Structural Engineering · Existing Buildings
Engineering
Better.
Structural engineers specialising in existing buildings. We help owners, architects, builders and project teams understand, adapt, strengthen and transform existing structures — from heritage buildings and adaptive reuse to forensic engineering, investigations, remediation and temporary works.
Preserving, adapting and understanding existing buildings.
Whether you're navigating heritage approvals, investigating cracking or movement, planning an alteration, exploring adaptive reuse opportunities or assessing the potential of an existing asset, understanding the building comes first.
We have a particular passion for heritage preservation, adaptive reuse and helping existing buildings continue their story for future generations. Our heritage structural engineering work is one of our flagship specialist capabilities, delivered from our offices in Melbourne and Sydney.
Whether you're looking to preserve, adapt, strengthen, repair, extend or better understand an existing building, we help clients make informed decisions with confidence.
- Heritage & Conservation
- Navigating heritage approvals, constraints and preservation requirements.
- Cracking & Movement
- Understanding the cause of defects before deciding what to do next.
- Alterations & Additions
- Exploring what is possible before committing to design or construction.
- Adaptive Reuse
- Finding new life and new opportunities within existing structures.
- Development Potential
- Understanding the capacity and limitations of existing buildings.
- Investigation & Advice
- Providing evidence, clarity and practical recommendations before intervention.
When the building is uncertain, the next step shouldn’t be.
Cracks. Movement. Water ingress. Changing requirements. Heritage constraints. Incomplete records.
Whether something appears to be going wrong, or an existing building needs to accommodate a new use, uncertainty can make the next decision difficult.
SFE helps owners, owners corporations, project managers, architects and development teams understand what is happening, what matters and what should happen next.
Through careful investigation, experienced structural judgement and practical engineering, we turn uncertainty into a clear path forward.
Understand what is really happening
We begin with the building itself: its history, available records, visible symptoms, structural behaviour and any previous changes. Before forming opinions, we gather evidence.
Separate genuine risk from uncertainty
Not every crack signals failure, and not every hidden condition is harmless. We identify what requires action, what requires further investigation and what can be managed with confidence.
Develop a solution that works in the real world
Whether the outcome is monitoring, repair, strengthening, modification or adaptive reuse, our advice considers access, construction sequence, cost, heritage fabric and how the work can actually be delivered.
Give people confidence to move forward
We explain what we have found, what it means and what should happen next in language people can understand and act upon.
Complex problems. Carefully resolved.
New buildings • Structural Investigation • Forensic engineering • Building Modification
371-375 Pitt Street Hotel
- Challenge
- Unlike many new-build projects where the structural system develops progressively through the design process, this commission required critical review of an already advanced structural…
- Response
- Sheer Force Engineering adopted a staged review process combining peer review, advanced modelling assessment and strategic structural option studies. Base Model Review The engagement…
Condition Assessment • Existing Buildings • Structural Investigation • Building Modification • Adaptive reuse
Leichhardt Bus Depot Ev Transition Assessment
- Challenge
- Unlike new-build developments, the Leichhardt Bus Depot presented the challenges commonly associated with adapting an established operational facility. The Sydney site comprised structures…
- Response
- Sheer Force Engineering undertook a systematic structural assessment of the Leichhardt Bus Depot to establish the condition of existing assets and identify considerations associated with…
Adaptive reuse • Existing Buildings • Building Modification • Structural Investigation
473–479 Victoria Street
- Challenge
- The project team set out to explore how an underutilised commercial building could be repositioned for a new generation of residential use while making the most of the structure that was…
- Response
- SFE became closely involved in evaluating how the retained building might accommodate vertical expansion, adaptive reuse and contemporary residential requirements. Concept development…
What we are seeing, learning and thinking about.
A Heritage Church's Second Chance: Lessons from a Structural Investigation
When we were asked to assess a former church in Kilmore, the key question was whether the building could safely be reused as a place of worship under new ownership. What we found was a…
September 2026 · 7 min read
When a Basement Starts Cracking: Looking Beyond the Surface
When we were asked to investigate cracking and water ingress within a large multi-level basement car park, the immediate concern was whether several prominent cracks indicated a serious…
September 2026 · 6 min read
When a Heritage Warehouse Starts Moving: Following the Clues
When we were asked to investigate a converted heritage warehouse that had developed cracking, sagging balconies, and noticeable movement, the initial signs didn't appear to fit together…
September 2026 · 7 min read
Tell us what you are working on.
Existing buildings, heritage structures, adaptive reuse projects, investigations or remediation works. If you're dealing with a structural challenge, we'd be happy to talk it through.
- admin@sheerforceeng.com
- Telephone (Melbourne)
- +61 (03) 9647 2227
- Telephone (Sydney)
- +61 (02) 8074 0227
Studio Locations
Melbourne (Head Office)
Level 6 / 114 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
Sydney Office
Suite 302, Level 3, 50 York Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
Queensland
Address coming soon