David Close
Consultant Maritime Civil Engineer
Fixed & Floating Object Damage
Ports and Harbours
Qualified commercial diver
Expert Witness
David is a Chartered Maritime Civil Engineer with over 35 years’ experience of port and coastal engineering including port development, dredging and land reclamation. David’s experience ranges from pre-feasibility studies through to detailed design, tendering, contracting, and contract supervision and administration.
He has extensive practical experience working on site and in developing cost-effective interventions for the repair and limitation of damage to port and marine infrastructure in Fixed & Floating Object Damage (FFOD) cases worldwide. David regularly attends on-site immediately after an incident to assess the damage, advise on temporary repairs, monitor operations and assist in resolution of the claim.
David is a fully qualified commercial diver and dives on FFOD cases to inspect underwater port structures, perform damage assessments and to monitor repairs and operations.
David also has extensive experience in port and coastal infrastructure design, including causeways and reclaimed islands, master-planning and terminal design. He has a range of experience with different terminal types, including container, oil and gas facilities and bulk terminals. He has also worked on projects involving Single Point Moorings, (SPM), Conventional Buoy Moorings (CBM) and has experience involving damage to shore-side cranes due to vessel contact.
He has given evidence as an expert witness at a public inquiry in England and has prepared expert reports for court cases in London and the USA.