Civil

Civil engineering encompasses a wide range of design skills. Our civil engineering team’s focus is on 3-waters infrastructure (water, stormwater and wastewater), earthworks assessments and pavement design. We are well supported by our structural and geotechnical departments who assist with the design of retaining walls and slope stability assessments. We work closely with planners and surveyors who can assist with understanding requirements against District Plans.

We assist where projects require design/consenting and construction observations for private and public infrastructure. We have Chartered Professional Engineers who are authorised to sign Producer Statements for both public and private infrastructure works.

A list of the civil engineering services we provide are listed above.

Undertaking a due diligence assessment is an important step and should be completed prior to purchasing property or entering any agreements. This process is made easier if you have a clear understanding of what you want to develop on the property. This maybe a new house build, subdivision, retail or commercial development.

This is an initial review of the site using readily available information.  As we have been consulting for 18+ years and have worked on thousands of projects, we are able to use our local knowledge to aid in the study.  Each site and development is different; however, we typically look at earthworks and retaining, flooding and overland flowpaths, 3-waters, stormwater detention and treatment.

We are not planners; however, based on our experience we are able to provide advice on potential consenting requirements. For example: resource consent, building consent, and engineering approval.  We recommend the resource consent process is coordinated by a planner.

Where we consider additional professional services are required, we can rely on our geotechnical, contamination and structural engineering teams.

Properties may be at risk from flooding and/or overland flowpaths. Flooding typically occurs in low lying areas or depressions where water ponds during rainfall events.  Overland flowpaths are the routes of surface flow when pipe capacity is exceeded or blocked from debris. An example of this is leaves blocking a catchpit on the road in the autumn months.

The majority of Councils throughout New Zealand have online mapping services which can tell you a lot about your property. You can call Council and ask them or enquire via their website and search ‘Flooding’ or ‘GIS Viewer’ (Geographic Information System).  This flooding information may also be noted on your Property LIM. The GIS may show areas of flooding, overland flowpaths, and public pipes near your property. These maps are not comprehensive, and a detailed site-specific assessment should be undertaken.

It’s important to understand that if a pipe is located near to your property, this doesn’t mean that you can connect to it.  Particularly in older developed areas, the pipes may have been designed last century and do not have the capacity to accept higher rainfall events due to climate change or new developments.

This will vary depending on your development and may involve resource consents, building consents and engineering approvals. Within these consents you may also be required to liaise with services providers, private landowners, local community groups, local boards, Council departments (e.g. Parks) and local Iwi. Auckland developers may also be required to liaise with Watercare, Veolia and Auckland Transport.

It is critical that competent contractors are engaged to undertake the works and civil engineers are engaged to inspect the works.

We can absolutely help with Council approvals. We are able to prepare the plans, calculations, and reports to support the required development works for submission to Council and other interested parties. With our vast experience, it is highly likely that we have been involved in similar types of projects; or can direct you to those who may be able to assist for specialist engagements.

This will be dependent of on the size and complexity of the job, collaboration with the design team and issuing of documentation (e.g. base plans form the surveyors and architects) and the processing time for the consents. The complexity of the site and development project can affect the duration of design, consultation, and consenting.

Consideration of sustainability and climate change is a legal requirement.  Our engineering skills incorporate the design, consenting, construction and consideration of the maintenance of the infrastructure for treatment and detention of stormwater runoff.  The contaminants of concern typically involve suspended solids and hydrocarbons. Both of these contaminants can be effectively treated using low impact design principles such as raingardens and swales.  Peak stormwater discharges can be mitigated using detention tanks and rainwater harvesting to mitigate flooding downstream.

Low impact design principles can be incorporated into most developments.  It is important that this is considered at the concept phase to allow for them within the site masterplan.  We have successfully delivered low impact designs on residential and commercial developments throughout New Zealand.

We regularly undertake site inspections to verify the works are in accordance with the consent plans, and to aid the contractor should they have any queries. It is critical that an Engineer is engaged to monitor the works to be able to provide completion documentation at the end of the project.  These documents may consist of a Completion Certificate or a Producer Statement.  Engineers are required to inspect the works at regular intervals in order to provide construction verification that the works are built in accordance with the plans.

We do offer Project Management services to coordinate and manage the contractor and the design team. The service can be initiated at the beginning of the project to gain consents and/or during the construction of the works as Engineer to the Contract.