Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc.
After a formative career with Ceilcote and later Transfield, known for landmark projects such as the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Gateway Bridge, Southam established his own firm in 1991 to service the composites industry in Australia and overseas. Now operating as Dennis Southam & Associates (DSA), the company provides specialist engineering services in design, inspection, asset management and quality assurance of composite systems across the defence, water, wastewater, energy and mining sectors.
A long-standing authority in corrosion protection, Southam has specialised in fibreglass-reinforced plastics (FRP, GRP, GRE) for chemically aggressive environments. His expertise has helped shape the application and regulation of composite materials internationally and his influence remains evident in the work of composite consultants across Australia.
Today, DSA operates as part of the vertically integrated Novafast Holdings group, which—together with Novafast and Basetec Services—specialises in turnkey composite engineering projects. The firm continues to provide consulting, design, failure analysis and inspection services across the mining, wastewater, water, energy and oil and gas sectors.
DSA’s engineering team is led by Tom Murphy (MIEAust, CPEng, NER, RPEQ), whose background in aerospace and mechanical engineering brings strong analytical rigour to the assessment of composite structures. His project experience spans sectors including mining, oil and gas, defence, water and infrastructure, with clients such as BHP, Worley, Bechtel, Fluor, BAE, Newmont and Sydney Water. Under his leadership, DSA has been engaged to engineer or assess composite systems exposed to high pressures, chemical environments, thermal extremes and long-term structural loading.
A recent project involved the forensic investigation of FRP equipment damaged during a major industrial fire overseas. DSA was engaged to determine whether the equipment could be repaired to meet its original service requirements—offering a faster, lower-cost alternative to full replacement, which would have cost the client millions in lost production. “It was clear the failure was specification and process-related, caused by several factors aligning at once,” notes Tom Murphy. “Our role was to assess the residual strength and propose a safe path to reinstatement through inspection and material characterisation.”
DSA undertook a rigorous testing regime in its Adelaide laboratory. Combined with analytical design assessment, the data enabled DSA to develop a repair program that restored functionality within original design parameters—avoiding premature scrapping and allowing plant operations to resume months earlier than a full replacement strategy would have allowed.
Another investigation involved a composite bore casing that failed during installation several hundred metres underground. With only the upper section available for inspection, the team reconstructed the failure timeline using installation logs and physical evidence. Working with incomplete data presented challenges: the team had to hypothesise all plausible failure modes and methodically rule them out through testing, design analysis and interviews with personnel on site. The analysis concluded that the original design had not adequately accounted for frictional forces in the bore’s annular space. Once those forces were overcome, a sudden load transfer to the casing wall caused localised overstrain and structural rupture from shock loading.
Alongside project work, DSA contributes to the development of national and international standards for composite materials, including ISO 14692, ASME RTP-1 and NM-2, BS EN 13121 and AS 3571. These standards underpin the design and maintenance of equipment used in chemically aggressive environments. “Standards aren’t just documentation — they’re the reason many assets can operate safely for decades,” says Murphy. “Contributing to that work is a professional responsibility.” Murphy sits on Standards Australia’s PL-044 committee for Reinforced Plastics Pipe Systems, Tanks and Vessels, which is currently seeking to revise AS2634 (1983)—a long-serving but now outdated standard at risk of withdrawal.
Beyond formal standards submissions, DSA supports adoption through training, inspection protocols and lifecycle planning aligned with international regulatory frameworks. Its work is grounded in field experience and backed by in-house laboratory testing, including hydrostatic pressure, tensile and flexural strength, IMO jet fire exposure and laminate cure analysis via DSC. As material testing becomes increasingly central to new standards, these capabilities are integral to modern composites work. DSA also provides factory surveillance, specification development, pipe stress analysis, drafting services and condition assessments for ageing FRP equipment.
While part of the vertically integrated Novafast Holdings group, DSA operates as an independent consultancy—allowing it to provide design reviews, failure investigations and asset audits without conflict of interest. Its integration of design, fabrication, surveillance, inspection and materials testing ensures full traceability from concept to commissioning, particularly in projects requiring strict technical and quality compliance.
DSA’s approach continues the principles established by Southam early in his career: that composite engineering must prioritise long-term performance, especially where failure poses operational, safety or environmental risks.
DSA within the Novafast Holdings Group
DSA operates as an independent engineering consultancy within the Novafast Holdings Group — a vertically integrated Australian-owned group specialising in industrial composites.
Novafast:Novafast manufactures composite pipes, fittings, and pressure-retaining systems for clients in the oil and gas, water infrastructure, defence, and energy sectors. Operating from an automated production facility, Novafast fabricates to international standards, including:
- ISO 14692 – GRP piping for petroleum and natural gas industries
- ASME RTP-1 – Reinforced thermoset plastic equipment
- BS EN 13121 – GRP tanks and vessels
- AS 3571 – GRP systems for chemical and water applications
Basetec Services: Basetec delivers construction, installation and project management services for composite infrastructure. The company specialises in GRE/GRVE/GRP systems, tanks and chemical processing equipment, with project delivery across civil, energy, resources, wastewater, water and defence sectors.
