Our People
Willie O'Britis
BSc (Hons) CEng MICE SIIRSM
Expertise
- Forensic engineering/expert witness work
- Giving evidence in court
- Design of Building structures – industrial/schools/residential
- Inspections/appraisals of civil engineering works and structures
- Health and Safety Matters
- Building Standards (Scotland)
Experience
Mr O'Britis has over 30 years experience encompassing both public and private sectors. He has a broad based experience of technical and practical aspects of civil/structural/geotechnical engineering.
Mr O'Britis has significant recent experience in forensic engineering / expert witness work in connection with health and safety matters, civil / structural engineering failures, malpractice in the construction industry, personal injury cases including falls from heights and a fatal accident involving a dumper truck.
He has provided expert technical opinion many times and has given evidence in court.
He has also significant experience in preparing risk assessments, method statements, CDM Regulations Health and Safety Plans, desktop studies, ground/mineral/environmental investigations.
In addition to the above Mr O'Britis had several years experience as a Bridge Design Engineer in the U.K., as a senior structural engineer in an engineering consultancy in New Zealand and as Senior Structural Site Engineer at Sapele New Port, Nigeria.
Personal Data
- Position: Senior Civil/Structural Engineer, Cadogans
- Year of Birth: 1957
- Languages: Mother tongue English
Professional Qualifications and Registrations
- BSc (Hons), University of Glasgow
- Chartered Engineer
- Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
- Specialist Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management
Selection of Experience:
Jan 2009 to date - Cadogan Consultants
- Forensic engineering / expert witness
- Health and Safety matters
- Forensic engineering/expert witness work
- Preparing expert witness reports
- Giving evidence in court
- Inspections/appraisals of civil engineering works and structures
- Preparing Risk Assessments and Method Statements
- Matters relating to Building Standards (Scotland)
- Structural surveys, inspections and assessments.
Feb 2007 to Dec 2008 - Faber Maunsell - AECOM
- Contract Administration, Team Management, Structural Design (office) and Projects Coordinator.
- Project Manager / Design Engineer for new secondary schools PPP projects for South Lanarkshire Council (£40m).
- Arbitrator in a dispute between the Client, a major PFI Structural Contractor and a separate
- Faber Maunsell office's Design Team regarding the supply of design information and site work supervision of three new secondary schools in the Falkirk area.
- Preparing Construction (Design and Management) Health and Safety Plans.
- Preparing Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
- Project Manager / Design Engineer for new office extension at the Bush Estate, Midlothian (£2.0m).
- Project Manager / Design engineer for new police station extension for Strathclyde Police in Glasgow (£1.6m).
- Project Manager for the structural inspections of existing hotel structures in Edinburgh prior to their purchase by the Client.
- Project Manager for the structural inspections of private housing stock in Paisley prior to major engineering works taking place in the area by Scottish Water.
- Investigation to identify defects causing significant sewerage / drainage problems in a two year old medical health centre in Glasgow.
Dec 2005 to Feb 2007 - Scott Bennett Associates
- Contract Administration, Team Management, Structural Design (office) and Projects Coordinator for new private / public sector housing developments.
- Project Manager for the provision of desk top studies, ground / mineral /environmental investigations, roads / drainage / services / buildings designs for new housing developments for both public housing associations and private developers.
- All designs undertaken took account of all current legislation including requirements required for the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
- Preparing Construction (Design and Management) Health and Safety Plans.
- Preparing Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
- Liaison with clients, elected members and multi disciplinary design team members.
June 2004 to Dec 2005 - DC Farquhar and Partners
- Contract Administration, Structural Design and Projects Coordinator.
- Preparing Construction (Design and Management) Health and Safety Plans.
- Preparing Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
- Design Engineer Kirkintilloch Baptist Church (£1.6m).
- Design Engineer new industrial units.
- Structural surveys of structurally defective buildings for insurance companies and private individuals. Assessing repair programmes and supervising repair / refurbishment works
Sept 1987 to June 2004 - Renfrewshire Council (Renfrew District Council)
- Public Sector - Investment & Technical Services / Housing & Property Services Department
- Contract Administration.
- Team Management.
- Rotworks.
- Structural Surveys and associated repair works.
- Low rise and high rise structures.
- Drainage works.
- Water ingress problems.
- Lightning Protection Systems.
- Engineering co-ordinator for DDA school projects.
- Co-ordinator for Engineering Contracts data monitoring reports.
- Engineering / Departmental CDM Regulations co-ordinator.
- Liaison with Elected Members, Senior Officials and Outside Agencies.
- Performance Monitoring of Contractors and projects.
- Apply to Buy Legislation.
- Section 87 & 99 Notices.
- Environmental Services Trading Standards enquiries.
- Advisor to Council's Estates Section regarding abnormal ground conditions for the sale of land.
- Preparing Construction (Design and Management) Health and Safety Plans.
- Preparing Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
Dec 1987 to Sept 1987 - Considere and Partners
- Contract Administration, Structural Design and Site Supervision.
- Design Engineer for refurbishment of Major High Street properties in Dundee and Kirkcaldy for MacDonald Hamburgers Ltd.
Oct 1986 to April 1987 - National Nuclear Corporation (NNC)
- Contract Site Engineer at Torness Power Station, Dunbar.
- Section Engineer responsible for sealing pipe and cable penetrations through high pressure barriers and all compartment barriers throughout the power station.
June 1986 to Oct 1986 - Ove Arup & Partners
- Contract Structural Design Engineer.
- Structural Design Engineer for structures at MOD Coulport
June 1985 to May 1986 - Bruce Henderson Consultants Ltd, New Zealand
- Contract Administration, Structural, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Designs and Site Supervision.
- Project Manager £3.5m factory complex for Harvey Farms.
- Conveyor belt supporting structure design for State Coal Mines.
Nov 1983 to May 1985 - Strathclyde Regional Council, Roads Structures HQ
- Chartered Engineer / Highway Structures Design Engineer.
- Structural Design of Highway Bridge Structures.
- M80 Stepps By Pass Motorway Structures.
- M74 Motorway (Lesmahagow) Bridge.
Aug 1979 to Nov 1983 - Bullen and Partners
- Graduate (Under Agreement), Engineer/Chartered Engineer / Structural Site Engineer.
- Bridge Superstructure and substructure designs and design checks.
- Bridge Inspections in Wester Ross, Sutherland and Argyll. Geotechnical surveys and reports.
- Senior Structural Site Engineer (structures value £20m 1980/81) at Sapele New Port, Bendel State, Nigeria.
- Resident Site Engineer for a runway recabling contract at Glasgow Airport
- Design Check Friars Bridge Inverness (incorporating earthquake loadings)
Employment Record
- Jan 2009 to date: Cadogan Consultants. Civil / Structural / Forensic Engineer – Expert Witness.
- Feb 2007 to Dec 2008: Faber Maunsell - AECOM.
- Principal Structural Design Engineer – Building Structures Group Glasgow.
- Dec 2005 to Feb 2007: Scott Bennett Associates. Chartered Engineer.
- June 2004 to Dec 2005: D C Farquhar and Partners. Senior Structural Design Engineer.
- Sept 1987 to June 2004: Renfrewshire Council (Renfrew District Council). Assistant Engineering Manager / Engineering Practice Leader.
- April 1987 to Sept 1987: Considere and Partners. Chartered / Project Structural Design Engineer.
- Oct 1986 to Apr 1987: National Nuclear Corporation (NNC). Contract Site Engineer.
- June 1986 to Oct 1986: Ove Arup & Partners. Contract Structural Design Engineer.
- June 1985 to May 1986: Bruce Henderson Consultants Ltd, New Zealand. Senior Project Engineer.
- Nov 1983 to May 1985: Strathclyde Regional Council, Roads Structures HQ. Chartered Engineer / Structural Design Engineer.
- Aug 1979 to Nov 1983: Bullen and Partners. Graduate Engineer / Chartered Engineer / Structural Site Engineer.
Court Appearances
- Court of Session, Edinburgh – Personal Injury
- Aberdeen Sheriff Court – Personal Injury
- Airdrie Sheriff Court – Personal Injury
Achievements
- Award winner – National Home Improvement Council – Report on Fuel Poverty (2002).
- Quality Service Award – Renfrewshire Council (2003).
Technical Papers:
- Fuel Poverty Report 2002