Even a small fire can cause smoke contamination throughout a much larger area, including as the result of spread through sealed doors in some circumstances. Water damage related to fire-fighting activities can also cause mould to contaminate and damage stock as well as the building structure. Hawkins has investigated many fires from small to large scale incidents, which have started in one building and spread to affect neighbouring businesses.
Fires involving thatched roofs are normally devastating, resulting in significant emotional distress for homeowners and substantial financial losses for insurers.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire disaster in 2017, the government commissioned an independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety.
Civil engineering and building failures are often caused by geotechnical issues and these can be grouped by the different stages of the project: ground investigation, design, and construction, often with a combination of interacting issues.
Acoustics – When Buildings Fail. Acoustics engineering is often referred to as “the dark art” by those in the design and build industry.
Hawkins has investigated numerous fires where the most probable cause has been the self-heating of rags, cloths or other similar materials that were impregnated with drying oils, such as linseed oil.
