Investigations

Underwater Investigations

Since the founding of the company in 1970, Childs Engineering has been fielding qualified engineer/divers throughout the USA and Worldwide. Our in-house staff of Professional Engineers are trained commercial divers and members of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI).

By using experienced engineer divers to conduct an inspection we are able to better understand the structural issues found during an inspection and determine what has been caused by the overloading of a structure versus the normal degradation during its life. In addition, at Childs Engineering, the same engineer divers conducting the inspection will write the report outlining the findings, any recommended repairs, cost estimates for those repairs, and will produce design drawings and specification so the structure can be repaired.

Childs Engineering owns and maintains equipment to conduct SCUBA and Surface Supplied Air diving operations including timber and concrete coring, non destructive testing, photography, and videography. All diving is conducted to the standards of USACE EM 385-1-1 or OSHA Commercial Diving Operations, to ensure the safety of our dive team and others around us.



We conduct routine, design level, construction oversight, and emergency inspections and all water based structures, including bridges, piers, wharfs, seawalls, and marinas. Our inspections are conducted according to the American Society of Civil Engineers Standard Practice Manual No. 101 – Underwater Investigations. This manual was edited by the founder of Childs Engineering.

No matter if the inspection takes a few hours or several months, Childs Engineering has the team that can mobilize around the world on short notice, to provide you with the information you need to keep the structure operational.