What We Do
Civil Engineering: What Lies Beneath
Some of what a civil engineer does to contribute to a successful, enduring development or community is hidden underground where it cannot be seen. While this same statement was also true 50 years ago, records weren’t kept as accurately then as they are now, leading to what can be one of the development’s biggest challenges as well as one of Humber Design Group’s biggest strengths – what lies beneath.
In comes HDG’s specialty: urban civil engineering. For us, urban civil engineering is defined as working within the fabric of a built environment. Any site that is not raw land has the potential to have pre-built challenges hidden beneath the soil, including utilities that weren’t mapped and archived – such as domestic water, fire protection, sewer, stormwater, and others. These sites also have existing infrastructure that surrounds them, into which a new development must connect. This type of engineering comes with tough challenges, but that’s what sets us apart. The harder the project, the more excited our civil engineers get to provide an effective and unique solution. Our staff has a breadth and depth of experience that allows us to assess as-built documents and existing properties and determine how best to craft creative and efficient solutions to placing new projects within or adjacent to existing infrastructure and development. With all the research that can be done and the knowledge a team can have, not every project goes without issues. When those unknowns do arise, we respond in a timely manner with pertinent information to help solve the problem and keep the project moving forward.
Civil Engineering: The View from Above
While some of what we do lies beneath the soil, civil engineering is predominantly above ground. Whether it’s streets, sidewalks, pathways and pedestrian zones, bike lanes, roundabouts, bollards, and parking, or grading, drainage, and stormwater retention, our civil engineering work can be very visible and very functional. It can also have an impact on our environment. Stormwater retention gardens are a great example of retaining and treating stormwater before it’s released into the larger drainage basin, while also contributing to the natural beauty of a site. In other cases, the natural grade of a site can not only create an opportunity for development but capture a site’s unique beauty, turning a grading challenge into a project feature. The circumstances and factors will be different for each site. Whatever the project goals, our civil engineering design team focuses on turning our clients’ challenges into opportunities. With each client and with each project, we listen and offer strategic thinking, strong technical competency, and efficiency with minimal errors.
Civil Engineering Services
Working in collaboration with architects and other team members, our work includes many different aspects of civil engineering site design and development, from demolition and renovation to additions and new construction. Regardless of building use, our services generally encompass the following range of civil engineering analysis and design engineering:
- Access roads, street design, and roadway standards elevations
- Quantities and cost estimates
- ADA compliance and retrofit
- Conceptual design alternatives, feasibility analysis
- Pedestrian connectivity
- Bikeways and multimodal pathways and trails
- Public parks, urban plazas, and recreational uses
- Emergency and cellular communication sites
- Site drainage area and runoff, grading
- Paving and pavement rehabilitation
- Utility infrastructure
- AHJ/agency coordination, compliance, and permitting
- Parking
- Transit stations and stops
- Frontage improvements associated with developments
- Civil engineering plans, civil engineering details, civil engineering specifications
- Stormwater management and downstream analysis
- Sanitary and storm sewer conveyance design and analysis
- Green streets and green/sustainable design
- Due diligence
- Land use and master planning
- Demolition plans
- 1200NPDES Erosion control plans/permitting
- Water system design
- Sight distance certifications
- Septic system design
We also coordinate with others regarding:
- Site Evaluation
- Feasibility Studies
- Land Planning
- Transportation Systems Design
- Cost Estimating
- Permitting
- Construction Observation
- Surveying
- Landscape Architecture
- Traffic Engineering
- Other services
