About Instruct
Expert Consultancy
Instruct is a leading engineering practice that provides structural engineering and forensic consulting services for large-scale building and infrastructure projects in Melbourne.
Built on 20 plus years of design and construction experience across all the major sectors, we offer a range of services to private and government clients including building investigations and assessments, expert witness consultancy, heritage and adaptive reuse design and technical advisory.
Whether it's multi-res, Defence, airport terminals, industrial, universities, hospitals or heritage, we have the expert structural advice you need, when you need it most.
Instruct: experience, reliability, trust
Our Origins
Stephen Boyes | Founder | Director
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Civil Engineering
MIEAust CPEng EngExec NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)
Advanced Diploma Civil and Environmental Engineering
Registered Professional Engineer Victoria - PE0003628
Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ)
Stephen Boyes is an accomplished structural engineer, project Director and the founder of Instruct.
Over the past 20 years he has designed and led teams to deliver a variety of major and award-winning projects across the following sectors:
- Residential and hotel
- Commercial and retail
- Industrial and data centres
- Major health
- Sports, recreation and aquatic
- Education
- Aviation and Defence
Stephen has worked throughout Australia at leading engineering consultancies such as Lend Lease Design, Robert Bird Group and WSP, and some of his recent projects include Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct | $740M, Westmead Innovation Quarter | $350M, Melbourne Airport Northern Infill Expansion | $230M, Marvel Stadium Redevelopment | $250M, MCEC Novotel Hotel | $190M, UNO Apartments | $220M and Melbourne Quarter | $2.9B.
Stephen has a wealth of design experience with reinforced and post-tensioned concrete, structural steel, composite steel/concrete, mass timber and modular structures and advanced forensic investigative and analysis skills. He is an advocate for sustainable design and has a passion for heritage and adaptive reuse engineering.
Now at the helm of Instruct, Stephen utilises his knowledge and expertise to assist property owners and their representatives to navigate through the structural complexities, constraints and challenges associated with their built assets and new developments.
Services
Building Damage and Performance Investigations
Building Damage and Performance Investigations
Building Damage and Performance Investigations
Condition and Dilapidation Reporting
Building Damage and Performance Investigations
Building Damage and Performance Investigations
Masterplanning and Feasibility
Masterplanning and Feasibility
Masterplanning and Feasibility
Technical Advisory and Design Review
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Adjoining Owner Protection Works Review
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
Construction Stage Inspection and Reporting
Construction Stage Inspection and Reporting
Construction Stage Inspection and Reporting
Construction Stage Inspection and Reporting
Damage and Performance Investigations
Building damage and performance investigations are detailed examinations undertaken by experienced structural engineers to identify cause of failure, damage or substandard performance. These studies are often referred to as forensic structural engineering investigations.
Damage and poor performance can arise in various ways including accidents, natural disasters (earthquakes, wind, flood or fire), design or construction error, negligence or through use of substandard materials or components. Substandard performance could point to behaviour like excessive deflection, settlement, rotation, deformation, cracking or vibration.
Building investigations of this nature require visual site inspections, existing documentation review, and in some cases, destructive and non-destructive materials testing and analysis. The structural analysis may involve performing retrospective calculations and undertaking finite element modelling to evaluate shear and bending, stress and strain and resulting building movements to determine causation.
Instruct are experts in existing building investigation and analysis and we can provide a full suite of services and remedial strengthening design to meet your requirements.
Condition and Dilapidation Reporting
A structural condition report, or due diligence report, is a building investigation that provides a structural assessment and overview of a building's as-built, in-situ condition.
A condition report lists defects and maintenance issues that should be treated to avoid accelerated degradation of the structure and/or potential safety issues. The report also provides guidance for repairs along with recommended timeframes. This information can be used for various purposes by building owners and operators, insurance companies or potential purchasers.
A structural dilapidation report is a document that assesses the condition of a building before or after construction work has commenced. A dilapidation investigation is generally undertaken by an independent, third-party structural engineer such as Instruct to ensure unbiased, objective reporting.
Dilapidation reports record existing damage and defects to serve as the baseline for any future assessment or dispute. The intent of the report is to protect property owners, developers and builders against claims of damage from neighbouring properties.
Adaptive Reuse
Adaptive reuse is the process of repurposing an existing building for a new use. Examples include converting an existing office building into apartments, a hotel or a laboratory.
Adaptive reuse is an inherently sustainable approach to design and construction which reduces the need for new materials, demolition, waste, labour and cost. Converting unoccupied offices into apartments can also effectively address housing shortage challenges.
Engaging with an experienced structural engineer from Instruct to assess the ability for an existing building to support new uses and loads is an important task that should be undertaken in the early stages of planning. Some existing buildings will require strengthening and retrofitting to comply with modern code requirements such as wind and earthquake which can increase complexity and cost and reduce viability. This is particularly true if there is a change in use or major alterations or extensions are proposed.
Instruct specialise in existing building investigations and design for heritage and adaptive reuse projects in Melbourne. Our interventions begin with data collection and detailed reviews of the existing structural drawings, reports and survey and visual inspections and assessments of the subject building. If the building is particularly old, and as-built documentation is lacking, techniques such as ultrasonic testing and 3D surveys, sampling and finite element modelling are employed to determine the existing capacity and necessary strengthening requirements to achieve code compliance.
In some cases, such as high-rise adaptive reuse, it may be possible to add a vertical extension of additional floors without significant strengthening as the existing capacity of an office building is generally higher than its residential counterpart. These additional floors, could then be framed with carbon sequestering mass timber, further increasing sustainability and the financial viability of the development. Other sustainability initiatives such as green steel and concrete can also be explored as part of the design development process.
Expert Witness Services
An expert witness investigation is a process whereby an independent structural engineer examines evidence and provides specialist structural engineering opinion to inform and assist in resolving disputes and legal proceedings.
Expert witnesses are highly knowledgeable and experienced professionals with a detailed understanding of materials, design, construction, analysis and building systems. They are also well versed in the requirements of the National Code of Construction, Australian Standards and Regulations.
The expert witness plays a critical role in determining structural integrity, compliance and performance and provides objective and impartial technical opinions relating to causation, remediation and strengthening.
Instruct provides a range of expert witness services for major building projects in Melbourne and we can assist with all stages of the process, be it the structural investigation, detailed analysis, reporting, discovery or trial.
Heritage Investigations
Heritage investigations are typically undertaken to inform conservation planning or future redevelopment.
In a heritage investigation, data relating to the existing structures age, construction method, materials and geometry, and any signs of decay or damage are recorded. The investigation may also require the structural engineer to identify the key reasons why the building is of structural importance or to provide strengthening design that will allow the heritage facade to be safely retained during construction.
As most heritage buildings are particularly old, it is unlikely that existing structural documentation will be available to verify the as-built structure. Accordingly, different types of in-situ and laboratory testing can be utilised to determine the critical structural characteristics and properties of elements such as legacy concrete, steel, masonry and timber.
Masterplanning & Feasibility
Masterplanning is the process by which a preliminary planning strategy is developed by a design team to guide the future development of a large site or precinct.
Masterplanning requires high-level structural engineering input and can be developed for immediate implementation or staged over an extended period of years. Long-term masterplanning requires ongoing review and update to adapt to changes in government policy, planning restrictions, commercial viability, adjacent infrastructure and changing technology.
A structural feasibility study is a preliminary design review of a proposed development. The purpose of this review is to assist in determining if a project should proceed to the next stage of design from a cost and risk perspective. A feasibility study helps to identify preliminary design strategies, siting options and risk factors such as poor geology, existing in-ground conditions, heritage or conservation restrictions and other factors which could adversely influence future development.
Instruct have leading experience with large-scale masterplanning and feasibility review gained from projects such as the $2.9B Melbourne Quarter precinct and we can provide you with the expert structural advice you need to ensure that structural strategies are clearly considered, defined and costed and that potential risks are mitigated in the early stages of planning.
Metro Tunnel DDO Property Impact Investigations
The new Metro Tunnel in Melbourne comprises 9km of twin rail tunnels and five new underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac).
The Metro DDO, or Design and Development Overlay, is a planning overlay which prescribes design limitations to protect the new tunnels and stations from potentially excessive loading, vibration and movement that could arise from unmitigated development and construction of adjacent sites.
The DDO applies to the Melbourne, Port Phillip and Stonnington planning schemes and a planning permit is required for works within this zone. If your property is located within the DDO, the restrictions can adversely affect the degree to which you can develop your site in terms of building layout, storey height and number of basements.
Instruct have a detailed understanding of the Metro Tunnel design and DDO criteria and we can perform building investigations and provide advice to assist adjacent property owners to understand the limitations and risks imposed by the DDO on their sites. This information is critical to inform masterplanning and feasibility studies and future development.
Trusted Advisory
Tailored Services
Innovative Analysis
Innovative Analysis
At Instruct, we deliver expert structural engineering services that are tailored to your specific needs. We will work closely with you to gain a robust understanding of the project constraints and requirements and provide quality advice and smart engineering solutions that meet the brief.
Innovative Analysis
Innovative Analysis
Innovative Analysis
We leverage advanced analysis tools to rigorously examine complex structural behaviour as part of our building investigation process. This allows our forensic structural engineers to accurately investigate issues such as cause of failure or compromised performance and to develop appropriate engineering solutions.
Best in Practice
Innovative Analysis
Responsible Engineering
We provide best in practice structural engineering and expert witness consultancy and we are committed to continuous technical development so that our offering evolves with the latest advancements in analysis, design and construction.
Responsible Engineering
Responsible Engineering
Responsible Engineering
We care about the planet, and we advocate for adaptive reuse, low carbon materials and efficient structural engineering and construction practices to minimise the impact of development on the environment.
Trust
Responsible Engineering
Trust
Our client relationships are based on trust and we adhere to the highest of ethical standards to ensure confidentiality and objectivity on each-and-every project.