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Prof David Nethercot appointed as assessor to assist Grenfell Tower Inquiry Chairman

David Nethercot, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering, has been appointed by the Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to assist him in considering technical issues relating to the design and construction of the building and its refurbishment.

Professor Nethercot has more than forty years’ experience of research, specialised advisory work and committee activity in the area of steel and composite construction. He has acted as an expert on the Wembley Stadium roof, the collapse of the Gerrards Cross tunnel and the new Forth Bridge – and provided specialist advice for numerous building and infrastructure projects. His roles with steel construction companies have covered design, product development and regulatory issues

For ten years Professor Nethercot served as Chairman of the British Standards Institute (BSI) committee responsible for the UK’s Steel Buildings Code as well as input to the Eurocodes. He now chairs the BSI committee with overall responsibility for all Structural Codes. In addition, David has supervised more than forty externally-funded research projects, the findings from which have informed codes of practice and guidance on the use of materials in building design and engineering – plus, he has authored some four hundred technical papers.

“Like others, I was deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of life at the Grenfell Tower. I hope that my scientific background and technical objectivity will assist the Inquiry team in its current task and play a part in reducing the possibility of such a tragedy ever occurring again in the future. This is no small undertaking but the importance of the Inquiry’s work cannot be overstated; it is a privilege to be able to contribute to this process.”
Professor David Nethercot

Formerly Head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Imperial College London, and Deputy Principal (Teaching) of the Engineering Faculty, Professor Nethercot was awarded a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree in 1993 and elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering in that same year. He is a past President of the Institution of Structural Engineers and a former Council Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

In 2006 he was awarded an OBE for services to Structural Engineering – and was elected as a foreign member of the Australian and American National Academies of Engineering in 2010 and 2015 respectively.

Further information on the inquiry and the team of assessors can be found on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry site – along with the protocol on the role of the assessors. Enquiries can be directed tomedia@grenfelltowerinquiry.org.ukor 07958 054267.