Civil Engineering

civil engineer typing into laptop with plans glasses and hardhat on table

Civil engineering concerns the built environment and is perhaps one of the oldest engineering disciplines. Buildings and bridges are the most conspicuous evidence of civil engineering in the modern world. However, civil engineers also design, build, oversee, operate, build, and sustain many infrastructure projects, including airports, water supply systems, and roadways.

Scalice Surveying partners with the best civil engineers throughout New York to provide our clients with project-specific expertise. Our site investigations, land planning, and site preparation services will help prepare you for permitting and into the construction phase.

How Do Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers Work Together?

Civil engineers undergo training in several different construction disciplines, from structural, to mechanical to architectural. Engineers work on specific construction assignments or are hired to fulfill a particular role within a project. In most circumstances, the engineer will do their work alongside a land surveyor.

Surveyors Provide Details to Civil Engineers to Create Project Plans

The surveyor gathers essential data about the site for engineers and architects. This information assists them in listing out significant features specific to that site and then communicating those details through comprehensive plans and drawings.

For example, a surveyor might provide an engineer with information that describes the best location to install bridge footings. The civil engineer will then use that information to ascertain the maximum load the bridge can hold and propose methods and strategies to build it.

Surveyors and Engineers Work Together to Manage Property Challenges

Surveyors are usually brought on to analyze a site well before construction commences. This head start allows them to suggest the best location for civil engineers to work with. The surveyor also supplies the engineer with information and calculations regarding topography and works with them to create plans accounting for land defects.

As the construction projects get underway, land surveyors ensure the engineer’s plans are executed flawlessly. This may involve making performance checks to ensure the structure is being built accurately down to a fraction of an inch of the engineer’s diagrams and plans.

What Services Can a Surveyor/ Engineer Partnership Provide?

Land surveys provide in-depth property details that help civil engineers produce workable project plans. Additionally, partnering with the best civil engineers in the state gives us the flexibility to deliver comprehensive packages at competitive prices.

In addition to premier land surveying, our partnership with engineers throughout New York lets us bring you services including:

Site Investigations

To successfully break ground on a new project development and design a foundation, an engineer needs to know the physical characteristics and the existing layout of underlying soil materials.

Also referred to as a soil exploration, a site investigation relies on various lab and field tests to direct the best course of action for your planned build. Once the data is assessed, the engineer will have a better idea of any hazards beneath the site that may affect the build.

Conceptual Planning

Conceptual planning is a vital part of the initial budgeting and planning phase of your development project.

During the conceptual design phase, the engineers consider the entire structure, functionality, and usage. The civil engineers then create a conceptual site plan which is a forecast of the development potential of a property.

Zoning and Land Development Plans

A crucial part of all developmental plans is the land development design. It usually begins with a feasibility study that includes carefully drawn land development plans that spell out where and how transformational activities will occur.

Zoning and land development plans lay out items like zoning, land use, topography, geotechnics, and environmental risks or impacts.

Site Plans

Our civil engineer partners investigate your project challenges and create solutions using site plans to keep your project moving forward during the site design process. A site plan, or plot plan, may include subsurface properties, permitting, wetlands delineation, and your project’s environmental impact.

Civil engineer site designers operate alongside project contractors, subcontractors, and architects to produce accurate site plans.

Grading and Drainage Design

Grading and drainage design is a vital component of land development that supplies the layout for multiple entities while ensuring proper water flow and safety. The grading and drainage phase considers parking lot and roadway slopes, surface water flow, and building pad elevations, among other things.

It’s vital to assess the grading and drainage early in the project to avoid costly issues during construction. For example, poor planning may require water or sewage to be pumped out of your site, adding to your budget.

Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plans

A soil erosion and sediment control plan is intended to prevent unwanted and hazardous erosion where land is disturbed on New York construction sites. Controlling erosion and sediment must be carefully planned to make certain governmental regulations are met.

These regulations will vary based on the county or municipality where the project is underway. Additionally, different project sizes may have differing requirements. An adequately prepared soil erosion and sediment control plan can help you save thousands in construction costs.

Sanitary System or Onsite Septic Design

Your civil engineer will provide a design that goes beyond building structures and includes your sanitary system or onsite septic design.

Our partner civil engineers create designs and plans regarding the distribution and conveyance of treated drinking or potable water and the collection and disposal of sewage.

Builders Pavement Plan Design

When a building alteration or new structure is being built, the streets facing the construction project must be refurbished or improved. That’s where a builders pavement plan (BPP) comes in.

A builders’ pavement plan (BPP) is necessary for roadway, curb, or sidewalk installation projects. Your engineer’s BPP needs to be filed and approved by regulating agencies before construction can begin. Because the process is complex, hiring a civil engineer who pays close attention to detail and can keep your project on schedule is vital.

At Scalice, we’ll help prepare the BPP plan and related technical specifications for your sidewalk or roadway installation. And because our team understands the specific requirements required by the state, you may experience faster project approval.

Maintenance and Protection of Traffic Plans

The civil engineer ultimately has to create a maintenance and protection of traffic plan that follows the care and standard required to allow construction work to be completed safely and on time.

The plan establishes a work zone and temporary traffic control conducted by spotters, flaggers, and traffic observers. The standards of operations are set by the State of New York Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

The contractor is responsible for erecting, maintaining, and eventually removing the traffic controls and work zone. They must do it according to the civil engineer’s plan.

Change of Use Applications

Changing the use of a property may involve extensive renovations and a site redesign. A change of use application is required to obtain a permit for construction or to make these alterations.

Change of use applications must be accompanied by detailed plans for the proposed changes, drawn up and approved by a civil engineer. These documents serve to verify compliance with any applicable codes and zoning regulations.

Retaining Wall and Bulkhead Design

A wall designed to hold back material, including water, soil, or rocks, is called a retaining wall. Swimming pools, landscaping, and basement walls are common examples of retaining walls. Bulkheads are retaining walls designed for the waterfront.

Building codes typically require retaining walls taller than three to four feet to have a permit and the wall’s design prepared by a qualified civil engineer.