Published Tuesday 7 July 2026 · By the JustEng team
The forensic engineering and construction disputes market continues to run hot. Today’s briefing covers a fresh Philippine collapse investigation nearing its final report, a Building Safety Act ruling that has reshaped contractor liability, a landmark cladding judgment on owner responsibility, movement in the Grenfell criminal case, a domestic-building tragedy in India, and a first-of-its-kind US forensic engineering course. The through-line: technical specialists who can investigate, opine and testify remain in short supply.
Angeles City collapse task force closes on findings
The Angeles City Fact-Finding and Investigation Task Force is nearing its 60-day reporting deadline following the 24 May collapse of a nine-storey mixed-use building in Barangay Balibago, which killed at least 24 construction workers. Investigators are examining substandard materials, soil conditions and a Department of Labor and Employment work-stoppage order that had been issued in September 2025 and later lifted. Owner and contractor representatives have now surfaced to cooperate with the probe. Case detail on Wikipedia.
Hiring angle: International collapse investigations at this scale generate immediate demand for structural forensic engineers with concrete, geotechnical and construction-management expertise — see live briefs on our forensic engineering desk.
Ardmore to appeal £15m Building Safety Act ruling
Ardmore has confirmed it will appeal the landmark £15m ruling in Crest Nicholson v Ardmore, a case that has become a defining test of how far the Building Safety Act can reach into contractor group structures. Legal commentators have described the first-instance decision as a significant escalation in how the Act can be used to pursue liabilities across corporate hierarchies. Update via Construction Enquirer.
Hiring angle: Contractors and their insurers are actively expanding technical dispute teams — expect strong demand for façade, fire and structural engineers who are willing to give evidence.
High Court reaffirms owner responsibility for ACM cladding
In Essendi UK Hotels 2 Ltd v London Property Company Ltd, handed down on 5 June 2026, Mr Justice Stephen Davies held that the building owner had breached its lease by failing to address the “intolerable risk” posed by aluminium composite material cladding with a polyethylene core. The judgment reinforces that ownership, not installation history, drives responsibility for removal — with important implications for landlord portfolios. Analysis via Forsters LLP.
Hiring angle: Owner-side demand for façade specialists and building safety consultants is intensifying — see our façade engineering desk.
Grenfell: charging decisions expected before June 2027
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it will submit remaining evidence files to the Crown Prosecution Service by 30 September 2026, with charging decisions targeted before the tenth anniversary of the fire on 14 June 2027. Up to 20 companies and 57 individuals could face charges, potentially including corporate gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, health and safety breaches, and misconduct in public office. Coverage via Construction Management.
Hiring angle: Corporates named in the process are staffing risk, technical audit and legal-support teams at pace — often through experienced forensic engineers acting as internal experts.
Surat court demands rebuild plan after collapse
Following the collapse of a six-storey building in Surat’s Sachin industrial area on 1 July 2026, in which seven people were killed, the local court has questioned the inquiry report and delays in filing a First Information Report, and has ordered Surat Municipal Corporation to rebuild homes and publish a rehabilitation roadmap for 100 displaced families. Report via LatestLY.
Hiring angle: International contractors operating in South Asia are increasingly commissioning independent structural audits — a growing requirement for UK-based forensic experts with cross-border experience.
UCF launches first US forensic engineering course
The University of Central Florida will run the country’s first dedicated forensic engineering course, CGN 4120: Forensic Investigation for Engineering, from autumn 2026. The syllabus covers structural failure mechanisms and the forensic investigation process, and reflects fast-rising demand for the discipline in litigation, insurance and infrastructure resilience. Detail via UCF News.
Hiring angle: Formalisation of the discipline signals a widening candidate pool over the next three to five years; the UK market remains under-supplied for now, which continues to push salaries — see our forensic engineering salary guide.
Working on a claim, an appointment or an internal investigation? Engineers can submit a CV for confidential representation on forensic and disputes mandates, and hiring managers can register a vacancy to reach experts who can act quickly.