Monitoring and Evidence3 min read
How to Make a Crack Map an Engineer Can Use
Make a crack map using a clear plan, stable issue IDs and named measuring points. Link photographs and related symptoms so an engineer can follow the record.
Engineering Insights
Expert insights on structural engineering, forensic investigations, and building assessments from Melbourne's leading forensic structural engineers.
Monitoring and Evidence4 min read
A Repeatable Crack Record How to Keep Measurements Comparable
Keep crack measurements comparable with fixed points, consistent methods, dates and photo references. Record uncertain readings and know when to request review.
Maintenance and prevention10 min read
What Foundation Maintenance Does a Homeowner Need to Keep Up With?
Keep drainage, ground changes and maintenance records together. Understand why a new subsoil drain on clay needs more thought than adding a pipe.
Perimeter and site drainage3 min read
What Should a Residential Site Drainage Plan Resolve Before Building?
Residential site drainage needs to be resolved with the footing layout and finished levels, not left as a final landscaping decision. Surface drainage needs to avoid ponding near footings, with several constraints affecting how that is achieved. A line saying drain away is not the same as a coordinated site proposal.
Surface and hidden water4 min read
Can New Paving Still Leave Water Trapped Beside the House?
Rainwater runoff is the part of a paving change you can see. Beneath an impermeable covering, less rain may reach the soil while less moisture may also escape by evaporation.
Trees and Vegetation5 min read
Trees Near Your House Root Pressure and Soil Drying Explained
Separate physical root pressure from moisture-related ground movement and identify the evidence needed before intervention.
Water Drains and Maintenance5 min read
Could a Leaking Drain Be Contributing to House Movement?
Distinguish the effects of escaping water, soil entering pipes and blockages when investigating movement around drains.
Ground and Foundation Movement5 min read
What can cause a building to settle and how are the causes investigated?
Understand the different ways ground support can change and what evidence separates the explanations.
Site classification3 min read
What Do Site Classes A, S, M, H1, H2 and E Mean?
A site class describes ground behaviour relevant to footing design. It is not a house-condition grade. Classes A, S, M, H1, H2 and E distinguish sites by their expected response to moisture under normal-site assumptions. The classification must be read with the soil profile, the depth of movement and the investigation findings.
Problem-site design3 min read
What Does a Class P Site Mean for a Home Building Project?
Class P means the site has a problem or condition that cannot be adequately described by the ordinary normal-site reactivity classification alone. It does not mean the house has failed, and it does not automatically mean piles or underpinning are required. The useful question is: why was this particular site classified P?
Stumps and pad support3 min read
Why Can a House on Stumps Become Uneven, and What Else Needs Checking?
An uneven timber floor may involve timber condition, support movement or both. Learn why stump, bracing and ground checks answer different questions.
Repair choices5 min read
How is subsidence treated and when is underpinning considered?
Compare the purposes of building repairs, drainage, tree management, ground treatment and underpinning, with the questions behind a justified proposal.
Repair Decisions and Project Quality3 min read
Comparing Structural Repair Proposals Evidence Before a Decision
Compare repair scope, future movement assumptions and evidence of performance before treating quotations as equivalent.
Damp investigation4 min read
What Should You Check Before Choosing a Damp Treatment?
Before accepting a damp-treatment quote, ask how the water source, building materials, drying and concealed areas have been investigated.
Recurring water entry9 min read
Why Can a Building Leak Return After Cleaning, Resealing or Repairs?
Cleaning or resealing may miss a water route. Learn what to record about outlets, overflows, junctions and earlier repairs when a building leak returns.
Wall moisture and masonry drainage8 min read
Why Can Water Enter Walls Even When the Outside Looks Sound?
Understand how DPC continuity, compatible materials, openings and external levels fit the wall drainage route.
Decks and balconies4 min read
What Should You Record About Balcony Leaks, Ponding and Deck Damage?
Record balcony leaks, ponding, overflow details and deck damage clearly. Keep water paths, surface-tension exceptions and timber conditions separately identified.
Storm and roof damage3 min read
Can building damage be linked to a particular storm?
How an investigation compares storm dates, weather records, repairs and physical damage, and why event timing alone cannot establish the cause.
Roof run-off and overflow protection4 min read
Why does roof drainage need an overflow route as well as gutters and downpipes?
Gutters and downpipes need a suitable overflow route. Understand catchments, outlet placement and why upper roofs can affect drainage on lower roofs.
Home building insurance claims3 min read
How does a home building insurance claim work?
Understand the stages of a home building insurance claim, who to contact and what to clarify about assessment, decisions, repairs and settlement.
Cracks and Visible Movement7 min read
What causes house cracks besides subsidence?
Explore how drying, temperature, chemical change, loading and deterioration can crack a house, and why a crack alone does not establish subsidence.
Inspection scope6 min read
Which Structural Inspection Do You Need?
A condition snapshot, a crack investigation and an assessment before alterations answer different questions. Agree what will be inspected, who will interpret the findings and what the report needs to explain.
Movement monitoring5 min read
How is house movement monitored and what do the results mean?
Crack readings, building levels and sideways ground records measure different things. Learn how purpose, references and time affect their meaning.
Inspection preparation6 min read
What Should You Prepare Before a Structural Engineer Visits?
A concise issue file gives an engineer a clearer starting point. Connect a plan, original photographs, repair history and dated observations, then confirm access restrictions and the questions the visit must answer.
Buying and Professional Advice3 min read
How to Read a Structural Investigation Report
Read a structural investigation report from scope to evidence, reasoning and limitations. Check future assumptions and separate opinion from certification or repair design.
Cracks and Visible Movement3 min read
Is My Wall Crack Getting Worse?
Is a wall crack changing? Compare the same measuring point, photographs and related symptoms, and understand why one unchanged reading cannot prove stability.
Cracks and Visible Movement3 min read
Does a Sticking Door or Window Gap Mean Subsidence?
Record where doors stick, window gaps and nearby cracks, with dates and earlier adjustments. Functional changes are evidence, not proof of a structural cause.
Cracks and Visible Movement3 min read
What Can a Survey Tell You About Uneven Floors and Walls?
An uneven floor survey records shape, not when or why movement occurred. Learn why datums, wall alignment, history and repeat measurements matter.
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