About Building Diagnosis Centre Pty Ltd (Sydney)
About our head director / consultant Robert Speirs-Ferrari FAIB NBPR MMBA MBDAA AfillIEA
We strive for excellence “adding life to buildings since 1987″
Consulting Professional Chartered Accredited Forensic Building Consultants:
Research – Inspect – Assess – Advice – Design – Report – Expert Evidence
Service The Built-Environment – Sydney Northern & Eastern Coastal Suburbs and Inner-City
ACN 054 540 395 ABN 20 054 540 395 PI Insurance 1105 0148 WC Insurance 107600901
– Professional Indemnity / Public Liability insurance is limited as per under the Professional Standards Legislation Act 1994
– Specialists In New, Old & Altering Buildings & Structures
– Investigations, Litigation & Reports For:
- Waterproofing and Coastal Corrosion Damaged Buildings
- Building Disputes, Complaints & Litigation
- Faulty Design & Work, Building Defects & Quality Solutions
- Inspection Reports Include For Remedial Rectification Works
- NCC Performance Solution Reports (Waterproofing)
- Experience – 43 years
- Waterproofing and Coastal Corrosion Building Damage
- Experts in Building Disputes, Complaints & Litigation
- Faulty Work, Building Defects & Quality Solutions
- Inspection Reports Includes for Remedial Works
- Fellow Chartered Building Professional FAIB; NBPR
- Accredited Building & Waterproofing Consultant MMBA of NSW
- Building Designer MBDAA
- Building Code Committee Member (Past): Australian Building Codes Board
About Robert Speirs-Ferrari
Position – Principal, Managing Director – Building Diagnosis Centre Pty Ltd (Established 1989)
Practicing Professions
MBA Master Builder Member No.39720 1976 –
Company Director – Robert Speirs Licensed Builders Pty Ltd 1976 – 1985
Robert Speirs Building Consultancy 1985-1987
OFT Licensed Builder & Waterproofing Contractor No 38673 1987 –
MBA Accredited Building Consultant No.39720 1987 –
Company Director – Building Diagnosis Centre Pty Limited 1989 –
FAIB Chartered Fellow Building Professional No.5921 1997 –
BDA Building Designer No.462 1997 –
Registered & Accredited Asbestos Supervisor / Remover 206476AS2 2008 –
Professional Qualifications
FAIB – Australian Institute of Building (1997 -)
NBPR – National Building Professional Register-2 (2015 -)
MMBA – (Builder) Master Builders Association NSW (1976 -)
MMBA – (Consultant) Master Builders Association NSW (1987 -)
MBDA – (Building Designer) Building Designers Association Australia (1997 -)
Building Services Corp/Office of Fair Trading (Builder Licence (1976-1984 & 1987 -)
WCA – WorkCover Australia (Asbestos Licence (2008-)
AfillIEA (Affiliated Institute Engineers Australia 2016 -)
Trades Monitor Ebix Australia (Consultant Member 2008 -)
Strata Community Select (Consultant Member 2012 -)
UTS Alumni – Post-Grad member (1994 -)
Academic Qualifications & Licenses
- M.Design (UTS) 1995
- Post-Grad.Dip Design (UTS) 1993
- Post-Grad.Cert Design & Tech (UTS) 1992
- Architectural Heritage Cert., (ITS) 1992
- Waterproof Const Cert (MBA-RPL) 2013 –
- Dip.BldgConstManagmt (MBA-RPL) 2012 –
- Licensed Builder – (BSC) 1976 –1984, (OFT NSW) 1987 – No.38673
- Licensed Asbestos Inspector 206476AS2 (WCA) Registered Supervisor & Accredited Asbestos Remover (2008 -)
Past Committee Member – Government – Australian Building Code
- Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)
- Building Code of Australia National Construction Code (BCA/NCC) BCC
- BCC Delegate representing Building Designers Association of Australia
Summary of Experience
- Robert’s experience, knowledge and skills were initially residential design and construction.
- His hands-on construction, supervision and training builders continue to this day.
- Since 1989 as a practical unbiased chartered and accredited building consultant, he has resolved many deteriorated and defective buildings, majority of the time building complaints without the need for clients to pursue their issues in tribunals/courts.
- He has prepared 1,000’s of technical reports since 1986 on heritage to modern building structures.
Summary of Robert’s Usual Duties and Education
- Diagnosing causes of building defects, faults and damage including waterproofing issues, and non-compliant construction and remedial works.
- Prepare specific scope of works and specifications, standard industries building contracts.
- Project manager construction dispute rectifications, certain duties of supervision of remedial works, assessing progress payment claims, certifying works, and controlling escalating building disputes.
- Preparation of cost estimates of remedial works.
- Arrange tenders and costs from reliable experienced remedial licensed building contractors.
- Experience includes tribunal / court work.
Specialisation Experience & Skills
- Robert Speirs-Ferrari is our company director, chartered and accredited fellow building professional, licensed master builder with 40-years continuous professional experience and skills in the Built Environment of which 30-years as a senior forensic building specialists at the Building Diagnosis Centre in Manly Sydney.
- Proficient in residential and commercial remedial construction damage, deterioration, dilapidation, faulty workmanship/materials, and as an expert witness assessing non-compliant work and damage against NCC Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards.
- Since 2003 assessments include heritage schools and churches, local government buildings and structures, concrete tunnels beneath Sydney Bondi Beach promenade, contemporary shopping mall car parks + leaking corroding swimming pools.
- Robert as a building engineering expert heads a technical specialists team of engineers, architect, private certifier, heritage expert, and remedial building contractors for specific multidisciplinary projects particularly strata and commercial property.
- Experience stems from practical construction application combined with postgraduate university degrees (thesis focused on researching causes and contributors of faulty design and construction).
- Robert has prepared 3,000+ technical reports, photographic evidence, making assessments and reasonable recommendations, preparing remediation and new work specifications, calculating costs, budgeting, administrating building contracts including resolving non-compliant work, certifying complete work and contract disputes.
Specific Interest Consultancy Includes:
- Specifying Products and Systems for concrete structures include Markham Global Aquron waterproofing chemical add-mixers, injections, curing and swellable water-stops for concrete car park roofs and below ground structures. Includes exposed concrete commercial buildings, infrastructure and coastal constructions, external and basement slabs and strata units for waterproofing protection of concrete and steel reinforcement against corrosion.
- Performance Solutions Alternatives for construction products, designs and systems to meet 2019 NCC/BCA & Australian Standards.
- Represent BDA as committee member / working party Australia Building Codes Board – NCC/BCA & Australia Standards.
- Coastal chloride induced spalling concrete corrosion, corrosive magnesite damaging strata residential and commercial multi-level buildings, salt attack to masonry brick work and mortar joints, structural steel rust corrosion chloride induced pitting and spalling concrete.
- Waterproofing deterioration of membranes and flashings, building movement cracking and subsidence, asbestos detection and deconstruction methodologies.
- Forensic investigation management includes physical intrusion, pinpointing causes of damage, collecting samples and briefing scientists for testing material content and contaminants particularly rust corrosion steel and spalled concrete materials.
- Preparation of contracts and critiquing colleagues’ specifications, contract documents and costing remedial solutions for long durability rectifications, specifying proven solutions to replace inappropriate use of materials.
- Management of tendering, overseeing management for correction of construction (not supervision).
- Expert witness testimonies – building disputes of many types commonly include construction methodology faults / illegal construction / non-compliant construction / incomplete work / and the majority of cases due to faulty waterproofing corrosion and damage.
- Peer review includes building design faults, diagnosis of construction deterioration, wall movement investigations, DA documentation.
- Deconstruction (demolition) and project manage stabilisation of structural steel supports to heritage buildings.
Company Professional History Timeline
1989 to Present: Building Diagnosis Centre Pty Limited
Robert Speirs-Ferrari and energetic person with humble beginnings founded the company Building Diagnosis Centre Pty Limited to specialise in forensic building engineering consultancy. He is head working director of our Building Engineering Forensic Assessments section. Consignments include inspections and surveys and contract administration of building and construction deterioration, faulty workmanship and materials, and expert witness work for property owners and lawyers.
In 2000, Robert included specialising in deterioration of coastal corrosion buildings and structures, particularly failed and defective waterproofing and sheet membranes, spalling concrete explosion, masonry movement corrosion fretting and cracking, steel rust corrosion and managed clients’ contract solutions / rectification.
As project manager Robert’s team of colleagues include structural engineers, architect, private certifying authority surveyor, land surveyor, heritage and hazardous material consultants and assisting core drilling materials for testing with Mahaffey Associates NATA laboratory.
Robert’s consultancy includes expert witness testimonies in local, district, supreme courts, CTTT / NCAT NSW Fair Trading. Technical evidence and advice is given on construction and design faults, corrosion movement cracking, steel rust corrosion, and waterproofing. Scope of works and specifications prepared to requirements of Building Code of Australia, Australian Standards. Prepare DA/CC documents for Council submission and cost estimates for rectifications.
Robert provides on-site negotiations and to resolve building and design disputes between contracting parties.
From 1987 to 2000, Robert prepared no less than 1,000 residential pre-purchase inspection reports throughout Sydney including hotels and small-scale commercial properties. Since 2000 to present reports include as expert witness opinions, specifications for rectifications of faulty work and materials, asbestos damage, general problem solving reports, objections of adjoining property developments and/or damage sustained to property from adjoining developments.
1985-1989: Robert Speirs Building Consultancy
In 1985 Robert commenced professional building inspections and preparing Pre-purchase Inspection Reports. Experience includes project management, contract administration, compliance assessments inspection surveys, oversee and train contractors to produce “defect free” construction/rectifications especially waterproofing and spalling concrete corrosion. Investigations include destructive intrusion of building fabric and sample collecting of concrete, steel, brick, asbestos for NATA testing accredited laboratories. Inspections include faulty workmanship, materials, deterioration, asbestos and safe access construction for people with disabilities.
1980-to present: Construction of own properties
On a continuous basis with subcontractors, undertakes hands-on construction of family homes i.e., major alterations, additions and renovations to his family homes in Strathfield, Homebush, Belfield, Middle Cove, Seaforth, Fairlight, Allambie Heights, and now Beacon Hill.
1976-1985: Robert Speirs Builders Pty Ltd
A director and licensed builder practicing hands-on, designed and constructed residential buildings – new homes, ground floor and first floor additions, renovations and repairs in Strathfield, Burwood, Homebush, Concord, Ashfield, inner-city suburbs include Annandale, Haberfield and Glebe.
1975-1976
Constructing alterations and additions in Strathfield, Five Dock, Croydon and Miranda for licensed Owner-Builders.
1966-1974
Sydney TAFE Motor Vehicle Panel Beating Grade 1st Class and practising 9-years at Marrickville Sydney, as a motor-body builder in custom designed construction of steel trucks, police rescue vans, Holden station wagon steel conversion to ambulance vehicles, steel semi-trailers, refrigeration sheet steel vans, steel canopies for Holden and Ford utility, and constructed specialty steel sheet Hardtops for Nissan Patrol and Police vehicles.
1964-1965
Sydney TAFE Building Construction Certificate (Incomplete)
– Traineeship in bricklaying with Kell & Rigby Builders Burwood, Sydney.
– Traineeship carpenter/labourer with architect/master builder on banks of Georges River Lugarno
1962-1963
Sydney Wilmot Engineering Roselands Sydney – 2-year traineeship machinery engineering.