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Structural engineers in the South West

Structural engineering, Building Control calculations and surveys for homes, developments and commercial projects across the South West, delivered remotely nationwide with site visits arranged across the region.

Structural engineering across the South West

The South West runs from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire through Somerset, Bristol and Dorset to Devon and Cornwall. Its building stock is notably stone-heavy: Bath and Cotswold limestone in the north, cob and thatch across rural Devon, granite cottages and former mining property in Cornwall, and Georgian and Victorian terraces in Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth. Much of the older stock has solid walls and shallow rubble footings, so extensions, wall removals and repairs need careful assessment of how the existing structure carries load before any opening is formed.

We provide the full structural remit for South West projects: Eurocode calculations and drawings for extensions, loft conversions, wall removals and new openings, structural surveys and defect reports, and design for new build and commercial work. Desktop calculations and reports are delivered anywhere in the region, and where a survey or inspection is needed we arrange attendance across the South West, from the Cotswolds and Bristol down to the far south west.

Limestone, granite and mining ground

South West geology is among the most varied in England. The north brings Jurassic limestones and the shrinkable clays of the Somerset Levels and the Bristol area, along with Mercia Mudstone. Devon and Cornwall are older and harder, with the granite of Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor, Devonian slates and sandstones (the local killas), and Carboniferous Culm Measures. The peninsula also carries a long tin and china clay mining history, so old workings, shafts and made ground can affect a site, while the Levels and coastal areas hold soft alluvium and peat that compress under load.

We design foundations to suit these conditions rather than assuming a standard depth, using strip, trench-fill, raft or piled solutions to match the bearing stratum. Where a Cornish or Devon site may be affected by mine workings, or where the Levels bring soft peaty ground, we review the ground investigation and any mining search and set the foundations to carry the loads safely. On the Levels we pay particular attention to long-term settlement, not just initial bearing, and on the hard granite and slate of the far south west we take account of the shallow rockhead and the solid stone walls it is often built with.

How we work with South West clients

Most structural work is done from your drawings, photographs and survey information, so serving the South West as part of our nationwide coverage is rarely an obstacle. We turn desktop calculations and reports around quickly and coordinate with your architect, builder and the local authority Building Control team so the structure and the design agree before work is priced on site.

Where a physical inspection is needed, for a survey, a movement assessment or a check of existing structure, we arrange a visit across the region. Every output is tied to the Eurocodes and Approved Document A and backed by professional indemnity cover, and the same standards let us support clients across the UK.

the South West

Local considerations.

What tends to govern a structural job in this area.

Limestone, cob, granite and Georgian stock with solid walls and shallow footings
Jurassic limestone, granite, slate and Culm Measures geology
Tin and china clay mining legacy in Devon and Cornwall
Soft peat and alluvium on the Somerset Levels and coast

Services

The full structural remit in the South West.

Every service is available here. Choose one to read more, or tell us your project and location.

Selected work

Real structures, surveyed and engineered.

All work →

Sport and recreationCharlton Athletic FC, The ValleyTwo steel monopitch stand roofs rising to 27 metres were assessed for a proposed solar PV installation. Both were cleared to carry the arrays as they stand, and the fragile roofs were surveyed entirely by drone with nobody working at height.

Read →

Manufacturing and industrialWienerberger, Tamworth

EducationCarlisle College

Film and mediaDragon Studios, Pencoed

Questions

Common questions

Which areas of the South West do you cover?

We cover the whole region, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Bristol, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, from the Cotswolds and Bath to Exeter, Plymouth and Truro. Desktop work is remote and site visits are arranged across the region.

Do you work with cob, stone and granite buildings?

Yes. We assess solid-wall cob, stone and granite structures and design openings, beams and repairs in a way that respects how the existing masonry carries load and its shallow footings.

Do you allow for old mine workings in Cornwall and Devon?

Yes. Where a site may be affected by tin, copper or china clay workings we review any mining search and ground investigation and design foundations to suit so the structure is not affected.

Can you provide calculations for Building Control?

Yes. We prepare Eurocode structural calculations and drawings ready for your local authority Building Control, written to demonstrate compliance with Approved Document A and to be followed on site.

Elsewhere in the UK