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In the intricate and highly specialized realm of engineering and construction, disputes and claims are not just common—they are expected.

DAC Consulting Services is proud to have attended and sponsored this impressive event, which confirms our investment in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Reflections on the SCCA24 Conference: Shaping the Future of Arbitration in Riyadh

Merry Xmas to everyone! May this season fill you all with hope, happiness,  kindness, wisdom, and faith.

WORLD CLASS FORENSIC & TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

Over the past year, expert witnesses have appeared in the legal press following criticism in the courts. So for this year’s Sir Michael Davies lecture, we invited The Honourable Mr Justice Williams, High Court judge and chair of The Family Justice Council Subcommittee on Experts, to share his views on such criticism. In his enlightening keynote speech – which you can listen to in full here – Mr Justice Williams explored an array of issues relating to the criticism of experts. Distinguishing between constructive criticism, destructive criticism and disagreement, he guided the audience through criticism in the context of the work he’s doing with the Family Justice Council, along with recent judicial commentary on expert evidence. He also made excellent suggestions around what to do if you find yourself being criticised as an expert, as well as how to avoid finding yourself in that situation in the first place. We’ve summarised some of the key takeaways below. Constructive vs destructive Criticism isn’t all bad, Mr Justice Williams noted. Constructive feedback to an expert can help improve the way that other experts approach courts in the future — and that can only be a good thing. But judges are aware of the importance of protecting experts from unfair, destructive criticism. “Criticism in a judgement can have adverse consequences in terms of [experts’] reputation, referrals to professional bodies, and on business”, Mr Justice Williams noted. All experts should remember, though, that disagreement from a judge is not necessarily criticism. “Don’t be too sensitive!”, he reminded the audience. Common criticism A lack of preparation, failure to abide by court directions, going beyond remit or expertise, and poor presentation on paper and on screen are all areas where experts commonly face criticism. The possibility of being criticised in court was highlighted as a barrier for attracting experts – though it’s important to note that it was by no means the biggest barrier. “As the judiciary, it’s entirely within our hands to manage criticism of experts”, Mr Justice Williams acknowledged. Efforts to change the way that criticism is managed have been made in the family law arena, with the establishment of a working group, the Family Justice Council Sub-Committee on Experts. The good, the bad and the ugly Mr Justice Williams highlighted three areas likely to put you in a positive light in the eyes of a High Court judge: the ability to express complex concepts in accessible language; objectivity and staying within the bounds of your expertise; and, of course, sticking to the facts. At the opposite end of the spectrum, being unprepared; not abiding by court directions; and going beyond your remit or expertise are all traits that are likely to attract criticism from a judge. As for the ugly – make sure that your presentation on paper and on screen is up to scratch! How to avoid destructive criticism No Expert Witnesses want to attract destructive criticism. To help avoid it altogether, Mr Justice Williams’ top tips included: don’t take on too much; comply with timetables; and communicate any difficulties. “Can’t complete the work in the time you thought you would? Let us know and we can do something about it”, Mr Justice Williams pointed out. Importantly, he said, remember the fundamentals of being an expert: comply with your subject matter expertise and with procedural codes. Managing criticism “If you’re being criticised in court, the best position to take is to remain as objective as possible and try to give considered answers”, is Mr Justice Williams’ advice for managing criticism. “If you need it, ask for time to respond.” If you’re facing criticism, seek support: the Expert Witness Institute fulfils that mentoring and support role. “Destructive criticism can also be valuable as a learning process in itself”, Mr Justice Williams reminded us. “It illustrates to the broader community that bad practice is a part of everyone learning.” The happy judge Judges are very busy people – that’s partly why the presentation of expert reports, with an executive summary of four pages, is so important. “If you’re clear in your conclusion with clear and practical advice with a range of opinions, where relevant, the judge is going to be on your side to start with”, Mr Justice Williams said. “If you’ve got a happy judge, even if you’re robustly cross examined, having the judge on side is something to value.” The audience were reminded that criticism is not all bad. In fact, it is rare, and it is relatively easily avoided. Ultimately: “The judiciary want experts to continue being experts, we want you to enjoy being an expert, and we don’t like criticising (although we all like a robust exchange of views).” Listen to the full lecture Access the recording of the Sir Michael Davies Lecture 2023 – you’ll also get a CPD Certificate worth ¾ hour.

WORLD CLASS FORENSIC & TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

¿Qué repercusiones tendrá en el sector asegurador? Empecemos señalando que, hasta el momento, en México, específicamente en la Ciudad de México, no había un lineamiento claro sobre cómo se deben evaluar las estructuras y, posteriormente, cómo deberían ser rehabilitadas. La falta de una norma específica no implica que, hasta ahora, este proceso se hiciera mal, sino que la variedad de criterios para considerar que los daños en un edificio son sujetos de un proyecto de rehabilitación es muy grande y depende enteramente de la experiencia del ingeniero a cargo. Para dar un poco de contexto, la CDMX tiene varias Normas Técnicas Complementarias (NTC) que, como su nombre lo dice, complementan de forma técnica al Reglamento de Construcciones. Dichas NTC, proporcionan los requisitos y criterios para el diseño de los elementos estructurales de un edificio, por ejemplo, una columna de concreto, un contraviento de acero o una pila en la cimentación. Durante agosto y septiembre, el Gobierno de la Ciudad de México realizó un ciclo de conferencias en el Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de México, para presentar las actualizaciones a las NTC publicadas en 2017 y para presentar una norma nueva que es muy necesaria y que, desde mi punto de vista, tendrá un gran impacto en la forma en la que el sector asegurador revisa las propiedades ya sea para evaluar el riesgo o para cuantificar los daños. Lo que pretende la nueva norma es proveer la metodología para evaluar una estructura y los requisitos mínimos para su rehabilitación, en caso de ser necesaria. Aunque esta NTC es aplicable a todos los EDIFICIOS (no aplica a otras estructuras como puentes o tanques de almacenamiento) en la CDMX, independientemente de si tienen daño visible o no, en este artículo me enfocaré únicamente en lo que ocurrirá con los que sí tienen daños, es decir, los que se verán involucrados en una reclamación de seguros. La NTC está dividida en 13 capítulos y 2 apéndices, los cuales, a su vez, hacen referencia a las NTC aplicables del material estructural a rehabilitar. En los siguientes párrafos abordaré de forma general el objetivo de cada uno y sus implicaciones más relevante.

We're proud to announce that our Managing Director, Mr Daniel Correa is a guest speaker at this year's Istanbul Arbitration Week 2023

Carbon Capture: The Real Energy Transition. What is carbon capture, and why should we focus on that as a climate solution rather than end our reliance on fossil fuels right now?

No one will ever forget the sight of Grenfell Tower burning in West London on 14 th June 2017. The fire started on the fourth floor and took only 30 minutes to reach the top level of the 24-storey building. After lengthy enquiries, it became clear that there were multiple reasons why the fire spread so rapidly , but the main focus was on the cladding installed on the exterior of the building. The metal cladding on Grenfell Tower was made from Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) filler for insulation. The panels were also attached to the building with the same material. Unfortunately, this material is highly flammable , with a combustibility ratio of 25. Burning HDPE is capable of producing enough heat to ignite any other HDPE in close proximity. Not only that, but during the thermal pyrolysis of HDPE, the solid material turns into a burning liquid . It can quickly drip down and ignite other materials below it. Add in the fact that aluminium is an incredible heat conductor, and conditions during the Grenfell fire were right for this metal to overheat the interior HDPE layer. When the aluminium melted and panels began to fall from the tower, the already hot HDPE easily caught fire as it was exposed to air.  These reactions increased the size of the flames and speeded up the spread of the fire.

Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of DAC Consulting Services as we celebrate our 7th anniversary. From our humble beginnings in London to becoming a global leader in professional consultancy, these seven years have been a remarkable journey of growth, innovation, and unwavering commitment to our clients and their projects.

Daniel Correa

WORLD CLASS FORENSIC & TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

WORLD CLASS FORENSIC & TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

Para nadie es noticia que los sismos son eventos que pueden llegar a ser devastadores. Recientemente, el 6 de febrero de 2023, Turquía y Siria sufrieron uno de los sismos -y sus réplicas- que más daño han ocasionado en el mundo en cuanto a pérdida de vidas, heridos y número de edificios afectados. En las … Más allá de la ingeniería: perspectiva de un estructurista en un país de alto riesgo sísmico Read More » The post Más allá de la ingeniería: perspectiva de un estructurista en un país de alto riesgo sísmico appeared first on DAC Consulting.

It is no news that earthquakes are potentially devastating events. Recently, on 6 February 2023, Turkey and Syria suffered one of the world’s most damaging earthquakes – and its aftershocks – in terms of loss of life, injuries, and the number of buildings affected. On the news and social networks, it is easy to find … Beyond engineering: a structural engineer’s perspective in a country at high seismic risk Read More » The post Beyond engineering: a structural engineer’s perspective in a country at high seismic risk appeared first on DAC Consulting.

DAC Consulting Services has announced the opening of a new office in Miami in August. The new office space will aim to serve better all of DAC's clients in Latin America and North America. The post DAC opens a new office in Dubai appeared first on DAC Consulting.

We welcome Miguel Hernandez to the DAC Consulting Services family! Miguel will have both forensic engineering and business development responsibilities stemming out of Mexico, and focused in LATAM and North America (both on insurance claims and expert witness work). The post We welcome Miguel Hernandez to the DAC Consulting Services family! appeared first on DAC Consulting.

DAC Consulting Services have been approved as a Corporate Partner in EWI’s Corporate Membership scheme. The post DAC Consulting Services approved as an EWI Corporate Partner appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Expert technical advice on insurance claims (Root Cause Analysis, reinstatement, timeline), project development, and independent progress (time) and cost (quantum) project management. The post DAC Newsletter December 2022 appeared first on DAC Consulting.

There are many ways to generate electrical power on an industrial scale, but one of the sources that are becoming more prevalent these days is hydrogen. The post Hydrogen as an Energy Source appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Forensic engineering applies engineering knowledge to the effort to discover why a machine or a structure failed. It also seeks to discover why there was damage to that machine or structure. In other words, forensic engineering engages in the process of reverse engineering to determine why a machine, structure, or component of one of them … Forensic Engineering & Delay Analysis Techniques Read More » The post Forensic Engineering & Delay Analysis Techniques appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Last year I wrote an article about Forensic Delay Analysis on the back of COVID-19 claims. Whilst the theory in the article remains correct, we are now in a position where we are retrospectively reviewing construction delays during COVID times (if it is true that COVID is no longer affecting projects…). As noted in such … Forensic Delay Analysis on the back of COVID-19 Claims (2022 update) Read More » The post Forensic Delay Analysis on the back of COVID-19 Claims (2022 update) appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Expert technical advice on insurance claims (Root Cause Analysis, reinstatement, timeline), project development, and independent progress (time) and cost (quantum) project management. The post DAC Newsletter September 2022 appeared first on DAC Consulting.

DAC has joined forces with Conipsum, a specialist engineering firm located in Mexico City, that counts with more than 100 in-house engineers related to the Oil & Gas, Energy, and Infrastructure industries. This will support DAC’s presence and current expansion plans in LATAM. The post Business Alliance with Conipsum in Mexico appeared first on DAC Consulting.

DAC Consulting Services has announced the opening of a new office in Miami in August. The new office space will aim to serve better all of DAC's clients in Latin America and North America. The post DAC opens a new office in Miami appeared first on DAC Consulting.

The DAC Consulting Services family is happy to report the successful completion of its 6th year in business! With our new offices in Miami and Dubai, and a strong team in London, we are looking forward to an increased organic growth in the next few years. We are so proud of what our Core Team … Celebrating 6 years of professional consulting Read More » The post Celebrating 6 years of professional consulting appeared first on DAC Consulting.

The post Forensic Engineering and Expert Witness Services appeared first on DAC Consulting.

World Class Forensic & Technical Consultants World Class Forensic Engineering | Expert Witness Services Expert Witness Services Delay: Forensic Delay and Disruption Analysis Quantum: Cost Estimation, Quantum Analysis Technical: Multi-disciplinary, coordinating and subject matter experts. Forensic Engineering Expert technical advice on insurance claims (Root Cause Analysis, reinstatement, timeline), project development, and independent progress (time) and … DAC Newsletter June 2022 Read More » The post DAC Newsletter June 2022 appeared first on DAC Consulting.

I am extremely honoured to have been recommended by Who’s Who Legal as a Global Leader – Construction Expert Witnesses 2022 – England. This is my first listing in WWL, and hopefully the first of many. At DAC Consulting Services we continue to grow our Expert Witness practice, with new offices coming in Dubai and … Daniel Correa recommended by Who’s Who Legal as a Global Leader – Construction Expert Witnesses 2022 – England Read More » The post Daniel Correa recommended by Who’s Who Legal as a Global Leader – Construction Expert Witnesses 2022 – England appeared first on DAC Consulting.

ICC’s annual MENA conference is taking place in person on 16-17 May 2022! Check out our post on LinkedIn. Learn more about the conference and register here. The post DAC proud sponsors of the 10th ICC MENA Conference appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Newsletter March 2022 Q1 The post World Class Forensic & Technical Consultants appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Calling at Delay & Quantum Experts worldwide. If you cannot carry out new cases in your current firms due to conflicts of interest, come work with us! Modern case management platforms Unrivalled team and admin support Clear and concise quality management systems Exceptional reputation Capacity to GROW Remote working DAC is the future of working … Come work with Us! Read More » The post Come work with Us! appeared first on DAC Consulting.

Onshore Energy Conference is taking place on 2nd November 2021 in London. The conference is aimed at the Power, Oil and Petrochemical Insurance sectors. It will feature several presentation sessions from industry professionals on important challenges, issues, and topics in the energy industry. OEC has a commitment to providing relevant learning and development opportunities through … DAC proud sponsors of the Onshore Energy Conference Read More » The post DAC proud sponsors of the Onshore Energy Conference appeared first on DAC Consulting.

ICC’s annual Miami conference “Latam arbitration under scrutiny: a challenge to legitimacy” is taking place on 13 & 14 December 2021. This conference features experts in the field as well as representatives from the ICC International Court of Arbitration, all on hand to engage with professionals wanting to keep pace with the latest developments. Check … DAC proud sponsors of the 19th ICC Miami Conference on International Arbitration Read More » The post DAC proud sponsors of the 19th ICC Miami Conference on International Arbitration appeared first on DAC Consulting.

The Managing Director of DAC Consulting Services in London, Daniel A. Correa, who is already a member of the Expert Witness Institute since early 2016, has just been appointed as a practising expert witness (MAE) at the highly regarded Academy of Experts based at London’s Gray’s Inn. The Academy was established in 1987 to promote … DAC Managing Director appointed to The Academy of Experts Read More » The post DAC Managing Director appointed to The Academy of Experts appeared first on DAC Consulting.

While we continue to grow, we have managed to gather a small group of our London family (many missing from our extended family in this photo) for a day at horse racing in Esher (our new Headquarters). What a great day, and how happy we are in celebrating our first 5! This is just the … DAC is celebrating 5 years 🍾 Read More » The post DAC is celebrating 5 years 🍾 appeared first on DAC Consulting.

In casual discussions among Electrical Engineers I am often asked to opine on the significance of the various types of equipment maintenance in Power Plants, as well as on the investigation stages, after an equipment failure has occurred. This article intends to provide insights on these matters, in a clear, methodic and systematic fashion. To … Power Plants – Maintenance Practices and RCA of equipment failures Read More » The post Power Plants – Maintenance Practices and RCA of equipment failures appeared first on DAC Consulting.

28 June 2021 marks the 5th ICC European Conference. The Conference is a must attend event for arbitration professionals wanting to keep pace with the latest arbitral institutional developments and the evolution of arbitration across Europe. Check out our post on LinkedIn. Learn more about the conference and register here. The post DAC PROUD SPONSORS OF THE ICC 5TH ANNUAL EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION appeared first on DAC Consulting.

It has been recorded in many recent publications that due to the disruption that COVID-19 has created in the construction industry in 2020, and so far in 2021, in certain locations the amount of disputes have doubled in comparison with previous years. The post Forensic Delay Analysis on the back of COVID related claims appeared first on DAC Consulting.

FORENSIC & MECHANICAL ENGINEERING EXPERT OF THE YEAR 2020 IN THE UNITED KINGDOM The post DAC proud winners of the Global Advisory Experts 2020 Award, in the category “Forensic & Mechanical Engineering Expert of the Year in the United Kingdom – 2020” !! appeared first on DAC Consulting.

What equipment still concerns insurers, loss adjusters, risk managers and operators? Turbines, generators and transformers, between others. This is because of their cost, complexity, and exposure to potential large interruption periods when a loss occurs. This is particularly especial when damage is not that evident. The photos below have caused interruption periods of many months … RCA and reinstatement assessment of major equipment in power plants Read More » The post RCA and reinstatement assessment of major equipment in power plants appeared first on DAC Consulting.

It is very likely that the current pandemic will increase the risk of plant and machinery breakdown claims worldwide, which could in turn lead to further Business Interruption (BI) exposure, and even Delay to Start-Up (DSU) claims. In the current climate, although many people may not want to accept it, the risk on those critical … COVID-19 and Plant/Machinery Claims. Partial Solution => IIoT Read More » The post COVID-19 and Plant/Machinery Claims. Partial Solution => IIoT appeared first on DAC Consulting.

1.   You can explain complex concepts and your opinions in a way that a 10-year old can understand. Likewise, you are able to highlight which topics are outside your areas of expertise and avoid commenting on, rather than complicating matters to confuse others. 2.   You are often invited to speak at conferences and events in your industry, … 8 Signs of a Great Expert Witness Read More » The post 8 Signs of a Great Expert Witness appeared first on DAC Consulting.