This blog was updated on 11th December 2024 – with a new video to accompany it.

At SWJ Consulting, we understand the critical role that reinforcement detailing plays in the success of construction projects. While many firms outsource detailing work, often to external companies abroad, we’ve made the deliberate choice to keep all reinforcement detailing in-house. This decision ensures we maintain full control over quality, accuracy, and compliance—providing our clients with peace of mind and dependable results.

Why We Keep Reinforcement Detailing In-House

Outsourcing detailing work may seem like a cost-effective solution, but it often comes with challenges:

Quality Concerns: External detailing houses, whether based in the UK or abroad, can vary in the quality of their work. At SWJ Consulting, we’ve encountered subpar outputs in the past, which reinforced our commitment to handling this work internally.

Compliance Confidence: By managing detailing in-house, we guarantee all work adheres to relevant codes, such as EC2 and the IStructE Detailing Manual. This ensures that projects meet rigorous standards without compromise.

Rapid Problem-Solving: Errors, while rare, can happen in any project. Keeping detailing in-house allows us to quickly identify and resolve issues, saving time and preventing delays.

Accountability: As a consultancy, we believe the responsibility for every aspect of a project ultimately falls on us. Keeping detailing in-house ensures we’re in control every step of the way, ensuring seamless project delivery.

Expert Leadership and Knowledge Sharing

Our in-house detailing team is led by Russell Wrapson, one of SWJ’s directors. With over 20 years of experience in reinforcement detailing—and training from a mentor with over 40 years in the field—Russell ensures our detailing meets the highest standards.

Jordan Day, who has worked alongside Russell for more than eight years, is another integral part of our detailing team. Together, they uphold SWJ’s ethos of knowledge sharing and staff training, ensuring our junior team members grow into skilled professionals.

Both Rhys Skym and Sam Johnston, our other directors, are fully capable of supporting reinforcement detailing when required, but Russell and Jordan take the lead in this critical area.

Case Study: Littlemore Housing Development

One of our recent projects highlights the benefits of our in-house detailing approach. We collaborated with Hill Group on phase one of the Littlemore development in Oxford. This project included:

Low-rise housing: Built on vibro-improved ground using traditional construction methods.

Three five-storey flat blocks: Featuring concrete frames and piled foundations, with one block including a transfer slab at the first floor supporting load-bearing masonry above.

For this project, our team:

  • Delivered comprehensive reinforcement detailing, including sizes, lengths, and shapes for ordering reinforcements.
  • Produced precise placement drawings for contractors to install reinforcements within floors, walls, and columns.
  • Met the client’s accelerated design programme, completing the detailing in a time frame comparable to outsourced options.

Embracing 3D Detailing

In our commitment to innovation, SWJ Consulting is working towards delivering reinforcement details in a 3D environment across all projects. This transition will improve accuracy, visualisation, and collaboration for clients, contractors, and design teams alike.

Why Choose SWJ Consulting?

By keeping reinforcement detailing in-house, we provide our clients with:

Unmatched quality control.

Faster problem resolution.

Assurance of compliance with industry standards.

A team that prioritises accountability and collaboration.

If you’re looking for a structural engineering consultancy that ensures exceptional reinforcement detailing and smooth project delivery, get in touch today at 01993 225085 or email mail@swjconsulting.co.uk.