Investigation & testing of building & civil engineering materials & components Charles Darley Associates are independent materials testing consultants. Expertise is available in a wide range of materials and components including blockwork, cladding, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete, flooring, glazing, plaster, render, roofing systems and screeds. Dr Darley specialises in failure investigation, appraisal of latent defects and deterioration and assessment of physical damage.

I have over 25 years' experience as the technical director of two engineering firms (one in general engineering and one in laser cutting) and as a visiting Professor of Engineering at two universities (Nottingham and Stuttgart). I hold all four of these posts at the moment and they form the foundation of my expert witness work. My particular areas of expertise are: • General engineering, welding & fabrication • Laser cutting & welding • Water jet cutting • Profiling • Materials engineering • Health & safety

I have over 30 years' experience in rubber manufacture and in particular materials research and development with a global manufacturer of commercial and military products. Rubber materials • Production • Manufacturing • Testing • Failure analysis • Tyres • Hoses • Seals • O rings • Gaskets • Gas masks • Anti-vibration mounts • Product and material ageing • Injection moulding • Extrusion • Computer simulation of moulding, rheology and flow • Rubber polymers • Rubber mixing • Rubber processing • Experimental design

All fields of textiles, including: • Fibre • Yarn • Apparel fabric • Furnishing fabric • Floor coverings • General product safety • Material identification • Colour fastness • Colour measurement • Microbiology • Oven gloves • Hot water bottles

Metallurgical failure investigation • Failure analysis of polymer and composite materials • Expertise in a range of failure mechanisms, i.e. corrosion, mechanical failure, high temperature, structural failure, welding, coatings • Particular expertise in the thermal degradation of austenitic stainless steels and nickel-based alloys • Extensive experience in corrosion mechanisms for the power, petrochemical and oil and gas industries • Forensic engineering

Metallurgy • Welding fabrication • Corrosion • Materials selection • Mechanical testing of materials • Identification of material damage mechanisms

Metallurgist, materials scientist, inspection and failure expert • 40 years+ experience • Experienced expert witness • Non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT, NDE) • Failure analysis • Metallurgical analysis • Fracture mechanisms • Inspection performance & reliability • Probability of detection (POD) • Human reliability • Digitalisation • Corrosion • Cracking • Hydrogen embrittlement (HIC) • Welding defects • Steam turbine failures • Hospital pipework • Storage tanks & facilities • Pipelines • Composite materials (GRP, CFRP) • Offshore • Oil...

Tribology (dry and lubricated) and associated testing • Lubricants technology • Lubricant assessment - knowledge of a range of lubricants, their use, formulation and application • Failure analysis - materials aspects of the failure of equipment, root cause failure investigation and mitigation • Mechanical testing • Metrology

Materials analysis • Microanalysis using energy & wavelength dispersive X-ray analysis & interpretation of analysis results in engineering failures or materials characterisation • Scanning electron microscopy • Fractography • Hydrogen embrittlement of fasteners • Copper pipe failures • Fastener failures • Fuse failures • Metallic packaging failures (including beverage cans) • Pitting corrosion & preferential corrosion in water supply systems • Particle analysis & wear debris analysis • Electrical equipment failures associated...

Investigation of engineering, materials and corrosion-related failures • Mechanical failures in load-bearing components • Glass damage • Metallurgical incidents • Analysis of fire-damaged metals • Fibre identification • Investigation of cargo damage • Cargo liquefaction cases • Incidents involving coating failures (paint) I have provided expert testimony in court in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.