Design & Build
Commercial Sites
As lean and mean Civil and Structural Engineers we have honed these skills by working predominantly in the design and build sector since 1988.
With this level of exposure our clients have demanded that our designs give them the edge at tender stage, yet deliver a civil and structural solution that is robust, whilst maximising our client’s profits.
We train all of our staff to think differently from our competitors by:
• Creating a challenging, exciting and fun culture in the office and with our clients
• Seeing our clients as part of the team where we can synergise ideas for a win-win solution
• Value our structural designs in context of the whole project and the commercial viability
• Use our extensive experience and leading edge software to give our clients the edge
• Keep abreast of new materials and techniques to make sure they add value to the project
• See new legislation as an opportunity to turn to our client’s advantage
• Adoption of the principles of “Lean Thinking” – which results in highly cost efficient outcomes.
Residential Sites
In today’s commercial world, the developer knows an accurate cost for each residential build. In fact, it is almost akin to bringing a flat pack unit to site. However, the unknown costs often lie both with the ground profile and what lies underneath. Sounds scary, it shouldn’t do because we are really good at valuing residential sites such as these and this is how we do it.
Pre Acquisition Studies
Purchasing a development site, without fully understanding the engineering constraints can turn out to be a very expensive mistake, and will lead to a unsuccessful development in terms of profitability.
Paul Waite Associates can provide pre acquisition information that gives you the knowledge to negotiate with the land owner from an informed position in order to maximise a profitable outcome by fully allowing for the unforeseen.
The pre acquisition study would consist of the following items; however it can be tailored to your specific requirements.
Engineering Design
Site Levels - Using Key TERRA-FIRMA
We can either work with the architect’s site layout or we have the capabilities to lay out a site ourselves, provided we are given the house types. From these layouts, we then plan the site to optimize it for levels.
This will include:
• Using 3D model of the site to see if by cut and fill we can avoid taking any material off site.
• Modelling the house footprints to minimize dead walling, retaining walls and maintain useable drive gradients.
• Integrate the highway and drainage levels with the site and housing layout to ensure that everything ties together and eliminate any potential conflicts or non compliance issues with the adopting authorities.
Highway Design
Paul Waite Associates has in excess of 40 years experience in designing highways that serve commercial, residential, leisure, medical centres, care homes and industrial developments.
We utilize the latest industry software “Key terra firma” to fully understand existing ground profile so that the highway follows as practically as possible the natural contours of the site.
Paul Waite Associates experience allows us to negotiate with highway authorities to provide an optimum road layout.
Our 3D software is capable of very accurately producing longitudinal sections along with fully co-ordinated setting out information to assist and make life easier for the site engineer.
The 3D model can then be used to highlight volumes of cut and fill and to what extent the highway and associated levels are required to be altered to achieve a balanced cut and fill site.
This has many advantages and can be tied into remediation strategy for site and effectively reduce development costs.
The highway design services we offer are as follows:
• Horizontal and vertical highway design using 3D modelling software Key terra firma
• Providing Section 38 & Section 278 design and detail information for regulator approval and adoption
• Cut and fill volume calculations
• Development road network layout
• Assessment of access visibility splays
• Management of traffic impact assessments
• Management of street lighting designs
• Contract administration and works supervision
Drainage Design
Paul Waite Associates has in excess of 40 years experience in the design of drainage systems and providing our clients with sustainable economic designs that meet current best practice.
The changing climate brings with it the need to understand how rainfall intensities affect drainage systems. At Paul Waite Associates we utilize the latest design software, WinDes to simulate the storm passing through the drainage network.
This gives our engineers the ability to analyze flows in each pipe and provide storage at source as recommended by current guidance when using Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).
With over 40 years experience you could say we have seen it and done it, however our philosophy is not to accept what we have done in the past but to innovate and explore new techniques at controlling peak rainfall flows.
An example of this would be porus paving systems and using granular sub-base to store the peak discharge.
Please refer to our October 2008 newsletter (hyperlink to newsletter)
The drainage design services we offer are as follows:
• Hydraulic analysis of storm and foul water drainage networks
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to mitigate peak rainfall flows
• Adoptable drainage network designs
• Section 104 Agreement information (Longitudinal Sections, drainage constructions details, coloured agreement plans)
• Hydraulic design of attenuation systems, including ponds, dry basin tanks, porus paving systems
• Domestic foul and surface water drainage systems to building regulation requirements
• Investigations into capacity of existing drainage systems
For more information on how to have that totally integrated and buildable housing site, then click here to contact us or phone us on 01535 633350 or 0113 2372929.
