Published Tuesday 14 July 2026 · By the JustEng team
A formal investigation into a buckling Manhattan tower, a bridge collision-risk verdict and fresh movement on UK cladding remediation lead today’s forensic and disputes briefing.
Investigators open inquiry into buckling Manhattan high-rise
New York City’s Department of Investigation has opened an inquiry after two support columns buckled on the 21st floor of 235 East 42nd Street, the former Pfizer headquarters, during one of the largest office-to-residential conversions in the city’s history (CNN). The developer has indicated that additional load from upper-floor expansion works may not have been properly reinforced; the 37-storey tower was evacuated on 7 July with no injuries reported. Hiring angle: adaptive-reuse conversions are a growing source of forensic structural work, and investigations of this profile typically draw in independent experts on load paths, temporary works and construction sequencing.
Mackinac Bridge cleared on vessel-collision risk
Following the NTSB call — prompted by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse — for 68 US bridges to be reassessed, a new report has confirmed the Mackinac Bridge sits below the nationally established threshold risk of collapse from a theoretical vessel collision (Michigan DOT). Hiring angle: the post-Baltimore wave of bridge vulnerability assessments continues to generate demand for bridge assessment and risk engineers on both sides of the Atlantic.
UK expands cladding funding and confirms single regulator
The Government has confirmed that cladding remediation funding will extend to residential buildings under 11 metres, with applications opening in August and prioritisation based on risk rather than height alone, alongside plans for a Single Construction Regulator merging the Building Safety Regulator and construction products regulation (International Fire & Safety Journal). Remediation deadlines of 2029 for buildings over 18m and 2031 for 11-18m stock remain in place. Hiring angle: a wider funded remediation pipeline means sustained demand for fire engineers, façade specialists and forensic engineers assessing defective external walls.
TCC reins in adjudicators on natural justice
In Premier Modular Ltd v Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [2026] EWHC 1404 (TCC), the Technology and Construction Court held that an adjudicator cannot decide a case on a fundamentally new basis without first giving the parties a fair opportunity to respond (Muckle LLP). Separately, the TCC has refused summary enforcement of an adjudication award worth around £2m where the existence of the underlying JCT contract was in real doubt. Hiring angle: a busy adjudication docket keeps demand high for quantum and technical experts able to produce robust, court-ready analysis.
Angeles City collapse investigations continue
Investigations by the city government, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the national police remain under way into the May collapse of a nine-storey building under construction in Angeles City, Philippines, which killed at least 13 people (background). Findings on design, materials and site supervision are expected to shape both criminal and civil proceedings. Hiring angle: major international collapse inquiries typically retain independent forensic structural engineers for years — our forensic engineering salary guide shows what that expertise commands.
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