What could the future of forensic engineering and building safety look like?

In the latest episode of our Sandbox podcast, ‘What’s the Crack? Investigating buildings through structural forensics,’ our panel looks ahead to 2046 and explores how structural forensics could evolve over the next two decades.

The conversation covers the growing role of AI, supporting legislation, data analysis, and structural health monitoring, as well as the importance of better digital records.

As buildings become more complex, climate conditions shift and expectations around safety increase, structural forensics will remain essential to understanding what has gone wrong and helping to prevent it from happening again.

Joining our regular host Andy Duncan, are Buro Happold experts Julian McFarland, Director, and Jan Anil, Associate Director, and special guest Emily Clift, Legal Director, Kennedy’s Law.

Discover what the future could look like by listening to this week’s episode.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour. 

How does the Building Safety Act support forensic engineers in creating more resilient buildings?

The Building Safety Act 2022 shapes how structural performance is thought about across the full life of a building, not just at design and construction, but long after completion.

As discussed in the latest episode of our ‘Sandbox’ podcast, the Building Safety Act responds to a long‑standing need for greater clarity around responsibility and building safety information.

“I think a lot of people in the industry thought it was time for some more clarity about responsibility and who is responsible for keeping information in relation to building safety - and that has been parachuted by the Building Safety Act.” - Emily Clift, Legal Director, Kennedy’s Law

For structural and forensic engineers, this supports more robust investigation of existing buildings, helping to understand how structures have performed over time, identify underlying issues, and inform safer, more resilient outcomes.

Joining our regular host Andy Duncan, are Buro Happold experts Julian McFarland, Director, Jan Anil, Associate Director, and special guest Emily Clift, Legal Director, Kennedy’s Law.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour. 

When a building raises questions, structural forensics helps uncover the answers.

Unlike traditional structural engineering, structural forensics looks back by examining existing buildings to understand what went wrong, why it happened, and what needs to change moving forward to ensure the resilience of a building.

In this week’s Sandbox FOMO5, taken from our latest episode ‘What’s the crack? Investigating Structural Forensics’, our guests define what forensic engineering is, and explore:

• How forensic engineers investigate risk and defects

• The importance of understanding causation

• How engineering insight supports legal and insurance decisions

Joining our regular host Andy Duncan, are Buro Happold experts Julian McFarland, Director, and Jan Anil, Associate Director, and special guest Emily Clift, Legal Director, Kennedy’s Law.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.