Forensic/Peer Review & Expert Opinion
When projects become complex, independent geotechnical judgment protects clients and reduces risk. DIG Engineering provides forensic investigations, third-party peer reviews, and expert opinions for owners, Strata Corporations, developers, municipalities, contractors, insurers, and law firms across Metro Vancouver and B.C. Paul Davies, P.Eng. is regularly called as an expert witness and our team produces clear, defensible reports that stand up to technical and legal scrutiny.
If a neighbouring developer asks for an anchor encroachment under your property, you need to know the shoring design is appropriate before you sign. We review the other consultant’s drawings, calculations, and assumptions, then confirm whether the proposed tiebacks, soldier piles, and any cut-off walls meet current practice and suit your ground conditions. Our review checks design earth pressures, predicted wall movements, anchor bond lengths and lock-off loads, corrosion protection, easement geometry and depths, and monitoring plans with trigger levels. You receive a concise opinion letter or memo, a list of clarifications to request, and recommended conditions for the encroachment agreement so you can proceed with confidence.
When a building moves, wall tilts, slab settles, or a slope shows signs of distress, our job is to determine cause and chart a practical path to repair. We combine site reconnaissance, crack mapping and elevation surveys, document and as-built review, targeted investigation with analysis that reflects your soils and loading. Typical cases include retaining wall rotation or sliding, water line or storm drain leak damage, excavation or shoring incidents, building settlement or heave, waterproofing and groundwater problems, pavement and utility trench failures, and slope instability. We work closely with insurers to establish scope, stabilize conditions, quantify damage, and develop remedial options with realistic costs and sequencing.
You receive documentation matched to purpose, such as a short opinion letter for time-sensitive decisions, a structured peer review memo with assumptions and comments, or a full forensic report with findings, photographs, causation, and repair recommendations. Where helpful, we include negotiation points for encroachment agreements, acceptance and monitoring criteria for construction, and a proposed sequence for remedial work. If the matter proceeds to mediation or court, Paul Davies can provide expert witness services.
Call when you are asked to sign an anchor encroachment or easement and want an independent check, when design, drawings, or reports need a second opinion, when construction observations differ from design assumptions, when you see movement, cracking, leakage, or settlement, or when an insurer or municipality requests a third-party opinion.