PCA Consulting Engineers

PCA Consulting Engineers is a chartered civil, structural and conservation engineering practice based in Kingsbridge, Devon. We provide professional engineering advice on projects of any size, for residential, commercial and public sector clients throughout the South Hams, south of England and London.

About Us

Established in 1979, PCA has built up an outstanding reputation for providing a friendly, considered and professional service to all our clients. Much of the firm’s success lies within our ability to meet the changing needs of our clients while maintaining a quality service from start to finish.

PCA has received ISO9001:2015 accreditation from Bureau Veritas, therefore meeting the rigorous standards set to ensure every project is delivered to the highest standard.

The team at PCA works on projects of all shapes and sizes, from queries regarding simple house wall removal, loft conversions and structural surveys, to large scale housing developments, detailed conservation advice, infrastructure design, project management and party wall advice.

With our wide range of skills and individual specialisms, PCA provides comprehensive advice with unique and pragmatic solutions to solve even the most complex engineering problems.

Services 

Civil Engineering

PCA is able to provide a wide range of civil engineering services to support the work of developers, architects and private clients. Our services include: highway design and structures, drainage design, including strategy and soak-away design for planning purposes, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), 3D ground-modelling, flood risk assessments and alleviations, sewerage treatment solutions, bridges and inshore marine structures.

Structural Engineering

Structural engineering is an important discipline at PCA and this is reflected in the broad range of projects undertaken. Whether large multi-million pound developments, smaller residential and commercial projects, extensions or conversions our experienced structural engineers are able to provide efficient, sympathetic and economic designs with an architectural bias, where required. PCA is committed to meeting the clients’ needs and enabling them to realise their design ambitions. We have won awards for these often challenging projects, including for residential properties, business premises and large-scale developments. State-of-the-art finite element analysis and design computer software is used where necessary. We have recently expanded our 3D modelling capabilities by including Autodesk Revit and CSC Fastrak into our range of design and draughting programmes. We look forward to working closely with architects, as well as mechanical and electrical consultants, in producing a complete Building Information Modelling (BIM) cycle which will benefit contractors and clients alike.

Conservation Engineering

PCA has extensive specialist knowledge of historic, listed and ancient buildings. Our sympathetic and pragmatic approach to understanding structural issues in old buildings is well respected. Careful consideration is given to ‘the philosophy of repair’ in the context of the design requirements to achieve an end result that is both beneficial to the building and the client. Conservation is an exciting part of PCA’s work and we enjoy the satisfying challenge of saving a building from decay. Our conservation work has helped our clients repair and restore buildings to their former glory or been successful in finding a new use for a once redundant structure. We work with a number of conservation bodies including The National Trust, English Heritage, Historic England, The Landmark Trust and The Diocesan Advisory Committee.

Party Wall Surveying

The Party Wall (etc) Act 1996 deals with party walls and other neighbourly issues. PCA is able to act on behalf of building owners (developers) or adjoining owners (neighbours) to deal with this issue, where it applies, in a pragmatic and practical way to find a reasonable resolution.

Temporary Works Design

Safe temporary support and shoring is essential during construction and PCA is able to assist contractors and clients with detailed and outline temporary works designs and construction method statements to ensure they remain in line with British Standards or Eurocodes.

Project Management

Successful project management requires knowledge, experience and support. PCA’s dedicated team of specialist surveyors has successfully performed the role of project managers and contract administrators on numerous jobs, ranging from simple building works to more complex civil and structural engineering projects. PCA acts as a point of contact for the various parties involved in the project, coordinating the works as required. We have worked with private clients, insurers and contractors to ensure the smooth running of the project.

CDM Services

PCA have registered members of the Association for Project Safety and can therefore provide CDM consultancy advice where required. PCA can provide a single solution for the PD role under CDM2015 and advise clients through the statutory regulations to ensure they fulfil their duties.

Structural Surveying

Our engineering bias enables PCA to offer an expert and specialised range of structural surveying services, including • Traditional building structural surveys – valuable if there are any concerns regarding a property, if required for insurance purposes or when buying/selling a property. • Pre-planning structural reports – to aid the planning process and aid determining project viability. • Expert witness reports –to provide a professional opinion and clarity in the event of a dispute.

Contact

If you would like to employ PCA Consulting Engineers on your project or have any queries regarding the services we provide, please get in touch through the green ‘Contact’ button and we will be in touch shortly.