Published Wednesday 12 August 2026 · By the JustEng team
Two live structural emergencies in North America, a landmark English cladding judgment working its way through the market, and a new procedural rulebook for construction litigation. Here is this week’s round-up of forensic engineering and construction disputes news — and what it means for forensic engineer recruitment and expert witness hiring.
Manhattan high-rise investigation widens to 180 sites
Following the July buckling of two structural support columns at the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street, which forced evacuations across neighbouring blocks, New York’s Department of Buildings has issued dozens of violations after reviewing 180 construction sites linked to the firms involved. The city’s Department of Investigation has opened a separate inquiry, and the incident has raised broader concerns about office-to-residential conversion projects across the five boroughs. CNN reported the inquiry.
Hiring angle: Conversion schemes that alter load paths and add storeys to existing frames are exactly the work that generates forensic instructions, and demand for structural investigators with existing-building assessment experience is rising on both sides of the Atlantic. UK practices advising on similar conversions should be reviewing their forensic engineering bench strength now.
Portland warehouse fire triggers forensic investigation and emergency demolition
A four-alarm fire tore through the 116-year-old, eight-storey Centennial Mills warehouse in NW Portland on 2 August, collapsing every floor internally and leaving leaning walls and an unstable rooftop steel water tower. The Portland Fire Investigations Unit continues a forensic investigation into the cause, and the city has confirmed demolition will begin no later than 14 August. The City of Portland published the update on 6 August.
Hiring angle: Fire-damaged heritage structures require a rare combination of fire investigation and structural appraisal skills, and that overlap is where the sharpest talent shortage currently sits. Candidates who can move between cause-and-origin work and residual capacity assessment are among the most sought-after in the market.
Landmark English cladding judgment reshapes lease liability
In Essendi UK Hotels 2 Ltd v London Property Company Ltd [2026] EWHC 1354 (TCC), handed down on 5 June 2026, the High Court held that a covenant to put and keep a Wembley high-rise hotel in good condition required remediation of combustible ACM cladding, reading the covenant in its post-Grenfell context. It is understood to be the first decision considering obligations under the Fire Safety Order in relation to combustible cladding. 4 Pump Court summarises the judgment.
Hiring angle: Extending remediation liability into commercial leases widens the pool of parties who will need independent façade and fire expert evidence, and we expect a corresponding lift in demand for cladding expert witnesses. Our forensic engineering salary guide sets out where these rates now sit.
New TCC Guide changes how expert evidence is run
The Technology and Construction Court published the fourth edition of the TCC Guide on 1 July 2026, replacing the 2022 edition. The new guide reflects Building Safety Act litigation, the use of artificial intelligence in proceedings, and a strengthened emphasis on alternative dispute resolution. Squire Patton Boggs sets out the key changes.
Hiring angle: Procedural change tends to favour experts who are already fluent in CPR Part 35 duties and joint statement practice, and firms are increasingly headhunting for report-writing discipline rather than technical depth alone. Training a technically excellent engineer into an expert role remains slower than most practices assume.
Angeles City task force nears its reporting deadline
A fact-finding task force covering the 24 May 2026 collapse of a nine-storey mixed-use building under construction in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Philippines, was ordered to deliver an initial report within 15 days and a final comprehensive report within 60 days. Engineers are examining whether construction followed the structural plans submitted to the city and the durability of materials used. Inquirer reported the task force.
Hiring angle: Multi-agency collapse investigations continue to demonstrate that the scarce skill is documentary and as-built forensic comparison, not just structural analysis. That capability is a recurring gap in the briefs we take from international consultancies.
Washington Bridge dispute heads for a 2027 trial
Rhode Island’s claim against 13 companies over alleged failures to identify worsening structural issues on the westbound Washington Bridge is now scheduled for trial in late 2027, with the state’s forensic audit having been withheld for over a year on legal advice. The westbound structure is expected to be rebuilt by November 2028 at a cost of up to $427m. WPRI has covered the audit dispute.
Hiring angle: Long-running infrastructure claims lock up senior bridge inspection and assessment experts for years, removing them from the available market and pushing salaries upward for the engineers who remain.
JustEng is a specialist engineering recruitment agency headhunting hard-to-find forensic engineers, expert witnesses and disputes specialists. Engineers — submit your CV for a confidential discussion about the forensic market. Firms — register your vacancy and we will find the expertise you need.