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Forensic Engineers

Name: Forensic Engineers
Address: Brisbane, Ipswich, Bayside, Gold Coast, S. E. Qld. , Nth NSW, Norman Park, QLD, AU
Telephone: +61403434092

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Structural Engineer Reports. Wall Cracks & Subsidence Specialists. Houses & Units. Proud Aussie Engineers. ENGINEER REPORTS. SUBSIDENCE & WALL CRACKS SPECIALISTS

27/10/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐎𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐐 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭

If you’ve noticed cracks in your walls, doors that suddenly stick, or floors that no longer feel level, you want answers you can trust. Choosing the right engineer makes all the difference.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫

When you’re looking for a 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 or 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, it pays to ask about the engineer’s background in 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Soil drill logs and lab results tell an important story about what’s happening beneath your home. An engineer who has spent years producing and interpreting that data brings a deeper understanding to every investigation.

Your house may be affected by:

• Low bearing capacity
• Soil shrinkage
• Poorly compacted landfill
• Black clay swell

Whatever the cause, hands-on soil experience helps connect the ground conditions to the movement and damage you’re seeing in your home.

𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

Ground conditions can be complex and difficult to fully capture. Features such as 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 can vary across a site and aren’t always obvious, even with careful testing.

That’s where our background makes a real difference. Because we’ve drilled, sampled and tested soils ourselves, we know what to look for in borelogs and soil samples. That helps us pinpoint whether ground conditions, such as loose or settling fill beneath a slab, are contributing to the damage in your home.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐩

The Forensic Engineers team has worked for some of SE Queensland’s leading soil testing companies, including Coffey International, East Coast Geotechnical, Soil Surveys and Soiltest Australia, as well as expert forensic firm ICPS Australia.

Our reports are backed by a genuine apprenticeship in soil testing and geotechnical engineering, plus decades of experience in:
• Soil test drilling
• Soil laboratory testing
• Soil descriptions
• Site classifications
• Footing and slab design: strip, pad and edge beam footings, plus conventional and waffle pod slabs
• Deep footings: conventional concrete piers, push piles, small-diameter driven timber piles and steel screw piles
• Foundation underpinning: conventional concrete, polyurethane resin, timber piles and steel screw piers

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐬

Queensland ground conditions are diverse. Our engineers have extensive experience with:

• Highly plastic clay soils
• Poorly compacted landfill
• Alluvial deposits
• Compressible soils
• Organic soils
• Acid sulphate soils
• Marine clays

Proven Results You Can Rely On

Over the past 13 years, we have completed more than 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬. That work builds on decades of earlier experience in geotechnical soil testing, site classification and slab design.

When your home’s foundations are at stake, you deserve an RPEQ Structural Engineer with real soil knowledge.

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝

Don’t let uncertainty about your home keep you up at night. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 to book your Subsidence or Wall Crack Engineer Report, and get expert answers grounded in hands-on soil testing experience.

www.forensic-engineers.com.au

25/10/2026

𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬?

Before you book an engineer to check wall cracks and possible subsidence, 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬—𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬! 😁

House slabs can deflect and "tilt" and without level readings, engineers cannot accurately assess building movement severity.

Also houses can move and crack, but skillful patching can hide existing cracks.

Forensic engineers take level readings on floors, walls, window sills, or ceilings to provide the vital movement information that the naked eye simply cannot detect.

https://www.forensic-engineers.com.au/structural-engineer-reports/

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 & 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞? 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐐 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. https://www.forensic-engineers.com.au/contact/

20/10/2026

UNDERPINNING FREE ASSESSMENTS?

An Underpinning Sales Rep told this home owner that their house urgently needed underpinning. But our Independent Structural Engineer Report found this was absolutely not true.

We see this all too often.

Forensic Engineers provides independent reports that identify any foundation movements, & the damages & causes & requirements to stabilize & repair.

Before signing up for any underpinning: Contact Forensic Engineers for an Independent RPEQ Engineer Report.

www.forensic-engineers.com.au
E: [email protected], Ph: 0403 434 092

16/10/2026

INQUIRIES, QUOTES & BOOKINGS? WE ARE AVAILABLE WEEKENDS! Due to public demand, we welcome calls & emails on weekends, & after hours weekdays.
www.forensic-engineers.com.au
E: [email protected]
Ph: 0403 434 092

10/10/2026

𝗗𝗢 𝗜 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧? 𝗔𝗕𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗬!

𝗣𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 – 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜?
The owner planned to renovate this house, but "bouncing floors" sparked a concern, so they called Forensic Engineers to investigate.
Our expert investigation found:
• The house stumps had subsided and leaned severely.
• The house bearers and foundations had other very serious problems.
• The house and renovations would undoubtedly sustain damage unless the owner re-stumped the house first.
We felt for the owner, but it is better to uncover these issues before investing in expensive renovations only to find the house is unstable. We connected the owner with an expert repair builder to create a plan for complete, professional repairs.

𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 – 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩!!
The buyer of this house worried about brick cracks.
Our expert investigation found:
• The house had some foundation movements.
• The house footings had not moved significantly.
• Wall cracks appeared only in masonry joints.
• The builder filled the masonry joints with mortar instead of an elasticated compound.
• The repair was simple: replace the joint seals with an industry-standard, elasticated compound.
We assured the buyer that the house was stable and required no serious repairs. He was thrilled, and the sale went through smoothly.

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 – 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙗??
The buyer worried that the slab edge beam did not sit on solid ground.
Our expert investigation found:
• The house featured a waffle-pod slab.
• Some areas of the slab edge lacked solid ground support.
• Piers suspended the slab, and a retaining wall anchored it.
• The house slab showed no deflections.
We assured the buyer that the house was sound-as-a-pound. He was really happy, and the sale went through smoothly.

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 – 𝘽𝙤𝙮-𝙤𝙝-𝙗𝙤𝙮 – 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨!!!
The agent put this 1980s property up for sale, but house cracks concerned her, so she called Forensic Engineers.
And Wow! We found a lot of wall cracks and more!
Our expert investigation found:
• Massive wall and ceiling cracks, tears, and gaps.
• Massive variations in floor levels.
• Serious slab bending.
• A significant slope from the front-left to the rear-right corner.
• Highly plastic clay soils shrinking and swelling.
• Inadequate footings and slab.
The house suffered decades of serious movement and damage. Underpinning and building repairs would require a major project that is not economically viable.
𝗥𝗣𝗘𝗤 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀: Trust the specialists at Forensic Engineers.
𝘼𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 & 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚: Local subsidence reports generally cost between $700.00 and $900.00 (Ex GST).
www.forensic-engineers.com.au
E: [email protected]
Ph: 0403 434 092

10/10/2026

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟 & 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦.

A building and pest report identified suspicious cracks in the house walls and driveway slab, so we recently inspected the property for the buyer.

Our meticulous inspection revealed that slight initial footing settlements caused the wall cracks, none of which were serious. The driveway cracks resulted from poor concreting rather than typical settlement.

Crucially, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀.

An expert tradesman, whom we recommended to the buyer, can repair the driveway and wall cracks.

Happy home buyers and sellers. Expert Structural Engineer Reports: Forensic Engineers www.forensic-engineeers.com.au

09/10/2026

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓?

There are a number of different Underpinning methods, and significant differences in costs and achievable results and it can be very confusing for a property owner. That’s where Forensic Engineers can help.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 underpinning is determined by;
• the building type
• the ground conditions
• achievable results
• accessibility
• affordability

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

Before signing up for any type of expensive underpinning, do yourself a favour and contact Forensic Engineers for an expert, independent 𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐐 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.

Forensic Engineers are the subsidence and underpinning specialists, and when we inspect your home and prepare an engineer report, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲.

And what sets us apart is that we have decades of experience in subsidence investigations and in particular, we have a strong background in actual Soil & Geotechnical Testing, so we know what kinds of ground conditions can cause footing and slab movements.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞?

1) 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 are the industry standard due to;

• s̲̲o̲i̲l̲ t̲̲e̲s̲t̲i̲n̲g̲ i̲̲s̲ i̲̲n̲c̲l̲u̲d̲e̲d̲ w̲̲h̲i̲c̲h̲ i̲̲s̲ c̲̲r̲i̲t̲i̲c̲a̲l̲ t̲̲o̲ d̲̲e̲t̲e̲r̲m̲i̲n̲e̲ t̲̲h̲e̲ d̲̲e̲p̲t̲h̲ t̲̲o̲ s̲̲o̲l̲i̲d̲ g̲̲r̲o̲u̲n̲d̲
• t̲̲h̲e̲ w̲̲o̲r̲k̲ i̲̲s̲ 100% e̲̲n̲g̲i̲n̲e̲e̲r̲ d̲̲e̲s̲i̲g̲n̲e̲d̲ a̲̲n̲d̲ c̲̲e̲r̲t̲i̲f̲i̲e̲d̲
• long-term reliability
• building approval is included

2) 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 has benefits including;
• jobs are completed in a short time
• there is no digging and site mess
• is practical in limited access situations

𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞;
• in most cases there is no engineer design or certification
• in most cases there is no soil test to show the depth to solid ground
• footing and slab design can be be anchored down and this can limit or even prevent lifting
• possible requirement for injection at multiple depths (instead of just below footings) which can increase the volume of Urethane and the cost significantly.

3) 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 are generally used by Underpinners in cases where bored pier collapse is a problem due to ground water, or where the depth to solid founding material is excessive - such as re-claimed canal properties on the Gold Coast.

In typical every-day underpinning cases, steel screw piers are unnecessary and are often massively over-priced.

Thankfully a report from Forensic Engineers will tell you which type of underpinning is best for your situation.

𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞.

In many cases, footing movement is not excessive and can be stabilized without even resorting to any expensive & stressful underpinning at all. And excessive floor level variations can often be reduced by following expert advice.

So before jumping into expensive underpinning, contact Forensic Engineers for an expert, independent structural engineer report.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐐 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭?

The base industry rate is $700-$900, depending on the property size and location.

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

Some underpinners offer to arrange Structural Engineer Reports from their own engineers. It's convenient, but this is a serious conflict of interest. And the underpinners charge significantly higher rates to provide you with a standard Engineer Subsidence Report.

Rest assured, Forensic Engineers are are 100% independent. We are on your side and and our reports are for you!

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩.

So 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 if you need engineering advice for subsidence, wall cracks and underpinning.

www.forensic-engineers.com.au E: [email protected] Ph: 0403 434 092

05/10/2026

𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗙𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗗 𝗟𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦, 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦, 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 & 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦: 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙄𝘾 𝙀𝙉𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙀𝙍𝙎!

TThis property in Springfield Lakes has massive ground cracks & subsidence. The property’s front yard looked like a landslip, leaving the owner concerned that the block and house were unstable. Fortunately, the property manager contacted Forensic Engineers to thoroughly investigate and report on the land and house.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩;

𝟯.𝟬 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦– every single crack or gap may not be listed
(Refer sketch, not to scale or dimension)
𝟯.𝟭 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿
• Driveway slab cracks
• Porch/Bed 3, garden timber retaining wall leaning toward street
• Porch/bed 3, large fissures in surface pavement and in ground beneath
• House perimeter some “wear & tear” gaps in door & window frames
• Dining wall crack
• Living wall crack

𝟯.𝟮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿
• Garage slab cracks
• Hallway/garage crack over door
• Hallway/bed 3 ceiling cornice crack

𝟰.𝟬 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗦
We measured the floor levels. While we found some variations there are some variations, they are not excessive remain well within the allowed tolerances of AS 2870 appendix C.

𝟱.𝟬 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦
Cracks are up to category 2 in accordance with AS2870-2011 Appendix C.

𝟲.𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗦
𝟲.𝟭 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
Our inspection indicates that estate development civil earthworks involved placing of landfill in some areas, particularly at the front of the block. Site works during the build may have also disturbed the platform soils, and the consolidation of these soils contributed to some settlements.

We expect that in areas of loose landfill, piers extending into solid natural material would support the house footings and slab. In this case the house footings experienced some (non-serious) settlements resulting in slab level variations wall cracks.

𝟲.𝟮 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.
Evidence shows that landfill in this area has undergone consolidation and erosion. Additionally, a leaning timber sleeper wall allowed loose landfill to move laterally down-slope, opening ground fissures.

The surface pavement is not a conventional reinforced concrete slab; instead, it consists of coarse sand stabilized with cement. Because this material has very low tensile strength, settlements, lateral downhill movement, and ground fissures caused the material to shear.

𝟲.𝟯 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀
The cracks in the garage floor slab are “plastic shrinkage cracks” that likely originated shortly after the pour. Concrete shrinks as it cures, causing these cracks, which generally grow as the surface edges wear. They are not a serious issue.

𝟲.𝟰 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀
The driveway slab developed “plastic shrinkage cracks,” which concreting practices likely exacerbated. These practices include inadequate base support due to landfill, excessive tensile steel top cover, placing concrete in hot or windy weather, and poor or inadequate slab control joints.

𝟳.𝟬 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝟳.𝟭 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳
The house footings and slab show no evidence of instability. We can effectively stabilize the ground next to the porch and bedroom 3.

𝟳.𝟮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Correctly applied Polyurethane Resin Injection effectively densifies and binds founding soils and fills voids and fissures. The contractor must apply this process throughout and to the full depth of the loose landfill.

The contractor is responsible for providing adequate services and results. We advise you to carefully consider the contractor’s warranty terms regarding achievable results, any possible requirements for future additional treatment, and any associated costs.

Suitable Contractor:
RAISE & RELEVEL, Damon Letters Ph: 1300 520 903

𝟳.𝟯 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀
• Once the contractor stabilizes the base material, they can replace the existing cement-stabilized sand pavement with a conventional slab pavement.
• Rake out, fill, and paint house internal plasterboard cracks. We advise using fibre-glass tape.
• Garage floor cracks do not require repair.
• Filling driveway cracks will likely not be durable.

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬
We found that settlements and erosion of poor-quality, low-density landfill caused the cracks and voids in the ground. Some material also migrated down-slope.

Fortunately, these issues did not affect the house, which remains stable. The repairs are uncomplicated and cost-effective.

The property owner was onsite during our inspection and felt incredibly relieved.

• Expert Structural Engineer Reports
• Subsidence Investigation Experts
• Wall Crack Investigation Specialists

Real Estate Agents, Property Managers, Strata Managers, and Property Owners rely on our industry expertise.

𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗥𝗦 www.forensic-engineers.com.au

02/10/2026

SUBSIDENCE, WALL CRACKS, SINK HOLES, STUMP DAMAGE; Structural Engineer Reports needed from Forensic Engineers. These are cases we deal with every day.

Case 1) A house at Warner had serious settlements under a slab. We found the causes, assessed the slab condition and gave expert recommendations to re-support the slab.

Case 2) A Tweed Heads house with possibly serious subsidence problems. We found that there had been some footing settlements a long time ago, but the house was now stable. Some drainage work and expert crack repair required - no underpinning needed!

Case 3) Walloon house with serious slab movements. We are in Walloon just about every week! If you are looking to buy a house in this area and the Building & Pest Report finds wall cracks - for peace-of-mind, call us to arrange an Expert Structural Engineer Report.

Case 4) A house on-the-market at Stafford. The buyer was concerned that damaged stumps have caused structural damages to the house. Our expert investigation found that apart from some stumps that were past their "use-by" date, the house was "sound-as-a pound".

Forensic Engineers: Expert Structural Engineer Reports. www.forensic-engineers.com.au

26/09/2026

𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗨𝗠, 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦.

Just a typical day for Forensic Engineers.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀.

A broken water pipe had caused a large sink hole to form under a townhouse driveway.

Our investigation found that the slab had not been damaged and we recommended the hole could be filled and the driveway slab re-supported using either Polyurethane Resin Injection, or with hyflow cementitious grout aka "Mud-Jacking".

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿.

This older house had serious movements of the perimeter footings and the stumps under the floor. Most of Kuraby has highly plastic clay founding soils which can cause footings to seriously lift and settle and often "rotate" (lean).

The footings had moved so much that the timber floor had become unstable and we recommended vacating and comprehensive re-stumping & replacement of the perimeter base and footings.

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 - 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿.

The townhouse complex is located on compressible landfill which has been slowly settling for decades. We identified recent cracks and gaps and serious variations in the floor levels which would be due to active settlements of the founding materials.

We considered a number of methods for stabilizing the house footings and the only reliable one would be using conventional underpinning, possibly incorporating some steel screw piers where a water table is encountered.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 - 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀. www.forensic-engineers.com.au

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