Description

Dr David Crofts, Director

David is the managing director of the Materials and Structures  business and the director responsible for managing construction  materials and chemistry testing projects, as well as consultancy  and site visits. He is the key contact for investigations concerning  polymers, paints and coatings, adhesives and general  chemicals. David studied for his first degree and PhD at Imperial  College London and his principal areas of expertise are  construction materials, chemistry, polymers, paints and  adhesives.

Qualifications
BSc Chemistry (with a year in industry) PhD Chemistry

David has specialist skills in the following areas:

o chemical analysis of construction materials, including o concrete
mortars, screeds and plasters
o aggregates
o water
o paints, coatings, adhesives, polymers
o admixtures
o application/interpretation of specialist analytical techniques  including
o infrared spectroscopy
o nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
o atomic spectroscopy
o scanning electron microscopy
o x-ray analysis
o gel permeation chromatography
o communication:
o factual and interpretative reporting
o presentations
o expert reports
o published papers
o peer review for journal publication.

Memberships: Associations and  societies 

Chartered Chemist and Member of  Royal Society of Chemistry

Member of Society of Chemical Industry

Memberships: Committees and  working parties 

BSI committee B/517/1/30 – Concrete test methods, 2007– present

BSI committee B/517/1 – Concrete  production and testing Concrete Society Technical Report  32 Working Group, 2011–2014

SCI Construction Materials Group  Committee, 2014–present  (and Chair 2018–2020)

Editorial Advisory Panel for  ‘Construction Materials’, Institution  of Civil Engineers, London.

Key project experience 

University accommodation new build – UK, 2020
Investigation of defective precast concrete units

New residential development – Hong Kong, 2018–2020
Arbitration – materials expert (lightweight concrete, plastics pipes)

Healthcare client – UK, 2018–2019
Expert assessment of roofing materials

Commercial client – UK, 2017–2019
Expert assessment of product defects

Infrastructure project – UK, 2017–2018
Expert in dispute relating to concrete durability

Infrastructure project – Doncaster, UK, 2017
Investigation of flooring defects

Transport – Blackpool, UK, 2017
Assessment of coatings defects

Infrastructure project – UK, 2016–2018
Expert in dispute relating to coatings defects. Gave evidence at adjudication

Infrastructure project – UK, 2016
Assessment of aggregates for concrete mixes

Shopping mall – Birmingham, 2012–2018
Materials investigation of façade defects

Concrete jetty – Jordan, 2016
Audits of site sampling and laboratory testing

Residential tower – Liverpool, 2016
Investigation of defective membranes and seals

Broadcast infrastructure – UK, 2016
Investigation of corrosion damage to a broadcast mast

Multi-storey car park – Peterborough, 2015–2016
Investigation of surfacing degradation

Government building – London 2015
Contamination investigation (paint, plaster and timber finishes)

New housing developments – London, 2015
Assessment of coatings to metalwork on balcony structures

Construction materials – Qatar, 2014–2015
Management of laboratory testing and reporting for assessment of new aggregate sources

New-build construction project – Kazakhstan, 2014–2015
Management of laboratory testing of concrete samples and reporting

Shell UK, North Sea gravity base structure, 2014–2016
Assessment of concrete from storage cell to ascertain condition and durability

Leisure facility – UK, 2014–2015
Dispute relating to failed grout. Laboratory testing, Expert reports, mediation

School – Scotland, 2014
Management of laboratory testing of mortars and bricks – forensic examination

Housing estates – UK, 2009–2015
Disputes relating to alleged rendering defects – testing, Expert reports, mediation

Transport project, 2013–2017
Expert report on allegedly defective materials

Shopping centre – Peterborough, 2013–2014
Assessment of plaster, monitoring of water ingress

Rail station – Ireland, 2010–2015
Assessment of coatings defects, Expert report, attendance at court

Office building – Liverpool, 2013
Investigation of insulation material to roof to ascertain the cause of failure

Housing estate – Cambridgeshire, 2010–2013
Investigation/assessments of defective masonry

Aston University, 2013
Review of repairs to coatings

Various clients, renders and mortars – UK and Ireland, 2012–2013
Product testing for CE marking purposes

New build – City of London, 2013
Investigation of pile grout defects.

Concrete repair, bonding and anchoring products, 2013
Product testing for CE marking purposes

Leisure centre, 2012–2013
Investigation of defects to swimming pool tiling/tank

Shopping centre – Sheffield, 2012
Investigation of surfacing defects

Personal injury claim, 2012
Assessment of rubber hot water bottle following a personal injury claim

RN Submarine Museum – Gosport, 2012
Investigation of concrete cradle defects

Notting Hill Gate underground station, 2012
Survey of flooring defects

Sports facility – London, 2012
Assessment of flooring irregularities

Hotel – Paris, France 2011–2012
Investigation of paint defects, laboratory trials and supervision of remediation.

Shopping mall – Birmingham, 2012
Investigation of water leaks and surfacing defects

Multi-storey car park – Norwich, 2011–2012
Investigation of surfacing defects

Power station – Scotland, 2011
Analysis of concrete and coatings

Gas terminal – Ireland, 2011
Investigation of concrete defects

Multi-storey car park – Basingstoke, 2007–2012
Investigations of surfacing defects and concrete

Housing estate – Co. Wicklow, Ireland, 2011
Investigation of render defects

Commercial building – London, 2010–2011
Review of reports into plaster defects, expert report

Steel structure – Thames Estuary, 2010–2011
Investigation of coatings defects and expert report

Commercial building – City of London, 2010
Review and opinion on fire damage reports

Hospital – East Anglia, 2010–2011
Investigation of flooring defects and expert report

Dispute: multi-storey car park – Wandsworth, London, 2008–2010
Surveys of coatings to steel; technical and expert reports; review of other expert reports

Various disputes – Ireland, 2008–2010
Review of chemical analyses by RSK and others, advice and opinion on chemistry-related aspects

No.1 Merchant Square – Paddington, London, 2010
Site survey and adhesion testing of paint to steelwork in stair cores in new build

London Borough of Camden, Wendling Estate
Determination of causes of staining of profiled aluminium roofing

The Louise Blouin Foundation, London, 2008–2010
Investigation of concrete, plaster and coatings

Ove Arup, various concrete highways structures, 2006–2010
Key involvement and project management in various investigations into potential ASR in concrete

Exposure trials – concrete, £20k, 2008–2010
Project and programme management, chemical analysis, preparation of reports

Product testing – concrete repair and protection products, 2007–2010
Responsible for project management, chemical analysis, preparation of reports to enable CE marking

Dispute: Bath Spa Project, 2005-2009
Chemical analysis and assessment of materials, including coatings to concrete, stone and steel

Humber Seafood Institute – Grimsby, 2008
Protective coatings to steel – survey/investigation

National Grid, wireless broadcast masts, 2008
Paint analysis, project management and conceptual model for site works

Kettle Foods, flooring failure – East Anglia, 2007
Project management, reporting, analysis, testing

Adjudication: paint failure at warehouse in Midlands, 2007
Investigation of alleged coatings defects

Dispute: polyurethane roofing failure at New College – Durham, 2006–2008
Project management, chemical analysis, physical testing, preparation of reports

Dispute: dyed detergent, 2006–2007
Project management, site visits, chemical analysis and release studies, preparation of reports

Dispute: elastomer oil line failure (joint instruction), 2006
Project management, chemical analysis, preparation of reports

Criminal, forensic assessment of evidence, 2006
Project management, reporting, examination of documentary and physical evidence.