Paul Griffin

Biography

Paul Griffin is an experienced Structural Engineer with over 25 years’ experience in both steel and reinforced concrete design. He has also worked in the Insurance Sector undertaking structural surveys and scoping of damage exercises, feeding into claim cost reviews.

He has managed teams of technical experts on various large and CAT losses around the world. He coordinated review of damages to hotels, power plants and yachting facilities throughout the Caribbean following hurricanes Irma & Maria in 2017 and Dorian in 2019. Similarly he assessed damages on four industrial fish processing facilities in Chile as well as assessment of the property damage claim of a large wood pulp manufacturer with sites throughout Chile following an earthquake in February 2010. He has amongst others undertaken the structural assessment of a cement factory in Ireland, meat processing facility in Holland and Bakery in Saudi Arabia following major fires. He has worked on several CAT losses following flooding in the UK, notably through the Thames valley in 2014 and North Yorkshire in 2016 and 2019 /20.

Paul has assessed damage to the concrete support frame to a large steam turbine following a fire in Kuwait, assessed damage to structural frames following a fire at a petrochemical plant in the Czech Republic and assessed a multi storey reinforced concrete building to a production facility in Finland. He has undertaken the inspection of damage to buildings located in the British Virgin Islands at a yacht charter facility and buildings associated with a power distribution facility on the Island of Anguilla and a power facility and private dwellings in the Bahamas. More recently has assessed fire and fire-fighting water damage to a 5-star hotel in the skiing resort of Megeve following a roof fire. He has also assessed damage to building fabric and equipment at a Music Hall in Berlin following the malicious activation of a deluge fire-fighting water system to the nearly completed facility in May 2019. He has also undertaken assessment of damages to a disc grinding facility and a membrane manufacturing facility for a large multinational organisation following a fire and flooding respectively.

Paul developed wider project management and engineering management skills working on the preparation of employer’s requirement specifications and determined infrastructure solutions to large integrated waste PFI contracts. He oversaw the delivery of the infrastructure development from design to construction for a large East London waste PFI. He also completed a year-long resident engineer post earlier in his career on the construction of a new Fenwick department store in Canterbury having initially completed the detailed design and procurement phase.

Representative Consulting Assignments

• Four Seasons Hotel | Commercial & Public Buildings | Fire, Megeve, France, 2019. Following the localised roof fire and subsequent fire-fighting water damage, we completed inspections with a building services engineer to assess the scope of damage and repair strategy to facilitate the expeditious opening of the hotel for the critical winter season.
• Titanium Dioxide Plant | Heavy Industry | Fire, Finland, 2017 – Following a fire at the titanium dioxide manufacturing facility a large central section of the building and manufacturing process had been affected. Engaged to provide technical support with regards to scoping the plant and structural damage. This included agreeing the extents of demolition and proposed temporary and permanent reinstatement works together with detailed costing reviews of the claim.
• Bhotekoshi Hydropower Plant | Power & Energy | GLOF, Nepal, Kathmandu, 2017 – A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) occurred in the Himalayas that resulted in flood waters devastating a downstream dam and power plant. I attended site with a geotechnical and mechanical engineer to assess the damage to the facility and assist with reinstatement cost estimates.
• Telecommunications Tower | Infrastructure | Fire, Yorkshire, Aug 2021. A Fire occurred on a 1000 foot steel cylindrical mast and to adjoining buildings. Technical support was provided following site inspections on causation and scope of damage and provision of costs for reserve and full reinstatement purposes.
• Petrochemical Plant | Petrochemical, Chemicals & Gas | Fire, Czech Republic, 2015. An explosion at a petrochemical facility resulted in an extensive fire that caused damage to steel piperacks and pyrolysis heaters. Responsible for reviewing the damage to the structures, heaters and all cabling and instrumentation to establish the full scope of damage. We also reviewed causation. We were appointed to assist with the reinstatement programme to ensure the reinstatement works were expedited to mitigate the Business Interruption.
• USCO, Machinery Breakdown | Heavy Industry | Fire, Bahrain, 2018. Scoping of damage to the process equipment and utility systems in a 90 Kt/y Combination Annealing and Pickling Line following a significant fire. Review and approval of the OEM (Danieli) re-instatement proposal, specifications, value at risk (cover) calculation and associated costs as presented by the Insured.
• Whiskey Distillery | Manufacturing | Snow loading, Inverness 2009. Following heavy snow falls in Scotland over the Christmas period 2009-2010, the roof to one of the bonded warehouses housing casks of aged whiskey partially collapsed. Damage to the roof over the distillery building also occurred. Compiled a report that outlined the extent of the damage and noted the permanent repair works as set out by the insured. Also compiled costing review of these remedial works for presentation to the Loss Adjustor and attended the final settlement meeting.
• South African Refinery | Petroleum & Refineries | Flood, Durbin, May 2022. A flooding event occurred following the breakout of a nearby concrete canal following a prolonged period of rain in the region. Technical support was provided on costing analysis of reinstatement works.
• The Bitter End Hotel | Commercial & Public Buildings | Spanish town, BVI, 2017. This facility is a world renowned hotel complex in the Caribbean and suffered extensive damage due to the two hurricanes Irma & Maria. Assessment of structural foundations, monitoring pre-existing damage was critical along with assessment of the superstructure damage to the various buildings on the site.
• Yorkshire Water Utility | Infrastructure | Flood, 2016 & 2019. Water supply and treatment utility was affected following several severe storms, flooding occurred at multiple sites across the network of a major northern utility. This included several significant sites incorporating a large incinerator and Thermal Hydrolysis Plant as well as over 100 other smaller waste treatment facilities and pumping stations. Co-ordinated initial assessment of damage at key sites and secondary sites with a team of over 20 Engineers of various disciplines and provided costing support to review the Insured's claim and assist with settlement discussions. Following further storms in 2019/20 undertook site inspections to 20+ key facilities around the county.
• Power Plant | Power & Energy | Anguilla, 2017. The main power plant facility to the island and associated buildings as operated by Anglec were heavily damaged. We assessed plant as well as infrastructure including adjoining tank storage facilities and a newly installed solar farm.
• Sabiya CCGT, Stream Turbine | Power & Energy | Fire, Kuwait, 2014. The failure of a 250MWe steam turbine occurred which affected the alternator, switchgear and structure to the building within which three of these steam turbines were housed. Responsible for reviewing the damage to the turbine, structure and switchgear. Preliminary and interim reports were compiled that outlined the scope of damage due to the incident and repair schedule and monitored repair and progress on site.
• Qatar Railway | Infrastructure | Flood, Qatar 2018. Following exceptional rainstorms in November the partially constructed Qatar Metro experienced flooding of several stations. I co-ordinated input following a site visit of a team reviewing structural, rail infrastructure and geotechnical issues.
• Cement Factory | Heavy Industry | Fire, Republic of Ireland, 2012. A major fire destroyed the cladding and some structural steelwork to a disused building that was previously used for the manufacture of precast cement products. Responsible for assessing the scope of damage to the steel framed structure. The works included scoping of the damage and preparation of a scope of damage drawing, scheduling the extent of damage and likely repair works needed. Costs of the damage and repair works were also estimated to assist the Loss Adjustor with settlement proposals.
• Verti Music Hall | Commercial & Public Buildings | Escape of water, Berlin, Germany, 2019. A release of deluge water within the music hall, assessments were made on fittings and fixtures as well as sound equipment within the main concert hall. Liaised with local OEM’s and engineers to determine the repair / replacement strategy to also facilitate the planned concert schedule.
• 3M Manufacturing Facility | Manufacturing | Flood, Wuppertal, Germany, July 2021. Facility manufacturers polymer membranes for medical and industrial use. Flood water inundated the site from a nearby river, flooding process buildings and storage facilities. Provided technical assessment of scope of damage and costs for reinstatement, works to reinstatement on a temporary basis and long term repair strategies developed.
• Fish Processing Facility | Manufacturing | Chile, 2010. An earthquake in Chile resulted in the structural damage of four fish processing companies in Concepcion, Chile. Following data gathering and structural surveys, completed reports that outlined extents of damage, as well as the estimated costs of demolition, remedial and new build activities. This was to provide reports for the Loss Adjustors that assist in assessing extents of liability and to facilitate settlement of claims. Works following this earthquake then expanded to include review of the property damage claim prepared by the insured of several wood pulp plants based throughout Chile, following settlement of the fisheries claims. This entailed assessment of the claim in relation to our scope of damage reports and documentation provided by the insured to validate their claim.

Education

• Trinity College - BSc (Eng) - Structural Engineering Degree - Dublin