Mr John Cranna

John Robert Cranna is a Chartered Engineer he graduated from Durham University with an honours degree in Engineering Science in 1978. He gained chartered status with the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1985.

His expertise involves the design of new building structures (both domestic and industrial), renovation and change of use of old buildings, surveys of houses and buildings for new owners and subsidence investigations and retaining wall design. John is experienced in the design of steel and concrete frame buildings and design of timber and masonry in domestic and industrial buildings. He undertakes steel portal frame design for both agricultural and industrial buildings and, has produced a set of ‘load tables’ for steel fabricators to use in the design of agricultural steel portal frame buildings in compliance with BS 5502:22.

John has been consulted many times on expert witness work for various building failures. Most cases have been resolved before court proceedings. He has given evidence in court in the case of the collapse of a large retaining wall and to report on the safety of a steel frame agricultural building. He also has experience in the production of reports as a single joint expert.

Typical expert witness cases in which he has been involved include:
• Collapse of a retaining wall in Haverfordwest due to utility contractors digging a trench in front of an old stone retaining wall. Working for the claimant.
• Damage to a retaining wall in Merthyr Tydfil. Working for the claimant
• Defects to an extension in Newport. Working for the defendant.
• Assessing value of a partly built garden room in Cardiff and assessing quality of the completed work. Working for the claimant.
• Assessing the quality of the base timbers laid for a garden room and whether it was suitable to support a snooker table. Working for the claimant
• Determining the stability and build quality of a conservatory in Milford Haven. Working for the claimant
• Leaking of a large swim spa (5m x 2m) due to faulty installation, Newport. Working for the claimant
• Defects in a garden room roof that was re-glazed in Abergavenny. Working for the claimant
• Stability of a steel framed hay barn in Abergavenny. Working for the claimant.

All instructions via a solicitor, the advice given is impartial and John always works to aid the court to understand the structural technical side of the argument. Can also review the case initially and produce a pre-action report which will aid the solicitor to determine if there is a strong enough case to take it to court.

Successfully completed the ‘Cardiff University Bond Solon (CUBS) Expert Witness Certificate.’ The CUBS Certificate was established over 20 years ago, has been completed by over 2,000 experts and is held in extremely high regard by instructing parties, due to the fact holders of the Certificate are able to demonstrate they have been appropriately trained by experienced lawyer-trainers, but also assessed and deemed competent to fulfil the role of an expert witness by one of the top law schools in the land.

Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers