New and Views

28/06/2010

Rivergate Consultants are excited to announce that we have now become part of Dixon Hurst Kemp.

05/01/2010 Twitter

We thought we'd try to use twitter to give you more regular updates as to what we're doing and thinking.

01/2010 Looking forward to 2010

2009 was probably our busiest year yet, we had to expand our office space into the next unit!!

We are starting 2010 with a healthy number of projects and are looking forward to seeing them on-site in the spring and summer this year.

Just felt we had to share this with you... items 1 to 4; not ours but ever-so-true!!

12/2009 Update on the story below:

It transpires the other 'engineer' never made a site visit and got the design completely around their neck [we'd made a site visit prior to preparing a fee estimate]. After numerous false starts they eventially had to take the whole roof off and start from scratch - the project ended up being months late and significantly over budget. The Client says they now wish they'd appointed us as it would have been completed far quicker and correctly first time!!... Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!

"Our Architect didn't tell us an Engineer was needed"
This is an often heard cry from some Clients. Sometimes it's because the Client hasn't read their architects fee letter properley, which does clearly identify that an Structural Engineer will be required, othertimes it's because their architectural consultant didn't know or didn't think that an engineer would be required to design and justify structure.

Without any disrespect to any architectural consultant, chartered or unqualified, these guys and girls, are, or at least should be, good at planning and building regulation drawings, they're not Chartered Engineers and so how can they be expected to understand structural matters sufficiently. You wouldn't appoint us to deal with planning matters, we wouldn't let you, so why do people think that it's okay to appoint an architectural person to deal with structure?? Would you let a nurse carry out the role of a surgeon?

We've just recently had a situation where an architectural consultant who we've worked with for some years, and importantly greatly respect for the quality of their drawings, completely climbed out of their pram because of the structure needed to support one of their designs and our fee to design the structure necessary to support the massive bungalow roof alteration, loft conversion and extension.

As part of their architectural design there was no obvious means of stuctural support to resist roof spread or structural stability. In our fee we allowed for a 3D frame analysis of the hipped end where two huge en-suites were proposed, 2D analysis of a grillage of beams in the roof where there was a large area of flat roof at the ridge, and include for the design of raised tie trusses for a vaulted ceiling, together with the necessary beams in the first floor to support it all... and he was surprised at our fee at just over £1000!!

We never ever bad mouth anybody. We totally supported the architectural consultant to the Client; their design was great. However, in the interests of sanity we advised architectural consultant and the Client to approach another Chartered Structural Engineer.

How is 2009 looking for Rivergate so far?
2008 was probably our busiest year yet, and so far at least, 2009 looks to be continuing in a similar vein. While some of our Architectural colleagues are noticing a slight slow down, because we are known to so many we are delighted that we are still fully occupied, and indeed we have recently secured projects with new Clients too.

We are still seeking good structural engineers ?
Over the last few years we have helped with the training of a number of graduate and undergraduates. Recently we helped with the placement of a student from Brockenhurst College; who is showing potential for the future. However, we are still keen to hear from near or qualified structural engineers who have a compatible drive for meeting the needs of our many clients on the south coast. If you think you may have the right skills and enthusiasm, please contact us here.

Continued Partnership with Trading Standards
In 2006 we applied for and were approved to become members of the Governments "Buy with Confidence" scheme. We have just had our 2008 review and have been approved again for 2009.

Credit Crunch
Despite the current market downturn, we are still receiving regular enquiries for Structural Surveys; while clearly lending is down, the lenders are being more cautious with the lending they are doing.

To Move or Extend??
We are continuing to received an ongoing number of enquiries to alter and extend buildings in preference to moving