Published Saturday 11 July 2026 · By the JustEng team
Forensic and disputes work is in a busy patch. A high-profile Manhattan structural incident is under active investigation, English courts have handed down two of the most consequential Building Safety Act rulings to date, and the Grenfell criminal file is being finalised for the CPS. Instruction volumes for expert witnesses continue to climb.
Manhattan high-rise buckling triggers DoB investigation
Two support columns on the 21st floor of a 37-storey Manhattan tower — the former Pfizer global headquarters, mid-conversion into a luxury rental complex — began to buckle on 7 July. Emergency stabilisation has held the structure and the Department of Buildings is running a full investigation, including a review of all associated plans and construction documents, interviews with witnesses and a full inspection sweep of the site. Early developer comment pointed to added load from upper-floor enlargements bearing on columns that were not proportionately reinforced.
Hiring angle: High-profile column failures spike demand for forensic structural engineers and temporary works experts to support investigators, insurers and defence teams.
Mulalley v Sto: German parent liable under first international BLO
In a judgment reported on 1 July, the Technology and Construction Court granted a Building Liability Order by default judgment against Sto SE & Co. KGaA, the German parent of a UK cladding supplier. The court assessed the parent’s just-and-equitable contribution at 87.5% — well above the range typically applied to architects — and confirmed that overseas manufacturers with UK subsidiaries fall squarely within the BLO regime.
Hiring angle: Cross-border cladding claims will pull expert witness instructions towards forensic cladding, product testing and materials specialists — see the forensic engineering salary guide for current rates.
Crest Nicholson v Ardmore confirms anticipatory BLOs
In Crest Nicholson Regeneration v Ardmore Construction [2026] EWHC 789 (TCC), Mr Justice Constable held that an adjudicator’s decision can constitute a “relevant liability” for a BLO, and that orders may be granted on an anticipatory basis without the original body’s liability being finally determined. The judgment reaches into associated group companies and confirms corporate structure will not shield associates where the court considers it just and equitable to extend responsibility.
Hiring angle: Contentious construction teams and forensic delay/quantum consultants will see more instructions earlier in the dispute lifecycle, before proceedings mature.
Met on course to hand Grenfell files to CPS by September
The Metropolitan Police reiterated in May that it remains on course to submit its remaining Grenfell files to the CPS by September 2026, with charging decisions expected before the tenth anniversary of the fire in June 2027. Construction Enquirer reports 57 individuals and 20 organisations remain under investigation, with offences ranging from corporate manslaughter to health and safety breaches.
Hiring angle: Fire and cladding forensic instruction pipelines will remain active well into 2027 — see fire engineering roles for current openings.
Jet Set nightclub forensic report identifies post-tensioning failure
An independent forensic report by WJE, Exponent and Structures & Inspections Engineering — released in June and picked up in industry commentary this month — concluded that construction defects and progressive deterioration of the post-tensioning system were the most significant factors in the April 2025 Jet Set nightclub collapse. More than 25 engineers, chemists, metallurgists and materials scientists contributed to the investigation.
Hiring angle: Multi-disciplinary teams remain the norm for large forensic instructions; consultancies building materials science and post-tensioning bench strength are winning the biggest mandates.
NTSB releases final Francis Scott Key Bridge report
The NTSB’s final report on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse identified the probable cause as an electrical blackout on the Dali stemming from an improperly installed wire-label banding on a signal wire terminal block. The report reiterated that a vulnerability assessment could have prompted countermeasures against ocean-going vessel impact — the same recommendation now driving assessments at 68 other US bridges.
Hiring angle: Bridge asset owners are commissioning independent vulnerability assessments; forensic bridge and marine impact specialists remain in short supply worldwide.
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