction or in the in the civil/structural engineering field. The expertise also covers many aspects of building fabric failures. It is our policy not to accept instructions unless one of us is confident that he has the relevant expertise and experience.

We will be pleased to accept instructions on any of the following:-

Contractual Disputes

ICE/JCT and other contracts commonly used in the industry, including partnering, design and build, management construction and construction management.

Personal Injury

Our expertise in respect of personal injuries relates to defective pavements, trips, rocking slabs and pot holes in roads causing injury to pedestrians or cyclists. Also offshore construction injuries. We do not however represent clients involved with motoring accidents. Both Brian Pyle and Andrew Billingham have acted as experts in connection with personal injuries on building sites, including trench collapse, scaffolding related accidents, plant failures and glass orientated injuries.

Building Defects

Including basements with external/internal tanking and drained cavity construction. Construction defects, including those commonly found in concrete, masonry, steel, timber and post-tensioned/pre-stressed concrete and roofing related problems. Shortfalls to the requirements of a specification are often investigated, particularly relating to concrete, masonry, steelwork and timber elements.

Foundation Failures

Including retaining walls, subsidence and heave related problems, consolidation and contamination of backfill material and differential settlement. Specialist piling and ground treatment failures, including vibro-replacement. We are engaged as Panel Consultants for insurance companies, building societies and general loss adjusters in connection with residential subsidence claims. The two offices cover much of the south-east of England and north-west London areas.

Design Defects

Including inadequate strength and stability, excessive deflection and partial collapse in all commonly found materials.

Construction in Marine Environment/Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Contractual disputes and defects relating to dredging, sea defences, outfalls, site investigations, cables, oil and gas pipelines, subsea installations, decommissioning/abandonment.

Professional Duty of Care

We can provide guidance on the requisite professional standards employed and duty of care owed in the industry for structural and civil engineers/surveyors.

Deleterious Materials

We regularly inspect existing buildings and identify deleterious materials or where we consider deleterious materials may exist.

Contamination Surveys

Previous use of land may have resulted in contamination. Desk top studies often reveal a potential source of contamination which can be confirmed or not by on-site testing.

Bomb blast damage

We have carried out surveys on buildings damaged by terrorist activities arising from the 1992, 1993 and 1996 London bombing campaign. These commissions have yielded much information on damage that has subsequently been revealed but would not have been readily visible to the inexperienced practitioner.

Fire damage

The extent of fire damage is another topic that we are able to assess quickly, perhaps in order to establish the insurer's full liability under a claim and it is our experience that much more damage is occasioned by smoke combined with the effects of moisture than is often realised. The cleansing of smoke damaged elements is another task that we monitor closely when commissioned by the client.

Professional Qualifications of the experts include:-