MCFARLAND CONSULTING - Key Persons
Ben is a Chartered Civil Engineer who specialises in assessing and extending the life of existing infrastructure. He is responsible for managing, delivering and expanding the reach of our specialist services throughout mainland GB and has extensive knowledge in Cathodic Protection of reinforced concrete, marine metallic and on-land metallic structures.
Ben graduated with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Queen's University Belfast in 2016. During his time at university, he worked for GRAHAM Construction and part-time for McFarland Consulting, enabling him to gain experience in both the provision of newly constructed infrastructure and the testing, assessment and remediation of existing structures.
Since joining McFarland Consulting on a full-time basis in 2016, Ben has managed many of the company's largest projects from inception to completion. Ben achieved Chartered Engineer status in 2019 and currently sits on the Engineers Ireland GB Region committee. He is recognised as a Professional Member of the Institute of Corrosion, AMPP Senior Corrosion Technologist and is qualified as a Level 1 Coating Inspector and a Level 3 Senior Cathodic Protection Technician.
Bobby joined McFarland Consulting in early 2019 as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate after graduating in Computer Science from Northumbria University Newcastle in 2018.
During his time at university, Bobby has completed work and study placements in China and Denmark specialising in data analysis, web server hosting and back end software development. His computing interests also include embedded software, Internet of Things and network technologies.
Bobby's KTP focused on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) solutions making remote monitoring more accessible across a wide array of sensors. He has undertaken many research packages which included the development of low-power and off-grid data acquisition systems to monitor the strain and temperature of existing structures.
In his current role as a Software Engineer, Bobby supports the SHM team within the company developing bespoke solutions using a wide range of innovative sensors and analytical tools.
Dean is a Civil Engineer pursuing Chartered Engineer status with the ICE. Prior to moving to the UK, Dean registered as a Candidate Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa having gained three years of valuable experience in steel structures and reinforced concrete. He is responsible for conducting forensic site inspections, concrete non-destructive testing, Cathodic Protection surveys and compiling interpretative reports.
In 2017, Dean graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town - regarded as the top university in Africa. He completed his final design project in stormwater management, whilst his honours research project involved congestion analysis in transportation engineering. During part of his university vacation time, he worked for a consulting structural engineering firm performing reinforced concrete slab and stair design, as well as for an infrastructure contractor, ensuring that water pipelines were properly installed. He also briefly worked for a paving and drainage company in Perth, Australia.
Dean has experience in the construction industry of Johannesburg, where he spent a great deal of time with highly experienced Engineers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Contracts Managers across a range of projects. During this time, he learnt the basics of steel design and conducted failure-testing alongside a professional Structural Engineer. He is proud of the numerous steel structures projects that he was engaged with throughout the province of Gauteng.
Dean also has an interest in solar energy and programming, having completed online courses through MITx and DelftX. Currently, he is undertaking training to become an accredited Institute of Corrosion Cathodic Protection Technician. Since joining McFarland Consulting, Dean has been involved in conducting a range of forensic site inspections across Great Britain from his base outside London. In his spare time, he enjoys refereeing rugby.
Encarna is a highly experienced Draughtsperson who joined the company after moving from her homeland of Spain in 2014 . She has in excess of 18 years experience working as a Civil and Architectural Draughtsperson.
Enda is a Chartered Civil Engineer with considerable experience in the assessment and innovative remediation of a wide range of damaged and deteriorating structures such as buildings, bridges, multi story car parks, jetties and tunnels. He is responsible for the day to day running of the practice were he manages a number of specialist engineering teams.
In his early career, Enda worked for a specialist concrete repair contractor undertaking remedial works to a wide variety of structures. He later joined McFarlands in 2010 and having gained practical hands-on experience of the various remediation processes, the transition to a consultancy practice specialising within this field was a natural career progression.
Enda is highly experienced in the inspection, non-destructive testing, analysis and repair of deteriorating reinforced concrete structures. He has prepared bespoke concrete remedial specifications and bills of quantities and overseen the repair process on a wide variety of structures. He is a professional member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) as well as the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI). He is a qualified Level 3 Senior Cathodic Protection Technician as recognised by the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) and is a member of the Concrete Society were he holds the current positions of Vice Chairman and Secretary on the Northern Ireland Regional Committee.
Enda is regularly asked to present Continuous Professional Development (CPD) workshops for construction professionals and is also a visiting lecturer at Queens University, Ulster University and Belfast MET teaching on the subjects of reinforced concrete inspection and testing methods, concrete repair and cathodic protection. He is a STEM ambassador and acts as a supervising civil engineer and mentor to his colleagues.
Jason is a Chartered Civil Engineer specialising in the inspection, non-destructive testing, structural assessment and cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures. Jason is one of the lead Engineers in the practice who manages the on-site investigation teams planning the projects from initial site works through to production of detailed reports.
Jason has extensive experience diagnosing the deterioration of reinforcement concrete structures and designing remedial solutions to extend the life of these much-valued assets. Drawing from this experience, he is responsible for managing projects from inception to completion across a wide range of sectors within the built environment, the output of which includes the provision of: detailed reports; repair specifications; cost appraisals; cathodic protection designs, bills of quantities; and site supervision.
With a background in Civil Engineering, coupled with previous construction contracting experience, Jason also brings valuable knowledge and experience of the practical applications of a wide variety of construction methods and materials to the McFarland Consulting Team. Jason is a qualified Level 1 IRATA Rope Access Technician meaning that he is one of the very few Chartered Engineers in the UK and Ireland with this qualification.
Job Titles:
- Senior Technician
- Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer
Joel is a time served Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer with over 10 years experience. Joining us in 2021 after making the decision to pursue a new career, Joel secured a position within Lisburn Regional College (SERC) to complete a Higher Level Apprenticeship in Construction & The Built Environment with Civil Engineering, studying part time whilst working as an Apprentice Civil Engineer for McFarland Consulting Ltd.
Joel is currently working towards his BTEC HNC in Civil Engineering, with aspirations of progressing onto the BEng Civil Engineering Degree Programme at Ulster University.
Since joining McFarland Consulting Ltd, Joel has worked closely with senior engineers, gaining experience in the inspection of deteriorating structures, developing an understanding of Concrete Non-Destructive Testing and the use of Cathodic Protection to arrest steel reinforcement corrosion. While developing these skills, Joel has gained knowledge of construction methods and materials used in both historic and modern structures. Experience gained while at McFarland Consulting Ltd has allowed Joel to help with training placement students providing practical and theoretical knowledge through on-site investigations and production of reports.
Job Titles:
- Digital Engineering Research Associate
José joined McFarland Consulting in 2021, after completing his BSc and MSc degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Gdansk University of Technology Poland. Jose joined as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate with Limerick University, thanks to the Innovation Boost Programme, powered by FUSION, from InterTradeIreland (ITI).
José's KTP focused on the development of a new Virtual Communication Environment (VCE) through virtual and augmented reality.
During his time at university, José moved from his homeland Portugal to Poland thanks to the Erasmus programme where he concluded his studies.
Since joining McFarland Consulting, José has developed his knowledge in SHM, remote monitoring and Building Information Modelling (BIM) processes. Currently, José forms part of SHM team, supporting Senior Engineers with Structural Assessments in projects across the UK and Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Civil Engineer
- Member of Mutual Energy Ltd
Brian is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the condition assessment and remediation of damaged and deteriorating structures. Brian was awarded a Professorship by Queens University in recognition of his extensive experience and also performs expert witness duties
After graduating from Aston University, Brian joined Mott MacDonald where he later became chartered. His work at Motts, within their Special Services Division, retained him within the specialist field of deteriorating structures and led to experience working overseas. Whilst at Motts, he became interested in the deterioration of car parks and underground structures and has since published a variety of articles on the subjects.
On becoming Chartered, he worked for a UK leading Contractor (Makers) and spent some six years developing the practical applications of various electro-chemical, concrete repair techniques. During this time, he was involved with a variety of Universities including Queens University Belfast (QUB), Imperial College and Herriot Watt to name but a few. Brian was also involved in undertaking a demonstration project for the US Highway Authority as part of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). This took the form of a chloride extraction project on a bridge structure in South Dakota.
Brian returned to Belfast in 2000 and set up McFarland Associates Ltd (becoming McFarland Consulting Ltd in 2020). Since then, he has steered the company into the monitoring and maintenance of structural assets through their life cycle. The Company is now accepted as being a leading force in this field and has recently commenced on an InvestNI Research & Development Grant aided project for taking its services and developments to a wider audience.
In 2016, Brian was appointed by The Royal Academy of Engineering, as a visiting Professorship of QUB. His subject is "Managing Ageing Infrastructure and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) in Civil Engineering". This is in recognition of the significant expertise Brian has gained over the years in assessing, monitoring and repairing ageing infrastructure. Brian is also Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Board of Civil Engineering at QUB.
Brian is a member of Mutual Energy Ltd which manages strategic energy assets in the long-term interests of Northern Ireland's energy consumers. Brian has also been a Director of Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) Centre, looking at the use of composites in construction.
Thomas joined McFarland Consulting Ltd in 2018 as an ICE Apprentice. Since this time, he has successfully completed his Foundation Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and progressed into the MEng Civil Engineering Degree Programme at Ulster University.
Since joining the team, Thomas has gained extensive experience in the design and application of Cathodic Protection Systems across the Reinforced Concrete, Marine Metallic, and On-Land Metallic application sectors.
Thomas travels across the UK on a weekly basis, utilising skills developed from a previous employment as a Team Leader to oversee Concrete Non-Destructive Testing works and Monitor Cathodic Protection Systems on behalf of Senior Engineers.
Thomas is an Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) Level 1 qualified Coating Inspector and Level 3 Senior Cathodic Protection Technician. With industry training and experience in Working at Heights, Confined Space Access, Electricity, Water, Rail, PASMA and NPORS, he has the skills and knowledge necessary to assist with a wide variety of high-risk or technically challenging tasks.