Structural investigations are the physical works that support a structural engineer’s assessment when non-destructive testing alone is not enough. Reinforcement needs to be exposed and its condition checked. Section thickness needs to be verified against drawings. Concealed connections need to be opened up. Cover to reinforcement needs to be measured directly, not just estimated by cover meter. Suspected corrosion needs to be seen, not just inferred from half-cell potential mapping.
CRS delivers structural investigations across the full range of building and infrastructure assets. Residential blocks under refurbishment, change of use or safety-driven review. Commercial buildings where change of loading or extension is proposed. Multi-storey car parks under condition-driven investigation. Bridges and highway structures. Industrial facilities. Historic and listed structures where sensitive intervention is required.
The investigation is delivered against the structural engineer’s brief. Where CRS is appointed directly by the client, we coordinate the engineer’s input into the scope. Where the engineer is already appointed, we work to their specification and provide the physical opening-up, sampling, measurement and photographic documentation the engineer needs to complete the assessment.
Investigation work is quality-critical. A poorly executed breakout damages the structure, biases the sample, or fails to expose what the engineer needs to see. CRS operatives are trained to open up controlled areas cleanly, protect the surrounding structure, take samples to defined protocols, and reinstate the investigation area to a specified standard. Photographs and measurements are recorded systematically and provided as part of the deliverable.
Where the investigation reveals wider issues, CRS can extend the scope or hand back to the engineer for direction, depending on the client’s procurement preference. Where the investigation feeds into a repair specification, CRS can be appointed for the follow-on works or for specification writing without any obligation to competitive tender the repair contract.