Authority
Peer-reviewed publications, BS 8102:2022 committee authorship, CIRIA C817 contribution, and expert witness registrations - and the three registered Waterproofing Design Specialists who make up the CLW design team.
Ben Hickman MEng PGDipSurv MSt (Cantab) C.Build E CSSW WDS MAE MCIOB MCABE is the principal and technical director of CLW Consulting. His credentials include two peer-reviewed journal papers, four standards and guidance authorships, past chairmanship of the Property Care Association, two expert witness registrations, and a record of invited conference presentations spanning 2017 to 2026. This page consolidates the independently verifiable evidence of those credentials, and sets out the team that holds them alongside him.
The team
The Waterproofing Design Specialist (WDS) register is the Property Care Association's senior, peer-reviewed credential beyond the CSSW. CLW holds three registrations, so design and independent review are carried out by separately qualified specialists rather than one person checking their own work.
Technical Director
MEng PGDipSurv MSt (Cantab) C.Build E CSSW WDS MAE MCIOB MCABE
Founder and Technical Director. Contributing member of the BSI committee for BS 8102:2022, named author of CIRIA C817, Past Chair of the Property Care Association, and registered expert witness. Full record below.
Design Manager
BA MCIOB CSSW PCAQT WDS
Chartered Construction Manager and PCA-registered Waterproofing Design Specialist. Over 20 years of drawing leadership; owns CLW’s drawing standards and detailing protocol. Credited contributor to CIRIA C817.
Senior Waterproofing Design Consultant
MEng MSc CSSW WDS
PCA-registered Waterproofing Design Specialist with over 20 years of structural engineering experience, specialising in deep basement construction and the ground-engineering interfaces where waterproofing is decided.
Practice Director
ARB RIBA
Chartered Architect (ARB-registered). Leads process, operations and quality at CLW, and brings the architect’s reading of a scheme to every waterproofing review.
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Peer-reviewed publications
Efficacy of crystalline waterproofing additives for basement concrete
Ben Hickman and Sebastian Macmillan. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Construction Materials, 2019. Peer-reviewed paper investigating the performance of crystalline admixtures under controlled laboratory and site conditions. Published by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Design features and best practice in podium deck waterproofing
Ben Hickman. Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 57–98, 2022. A 41-page peer-reviewed paper examining design methodology for buried deck waterproofing on commercial developments. Indexed on Henry Stewart Talks and IDEAS/RePEc.
Standards authorship
BS 8102:2022, Code of practice for protection of below-ground structures against water from the ground
Contributing member of the British Standards committee responsible for the 2022 revision of the primary UK standard governing structural waterproofing design. BS 8102 defines requirements for risk assessment, design philosophy, grade classification, and system selection for below-ground waterproofing.
CIRIA C817, Blue roofs: a guide to implementation
Named author (third of nine). Published November 2024, ISBN 978-0-86017-963-4. Formal citation: Harrop, C, Wearing, M, Hickman, B, Wilson, C, Spearpoint, M, Gedge, D, Adlam, S, Huntley, L, Bennett, S (2024). Blue roofs. A guide to implementation, C817, CIRIA, London. CLW colleague Adam Leatherdale is separately credited as a contributor. CSSW London Waterproofing co-funded the research.
NHBC Standards, Chapter 7.1 (Flat Roofs and Balconies)
Contributor to the NHBC task group responsible for Chapter 7.1 of the NHBC Standards, which govern technical requirements for flat roofs and balconies on new-build housing in the United Kingdom.
IStructE Gen2 EC7 Manual, Author Group Member
Selected for the Institution of Structural Engineers author group producing the second-generation manual for Eurocode 7 (Geotechnical Design). The author group includes representatives from Mott MacDonald and National Highways. This appointment reflects cross-disciplinary recognition at the waterproofing and geotechnics interface.
Registrations & memberships
Property Care Association, Past Chair
Past Chair of the PCA, the UK trade association for structural waterproofing, damp, and timber specialists. Served on the PCA board from November 2019 and has since stepped down; CLW remains a PCA member. The PCA administers the Waterproofing Design Specialist register and the Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing.
Academy of Experts, Registered Expert Witness
Member No. 3614. The Academy of Experts is the UK's leading professional body for expert witnesses. Ben's register entry independently confirms his PCA chairmanship and board service, BSI committee membership, CIRIA authorship, three degrees, and expert witness standing.
National Expert Witness Association
Registered expert member. The NEWA profile independently references the ICE peer-reviewed paper and PCA conference presentations.
Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB)
Chartered Construction Manager and member of the CIOB. CSSW London Limited is listed on the CIOB Chartered Building Companies Register.
Chartered Association of Building Engineers (MCABE)
Member of CABE. Chartered Building Engineer.
The Basement Information Centre (TBIC)
CLW is a member of TBIC, the specialist industry body for basement construction in the United Kingdom.
Qualifications
Speaking & conference work
Institution of Structural Engineers, "Designing compliant waterproof basements" (15 September 2026)
Co-presenter, with James Hockey (Trace Basements), of the IStructE HQ webinar on BS 8102:2022 compliance for waterproof basement construction, chaired by Audrey McIver (WSP). The 75-minute session covered how structural engineers should interpret the standard, scope of responsibility and competency, the role of the Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing (CSSW) in early-stage design, and the financial and liability consequences of non-compliance. It is part one of the Institution's basement waterproofing webinar series and is published by IStructE as an on-demand CPD recording. On-demand recording on istructe.org.
International Structural Waterproofing Conference (ISWC)
Presenter in 2018, 2022, and 2023. Session Chair at ISWC 2023. ISWC is the specialist conference for the UK waterproofing industry.
UK Construction Week 2025
Invited speaker. Speaker profile independently confirms BSI committee membership, NHBC 7.1 task group contribution, and CIRIA C817 authorship.
NHBC Summer Technical Conference 2025
Invited by NHBC to deliver a 90-minute dedicated session on structural waterproofing at Whittlebury Park.
Premier Guarantee
Invited speaker to warranty body surveyor training programmes, including presentations at Wolfson College, Cambridge (January 2023) and to Major Projects Surveyors (September 2022).
PCA Industry Webinars
Presenter of PCA technical webinars including "Watertight Concrete". Recording available on YouTube.
Selected articles
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