- University College Cardiff, BSc Civil and Structural Engineering
- Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1977
- Commercial Qualified Diver, 1977
Richard is a civil and structural engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the design and construction of new ports, marine feasibility studies, planning, economic viability and environmental impacts of ports. He now specialises in assessing and advising on Fixed and Floating Object Damage (FFOD). Richard has also provided written and oral expert evidence in arbitration and mediation.
Richard has nine years of experience of engineering, economic and environmental feasibility studies for new ports including site selection, technical development options, repair and upgrading as well as providing technical support during the design and construction. This also included harbour wave simulations and both numerical and physical models of port layouts including the establishment of navigation approach channels, vessel turning circles, and areas for the manoeuvring of vessels. Further responsibilities included management of the design of specialist fender and mooring systems and studies to re-establish abandoned and problematic ports. Five years was spent in the Middle East supervising the construction of ports including three years as Resident Engineer.
For the last ten years, Richard’s speciality has been in surveying vessel impact damage to port infrastructures (FFOD), assessment of consequential costs to determine how liabilities can be mitigated, together with the provision of technical support to enable an arrested vessel to be released. He also has extensive experience in the development, and negotiation, of cost effective repair solutions and assessing the cause and effect of vessel impacts and advising on unsafe ports. Furthermore, Richard’s expertise covers mechanical equipment including assessment of damages to port cranes, managing the repair or dismantling of container cranes, loaders and mobile cranes, assessment of damages and repair to Chiksans and other loading arms, as well as linkspans, locks and floating docks.