Service
Structural Engineering Expert Witness for Structural Design Disputes
Independent evidence on whether a structural design was adequate, compliant and properly developed — and who was responsible for it — for arbitration across the GCC and proceedings in the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC.
- DIAC
- arbitrateAD
- SCCA
- QICCA
- BCDR
- DIFC Courts
- ADGM Courts
- QICDRC
- BICC
Some structural disputes start with a crack. Others start with a calculation. A design that is changed late, redesigned by the contractor, value-engineered, rejected by a checking engineer or found not to comply with the governing codes can generate a dispute long before — or without — any physical failure.
Those disputes turn on structural design itself: the loads assumed, the analysis models used, the codes applied, the checks carried out and how design responsibility was divided between the engineer of record, the contractor's designers, specialist subcontractors and checking engineers.
A structural engineering expert witness reviews the design independently and explains to the tribunal whether it was adequate, whether it complied with the contract and the codes, and what any shortcoming means in practice. We act on buildings, infrastructure, industrial and energy structures across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
What a structural engineering expert witness does
A structural engineering expert is a chartered structural engineer who gives independent opinion evidence on structural design. That means:
- Reviewing the design basis — loads, design criteria, codes and standards, and the contract's design requirements.
- Checking the analysis — structural models, calculations and assumptions, including independent check calculations where needed.
- Assessing code compliance — whether the design met the codes and standards that applied at the relevant time.
- Mapping design responsibility — who designed what, under which appointment or subcontract, and where interfaces broke down.
- Assessing design changes — whether redesign, value engineering or design development was necessary, and what it changed.
- Explaining the consequences — whether a design shortcoming affects safety, serviceability or durability, and what is needed to address it.
“Our overriding duty is to the tribunal or court, not to the party who appoints us.”
Structural design issues we advise on
Design adequacy
Whether the structural design was fit for its intended use, loads and environment, and met the employer's requirements.
Code and standards compliance
Compliance with the structural codes and standards specified in the contract and required by the authorities at the time.
Calculations and analysis models
Review of structural analysis models and calculations, and the assumptions on which they rest.
Design development and redesign
Whether design changes were design development within scope or variations, and whether redesign was necessary.
Value engineering
Whether value-engineered designs were adequate, and how responsibility for them was allocated.
Design and build design responsibility
The contractor's design obligations under design and build contracts, and the interface with the employer's concept design.
Specialist and subcontractor design
Design by specialist subcontractors — post-tensioning, precast, steelwork connections, façade support — and its coordination with the main structure.
Temporary works
Design of temporary works, formwork, falsework, propping and excavation support, and their role in failures and delays.
Wind, seismic and other loads
Assessment of wind, seismic, thermal and other design loads for tall and complex structures.
Checking and approval
The role of checking engineers, peer reviewers and authority approvals in the design process.
Structural design and structural failure: two sides of one question
Where a structure has physically failed or deteriorated, a structural expert investigates the condition on site and its cause. Where the dispute is about the design itself, the structural engineering expert reviews the design. Many cases need both: an investigation of what went wrong and an assessment of whether the design was at fault.
We coordinate design review with site investigation, and with the quantum and delay evidence, so that the tribunal sees one consistent technical case.
RelatedStructural Expert Witness →Construction Negligence →Quantum Expert Witness →
How an engagement works
- 1
Conflict check and initial call
A short, confidential conversation about the structure, the design issues, the parties and the timetable. We complete a conflict check before receiving any documents.
- 2
Scope and letter of instruction
We agree the technical questions, the design documents and models required, and the programme and fee basis.
- 3
Design document review
We review the employer's requirements, design reports, drawings, calculations, models, design change records and approval correspondence.
- 4
Independent analysis
Where needed, independent check calculations or analysis to test the design and its assumptions.
- 5
Expert report
An independent report on design adequacy, code compliance, design responsibility and the consequences of any shortcoming.
- 6
Joint meetings and the hearing
Meetings with the opposing structural expert, a joint statement of agreed and disagreed issues, and oral evidence at the hearing.
Independence and professional standards
Our evidence is prepared to meet the expectations tribunals and courts place on experts in the region, including:
- the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration (2020), where adopted;
- the CIArb Protocol for the Use of Party-Appointed Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration;
- the procedural rules of the relevant arbitral institution, such as the DIAC 2022 Arbitration Rules; and
- the expert evidence requirements of the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC.
Every report includes a declaration of independence and a statement of the expert's duty to the tribunal or court.
Where we act
Arbitration
Institutional and ad hoc arbitrations across the GCC, including DIAC (Dubai), arbitrateAD (Abu Dhabi), SCCA (Saudi Arabia), QICCA (Qatar), BCDR (Bahrain), KCAC (Kuwait) and OAC (Oman), as well as ICC and other international rules with a GCC seat or GCC project.
Offshore courts
DIFC Courts (including the Technology and Construction Division), ADGM Courts, the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, and the Bahrain International Commercial Court.
Where we act: independent expert witness services in arbitration across the GCC and in the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC. We do not provide expert evidence in onshore court proceedings.
View all GCC locationsSectors
- Residential and commercial towers
- Hospitality and mixed use
- Infrastructure and bridges
- Rail and metro
- Aviation
- Industrial and process
- Energy and utilities
- Renewable energy
- Marine and coastal structures
Who we work with
For lawyers and in-house counsel
Design disputes need the design responsibility mapped before the technical arguments make sense. We help define who designed what, test the criticisms of the design early, and give evidence that maps to the pleaded case.
Discuss an instructionDesign disputes need the design responsibility mapped before the technical arguments make sense. We help define who designed what, test the criticisms of the design early, and give evidence that maps to the pleaded case.
Discuss an instructionWhat you receive
- An early, candid view of the design issues
- A clear map of design responsibility
- Independent check calculations where needed
- A clear, independent expert report the tribunal can follow
- A joint statement with the opposing expert that narrows the issues
- Clear, consistent oral evidence under cross-examination
Frequently asked questions
Need a structural engineering expert witness?
Tell us about the structure, the design issues, the forum and the timetable. We'll complete a conflict check and come back to you promptly.
Discuss an instructionPlease do not send confidential documents until a conflict check has been completed. If you are concerned about immediate structural safety, contact the relevant authority and a structural engineer without delay.