Offshore & Marine Structural Engineering
Marine structures are attacked by their environment continuously. We design and assess jetties, pontoons, coastal infrastructure and marine support structures with durability treated as a primary design criterion rather than a maintenance problem.
What we cover.
Saltwater, tidal cycling, wave action and marine growth combine to degrade structures faster than any inland equivalent. Design life in the marine environment is achieved through material selection, cover, detailing and access for inspection, not through capacity alone.
- Jetty, pier and pontoon structural design
- Marine structure condition inspection
- Coastal infrastructure and sea defence structural work
- Offshore wind foundation structural assessment
- Mooring and berthing structure design
- Corrosion assessment and remedial design
- Scour assessment around marine foundations
- Structural assessment of existing harbour works
What offshore & marine structural engineering actually involves.
The splash zone is where marine structures fail. Steel and reinforced concrete degrade fastest in the band that is alternately wet and dry, because that cycling drives chloride ingress and oxygen availability at the same time. Detailing, cover and material choice in that zone determine the real service life of the structure.
Inspection access is a design decision, not an afterthought. A structure that cannot be inspected will not be inspected, and marine deterioration is progressive and hidden. Designing for inspection is one of the cheapest life-cycle decisions available.
Existing harbour and coastal works are frequently Victorian masonry with no records. Assessment means establishing what is there, how it was built, and what condition it is in, before any capacity question can be answered sensibly.
We detail for the splash zone rather than for the average condition, design access so the structure can actually be inspected over its life, and assess existing harbour and coastal works where no records survive. Establishing what is there and how it was built comes before any capacity figure is worth quoting.
Why do marine structures deteriorate so quickly?
The splash zone. The band that is alternately wet and dry combines chloride exposure with plentiful oxygen, which is the worst possible condition for both reinforced concrete and steel. Structures fail there long before they fail in the permanently submerged or permanently dry zones, which is why detailing and material selection in that band govern real service life.
- Designs checked and signed by a Chartered Structural Engineer
- Durability and inspection access designed in
- £5m professional indemnity cover
- Assessment of historic masonry harbour works
The codes behind offshore & marine structural engineering.
BS EN 1990 through BS EN 1999 govern the basis of design, actions, and the design of concrete, steel, timber, masonry and aluminium structures. Every calculation we issue references the relevant Eurocode part and its UK National Annex, and states which parts were applied.
Structural analysis and design in Tekla Tedds and Tekla Structural Designer, with Autodesk Robot, CSC Fastrak, CSC Portal Frame, MasterSeries and Hilti Profis used where a scheme suits them. Drawing production in AutoCAD, and modelling in Autodesk Revit where a project is delivered in BIM. Output is issued as readable calculations rather than raw software printouts, so a checker or a building control officer can follow the reasoning.
The Building Regulations requirement your local authority Building Control checks against. Our calculations and drawings are prepared to demonstrate compliance so your submission is accepted without back-and-forth.
Every report and calculation package is backed by professional indemnity cover, which is what lets a lender, Building Control or another engineer rely on it.
From enquiry to sign-off.
Enquiry
Send drawings or describe the problem. We confirm the scope, the deliverables and a target timescale.
Information
We agree the survey, drawings or data we need and any site access required.
Engineering
Design, calculation or assessment to the relevant Eurocodes and UK National Annex.
Issue
A clear, defensible report or set of calculations, with assumptions and limitations stated.
Real structures, surveyed and engineered.
Common questions
Do you inspect existing marine structures?
Yes, including condition assessment, corrosion evaluation and remedial design for jetties, pontoons and harbour works.
Can you assess Victorian harbour masonry?
Yes. Historic marine works usually have no records, so assessment starts with establishing what is actually there and how it was built.
Do you design pontoons and moorings?
Yes, including berthing and mooring structures and their connections to fixed works.
What about scour around foundations?
Scour assessment is part of any marine foundation work. Undermining is a more common failure route than overloading.
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