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.

Kevin Rudd is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in the UK & is the only member in the British Cement Industry who has achieved this status • With ~20 years' experience, including: • Expert witness • Due diligence • Cement plant feasibility studies • Green or brown field cement plant project management • Technical & financial evaluation of equipment • Factory acceptance testing • Cement plant operations • Cement industry insurance claim investigations • Troubleshooting for cement kilns & mills

Structural engineering • Civil engineering • Residential, domestic, commercial, retail, industrial, infrastructure, education, arts & leisure, oil & gas • Buildings • High-rise • Underground structures • Retaining structures • Foundations • Basements • Car parks • Bridges • Ports • Petrochemical facilities • Offshore structures • Wind turbines • Industrial buildings • Heavy civils • Infrastructure • Rail • Airports • Stations • Silos • Domes • Concrete shells • Steel grid shells • Portal frames • Tanks • Liquid retaining structures • Structural analysis • Structural...

Structural engineering • Civil engineering • Forensic engineering • Maritime engineering • Coastal engineering • Design • Construction • Workmanship • Professional negligence • Damage • Defects analysis • Cracking • Buckling • Corrosion • Deflections • Deterioration • Dilapidations • Settlement • Subsidence • Heave • Ground movement • Concrete quality • Concrete durability • Concrete strength • Concrete testing • Basements • Foundations • Refurbishment • New build • Historic buildings • Raised access floors • Floor slabs • Screeds • Structural analysis • Structural stability •...

Materials specialist, investigating matters involving: • Concrete technology • Warehouse floors & hardstandings • Failure of concrete repair works • Concrete durability & specification • Concrete placing, bleed & shrinkage cracking • Paints & coatings for concrete • Air entrainment of concrete & performance in freezing conditions • Construction in hot climates • Underground concrete construction • Concrete test methods & data interpretation • General forensic examination of construction failures

Having nearly 40 years' experience in the construction industry, working extensively with kitchen and bathroom installations, joinery, structural waterproofing and general construction in both domestic and commercial environments. Reporting on issues with floor finishes affected by incorrect screed specification or installation, caused by excessive moisture content, incorrect curing or incorrect use of expansion joints resulting in the failure of the flooring. Experienced in the design and laying of liquid...

Concrete use, specification & failure investigation • Mortar • Render • Screed flooring • Sealants • Paint • Chemical analysis • Ceramic tiling, internal & external • Corrosion • Reinforcement corrosion • Petrographic analysis • Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) • UKAS accredited for selected tests

Masonry defects & masonry product defects • Floor finish failures • Cast stone products, quality & failure • Glass fibre-reinforced concrete • Render finishes • Quality of brickwork • Defects & failures to concrete components & concrete structures • Car park toppings • Refurbishment to commercial & domestic property • Quality of concrete supply • Defective imprinted concrete • Objective digital comparison of questionable concrete surfaces