From highways and municipal buildings to bridges and airports, if you are planning a major construction project or site development, you will need to engage the services of the best engineering firm to be sure of the success of your project. But getting the best engineers for the job can be quite challenging if you don't know what to look for. Knowing how to sort through competing bids and companies eager to secure a contract to find the firm with the best combination of experience and expertise can make all the difference in bringing your project in on time, on budget, and on target with your plans. In this article, we’ll explore the top criteria to evaluate in choosing a civil engineering firm for your next project.


Do you need civil engineers?

Any project extending beyond minor interior renovations can require a professional civil engineer. Choosing an engineering firm is an essential step that greatly determines the outcomes of your project, from budgeting to design and solutions.

Civil engineers will help you accomplish these critical steps:

• Design a complete project that takes into account utilities, grading, roads, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
• Get the best knowledge concerning your project by working closely with other experts such as architects and contractors.
• Observe safety standards while sticking to your unique project goals and specifications.
• Obtain all the necessary approvals and permits from the relevant local, state, and federal authorities.
• Ensure compliance with all regulations, codes, and zoning ordinances.
• Assess, prevent and mitigate environmental issues, including water pollution, problem soils, as well as other critical issues such as watershed and ecosystem conservation.

To enjoy these and many more benefits of engaging civil engineers, you will need to pick and work with the best civil engineering firm for your project. Here are five qualities to help you identify the best civil engineering partner for your next project:


Working experience

Choose a civil engineering team that has put its knowledge and skills to the test in similar past projects. Theoretical understanding and the necessary certifications are important, but without practical skills honed through years of hands-on experience on the job, they are not enough.

Experience comes to the fore in many beneficial ways. A civil engineering firm with extensive experience is more likely to produce well-designed drawings and specifications compared to less experienced companies. This leads to more accurate bids from contractors, better communication among stakeholders, reduced total project cost and fewer changes along the way.


Responsiveness

This factor is a must-have for any engineering firm you want to partner with for complex, expensive projects with many moving parts. Look for a firm that will respond to your calls quickly, as the more involved a project is, the greater the likelihood that issues and unforeseen challenges will arise.

Responsiveness is essential for many reasons. Imagine if the zoning regulations were to change, or the contractor bails. If you can't get hold of your civil engineering partner on time, you will have to bite your nails as the project schedule begins to lag.

A highly responsive engineering firm also ensures transparency in the progress of your project. Such an engineering firm will provide regular updates on budget, design, and milestones in the course of the project, helping you to know that everything is on track.


Land use and regulation expertise

Your next project requires an engineering firm well-versed in land use and regulations. The firm should be familiar with the standards, codes, and review processes that regulate construction and land use in your area. Absent this knowledge, you may be liable to safety, zoning, and environmental violations which can prove costly for your company.

An engineering firm with land use and regulation expertise will help you avoid fines, punishments, and heavy losses. A deep working knowledge of these areas includes understanding protected ecosystems, wildlife, soil, wetlands and floodplain violations, and more, thus protecting you from major fines and the potential of negative publicity or damage to community relationships.


Their creativity

The best civil engineering firm for your next project should have a creative edge over other firms that enables them to combine technical know-how and innovative designs to produce out-of-the-box solutions.

A truly creative civil engineering firm can recognize and adhere to established practices while constantly looking for ways to improve. Working with a visionary firm that chooses the best proven, traditional solutions and enhances them with cutting-edge innovations can mean the difference between a mediocre outcome and a project that exceeds your expectations. 


Credentials and certifications

While it may seem obvious, it’s still important: your civil engineering team needs proper training, certification, and insurance for the job. It is perhaps the first factor you should look at before shortlisting the engineering firms that meet your requirements.

Always be sure your civil engineering partner holds the relevant permits, licenses, and any other credentials they need to operate legally and safely, and offer high-quality work. Request proof of the certifications and insurance, and check out reviews or references from their past clients.
 

Final word

Choosing the best civil engineering firm for your next project doesn't have to be a complicated affair if you know what to look for. Check out their credentials, responsiveness, and experience before you partner with them, and you’ll have the peace of mind that your project is in good hands. For more information, contact Engineering Surveys & Services today.  


Image Credit: Freepik @Creative Commons

​Drones are essentially unmanned aircraft, suitable for seeing places it could be tricky for humans to get eyes on without technological assistance. Technically known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), drones are rapidly becoming a tool of civil engineers and surveyors for a variety of reasons.

Various types of drones are in use in the construction industry. These range from multi-rotor drones, very familiar to most people, to fixed wing drones, which appear much sleeker and work more like a conventional airplane. Adding drone technology into your civil engineering toolbox could be a way to work faster and smarter — for better results.


Topographical Observation

Drones, particularly fixed wing drones, are ideal for mapping the topography of a large area. Drones can fly high enough to get a widespread view of an area, but can also descend much lower than conventional aircraft. This means they’re not necessarily affected by cloud cover, which can prevent an airplane or helicopter from taking effective footage or photos.

Aerial mapping with a drone does require a drone pilot with specialized knowledge, which is still much more cost effective than any type of conventional aircraft. Using a drone for aerial mapping is also faster and, if there’s an area you need more detail on, simple enough to repeat specific sections of mapping. Plus, drones can take aerial photos of such high quality that detailed 3D models of the terrain can be created using the data provided. This allows for an even better understanding of the land and how the project could fit into the existing landscape.


Miniaturized Scanning Equipment: LiDAR and More

LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is a laser technology that’s fast being adopted in a variety of civil engineering projects. It allows for accurate and speedy measuring of distances on the project site, making it invaluable for surveying purposes. Drones can now be fitted with miniaturized LiDAR sensors, boosting their accuracy and overall usefulness as a surveying tool.

A drone is no longer limited to taking photos. It can provide detailed digital information including LiDAR, ultra-high definition video, or even thermal imaging. As sensors and scanning equipment are made lighter and require less power, the uses of a drone for scanning project sites will continue to increase.


Building Surveys

If your project site includes existing buildings of any type, it’s certain that you will require access to the roof to review if there are any defects or other concerns. Roof access can be a complicated matter. Even where roofs are perfectly safe and strong, they may be inaccessible, or it may simply be too time-consuming or costly to send multiple human surveyors up to gather data.

Drones for building surveying can take a range of aerial shots of buildings, allowing surveyors and civil engineers to collect rich data about the potential construction site without having to set foot in the building. Drones can be programmed to take automatic shots from a variety of angles, or from different altitudes, to help engineers understand exactly what’s going on with the building in question.


Increased Safety

Drones can access areas in which it may be unsafe to have foot traffic. As we’ve already seen, where existing buildings are in place, drones can access high rooftops or take a look at external walls or piping that would be difficult to access without highly specialized lifting equipment or scaffolds.

If there is an environmental concern, such as the risk of a toxic plant, or a possible air-pollution issue, a drone can enter the area and take necessary scans or video footage. This allows surveyors to complete their work as efficiently as possible, without ever putting anyone at risk.

Once construction starts, drones can also increase the safety of the site via remote monitoring, quickly capturing and recording construction progress, and providing detailed documentation of conditions, all while being operated from a safe location. 


Reducing Costs

From the previous points, it’s clear that by using drones to scan and survey sites, significant cost savings can be achieved...being able to access sites without expensive equipment or safety gear. The ability to  understand the conditions and topography of a site without hiring an airplane or helicopter also reduces the financial burden on a project.

InnoSurv is the key to implementing technology in civil engineering in such a way that everyone benefits. Drones are evolving and adapting quickly to the needs of the industry, and smart surveying services implement drones alongside a range of other methods for the best all-round results. Feel free to get in touch for more information on how drones and other technologies provide accuracy and efficiency you can count on.


Image Credit: Africa Surveyors News @Creative Commons

​Innovation has been the driving force of our business from the day of its inception. Building on our heritage of nearly 70 years as an active and engaged member of the greater Mid-Missouri community.

We want to thank all the clients, partners, colleagues or friends of Engineering Surveys & Services for helping make our 2021 open house celebration a great success!

We appreciate your support!

​Light Detection And Ranging, or LiDAR, is a technology for measuring distances by using a laser to reflect off of objects. LiDAR is increasingly finding application in civil engineering projects, as the technology is far more accurate and faster in determining distances between objects than human surveying teams walking across a project site.

How does LiDAR work?

Though not exactly new, as it made it to the surveying and engineering worlds in the mid to late 1990’s, you may not be entirely familiar with this versatile mapping technology which can be utilized while moving or from a stationary position. It uses drones or unmanned aerial vehicles, or remote sensing instruments mounted on ground-based platforms, to perform photogrammetry – collecting millions of elevation points in minutes. The data collected from the reflections of lasers compiles into several 3D environments such as images and point clouds, thus providing an accurate representation of objects in the area of concern and, if visible, areas within range of the detection device.

Civil engineers find numerous advantages from the use of LiDAR. The gathering of precise orthophotos and 3D representations by drones and remote sensing instruments mounted on the ground makes it possible for the critical spatial data for engineering projects to be ready in a matter of hours and not weeks! The gathering of stationary and terrestrial data is done by individual positions. These are tied together to get 100% of the area of concern to achieve an accuracy and precision of 1/16th to 1/8Th of an inch.

Here are some additional ways in which LiDAR is improving efficiency and accuracy in civil engineering projects:
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Delivers accurate surveys

As a civil engineer with a focus on project effectiveness, you know that it is crucial to take a thorough and precise survey at the beginning of every construction project. LiDAR inspections can help you survey the terrain and any existing manmade features that will remain or be removed as you set up the project and determine if the land will need any leveling or alteration. The accuracy of plans for the project depends on the accuracy of this inspection.

LiDAR provides more precise representations of the terrain than traditional photogrammetric technology. That technology works by taking scans of multiple photographs and/or laser reflections, which it then stitches together using various algorithms that suit the accuracy and precision needed. This output, unlike traditional methods of data collection, will ensure all data is collected since LiDAR picks up everything. This eliminates the need for return trips to gain additional data or forgotten data.
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When this technology is used in projects during the construction process, money can be saved. Cost savings are accomplished when the amount of rework is reduced as installations of floors, beams, HVAC and MEP can be tracked. Shown below are actual savings on past projects illustrated by data captured during construction.

 
​Enhances safety at civil engineering projects

The safety of everyone working at the project site is paramount. You do not want any problems to arise during the project that could potentially harm people on or near the construction site. LiDAR can help you to spot potential safety issues such as ingress/egress, aerial lines, etc. When combined with drone technology, LiDAR can provide various types of 3D options along with precise measurements of all areas within or visibly surrounding the site in a short time so that you can analyze, detect, and most importantly eliminate potential hazards at the site.

The project site may be too big for humans to walk around, checking for faults, or the place may be too dangerous. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, more than 4,095 dams across the U.S. are of questionable safety and structural integrity, requiring the use of LiDAR technology to inspect them.

Helps in project simulation and analysis

Collecting LiDAR data enables you to create a realistic 3D projection of the terrain surrounding your construction project. The 3D representation is so accurate and real that you can use it to make a precise simulation of the construction project, fully integrated into the existing territory.
You can then test the project for such factors as how the sunlight will be shining down on it so you can determine window sizes, shape, and position. Consequently, LiDAR reduces the chances of rework in the project, which always is quite expensive. We have helped clients go from the traditional 8-10% rework costs of a project reduced to 1-2%!

Faster than human surveyors

LiDAR is faster than human surveyors. Having humans move from one end of the project to another can be quite time-consuming, especially if on massive engineering project such as dams, bridges, airports, or huge buildings for housing factories or large offices.

In just a few hours, the lasers would have done their part, presenting representations of the terrain
and the project in 3D. Humans would likely have taken weeks and sometimes months to complete a thorough inspection of the site. It also means that you can complete the project within the given timeline since the onsite survey time is reduced significantly when using LiDAR.

Helps in maintenance and repair of equipment on the project

LiDAR technology has also helped improve civil engineering projects' accuracy and efficiency by enhancing maintenance and repair activities at the construction site. LiDAR scans can come in handy when it is important to locate potential areas or systems that require repair. This includes high-risk areas, such as under a bridge or on high rooftops, where drones can safely capture footage for analysis.

You can also use LiDAR scans to gauge the progress of the project. Use the 3D images and simulations of the project's current state to compare them with the projected job progress to see if the project is still on track. They can also help you to identify any potential issues that may arise as the project progresses.

Since LiDAR is so much faster than other technologies, it is possible to employ this technology regularly or at every stage of the project. LiDAR technology helps civil engineers and other personnel at project and construction sites enhance the efficiency and accuracy of civil engineering projects. It is faster, more accurate, and helps improve safety, since you can send a laser beam where a man used to go!

​If you need more information about LiDAR or would like to explore how it might apply to your project, please contact us.

Continuing the transition of leadership at Engineering Surveys & Services, in January 2016, Ben Ross, PE, PTOE, was named Vice President-Engineering, where he oversees production of the ES&S’ civil engineering design practice. 

​Ben joined ES&S after graduating from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1994.  Ben helped ES&S open a new location in Sedalia in 2000 and managed the branch office before returning to Columbia in 2005. 

During his career, Ben has focused on design and project management of public-sector infrastructure projects.  Ben is a registered professional engineer in four states and a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Columbia Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI), the Missouri Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation (SAVE) Coalition, and is active in numerous other civic and professional organizations. Ben became a member of Engineering Surveys & Services, LLC in 2015.  

Ben lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife Lisa and their son Adam. Ben enjoys camping trips as with Adam’s Boy Scout troop and being involved in the community.
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Some of Ben’s engineering career highlights include:

East 24-inch Transmission Main:  Project Manager for over 22,000-LF of 24-inch water main, along Columbia’s east city limit.  Confirming the pipeline corridor was a significant issue, with open-house interested parties meeting to gain input for alignment decisions, including issues related to a shared corridor with Hominy Branch Interceptor Sewer and a shared use trail that was built as part of the City’s greenway system.

Flat Branch Watershed Relief Sewer:  Project Manager for phases 1 & 3 of a collection system upgrade replacing older, small diameter sewers serving Columbia’s downtown central business district.  Alignments ran parallel to the heavily-used MKT Trail corridor and under two busy downtown streets.

Conley Road / Business Loop-70 Extension:  Project Manager for this new corridor connecting Business Loop-70 with the Conley Road commercial district.  The project included over a mile of new I-70 & US Route 63 outer roadway, a new bridge over Hinkson Creek, and the relocation of several holes of an adjacent golf course.  The project also allowed the closure of the entrance ramp to eastbound I-70 from the Business Loop, which has been a safety issue for many years due to the vehicle weaving conflicts with the I-70 exit ramp to US Route 63.  The project was locally funded by a sales tax within the Conley Road Transportation Development District.  

Nifong Boulevard Improvements:  Project Manager for the widening of this heavily-used urban arterial serving the City's south side.  The project consists of 10,000-LF of roadway upgrades and widening, improvements to two existing signalized intersections, and addition to two additional traffic signals and access management along the commercial corridor on the project’s east side.  

Continued population growth has resulted in increased enrollment for Columbia Public Schools (CPS), creating a strain on existing buildings and infrastructure.  Since 2006, CPS has tackled this problem head-on with an aggressive expansion of facilities that has included a new high school, multiple elementary schools, and expansions of existing facilities to reduce the need for classroom trailers. Engineering Surveys & Services has been a proud participant in this process which continues with the New Southwest Middle School.

​Located in southwest Columbia on Sinclair Road, the New Southwest Middle School will be an entirely new campus on a 63-acre tract, consisting of a 127,000-sf building, athletic facilities, and future expansion area for the middle school and a future second education facility.  ES&S provided initial site selection screening of over 20 potential locations, boundary and topographic survey data collection, platting, and civil-site design services that included a mass grading plan, access drives, parking lots, turn lanes on Sinclair Road, athletic facilities, stormwater management, and offsite utility extensions.  

ES&S prepared a separate site preparation bid package in order to allow construction to begin while design of the facility continued.  This is expected to reduce the overall project schedule by several months.  ES&S also worked hard to reduce project costs.  An example of this was the elimination of a proposed  large retaining wall.    ES&S staff worked with CPS to negotiate an easement  on the adjacent property to grade a slope, which generated needed fill material for the 200,000 cubic yards of mass grading, and eliminated the retaining wall, saving approximately $100,000 in project expense.
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This was also one of the first large projects following passage of the City’s new Uniform Development Code (UDC).  Part of the new UDC requirements includes preservation of significant trees. In order to meet these requirements, ES&S trained their staff to accurately and efficiently identify and locate significant trees, measuring tree diameters using a special forestry tape and collecting tree locations using GPS.

Working hand in hand with CPS and the project’s prime designer, PWArchitects, Engineering Surveys & Services is proud to be a part of this exciting project. 

Engineering Surveys & Services is excited to announce another key hire, Ms. Diane Heckemeyer, PE.  Diane joins ES&S as manager of the Sedalia Office, after a distinguished career path that includes an 18-year tenure with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), where she rose to the position of State Design Engineer.  She departed MoDOT to take the reins of the Civil Engineering Technology program at the State Technical College of Missouri (STC-MO), in Linn.  Immediately prior to joining ES&S, Diane worked for mid-Missouri based heavy contractor, Emery Sapp & Sons.

Diane received a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Missouri.  While with MoDOT, one of Diane’s primary duties was to deliver the projects on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, which often exceeded $1 billion of construction annually.  Her understanding of project delivery and managing design production will be a valuable asset to ES&S and our clients.  She also ran an effective, practical education program at STC-MO that prepared several of the engineering and materials lab technicians that have joined our firm in recent years.
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Diane lives in St. Elizabeth with her husband, Roger, and together they raised two daughters, Kelly and Sarah.  Actually, Diane isn’t the first Heckemeyer to work for ES&S…Kelly, a graduate civil engineer from S&T, was a summer intern at ES&S while attending school.
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Diane fills a role recently occupied by Abby McMullin, PE, who joined ES&S after earning her civil engineering degree from the University of Missouri in 2009.  Abby chose to step aside from her role in the firm in February to dedicate more time to her family and farming business.  We certainly miss her and wish her well in her endeavors.

Join us in welcoming Diane to the ES&S team!

​If you’re a developer, owner, municipality, or a design firm looking to partner on a project in Sedalia or west-central Missouri, contact Diane and Engineering Surveys & Services - Sedalia at 660-826-8618 or by email. 

Engineering Surveys & Services (ES&S) has provided consistent, high-quality service to the design and construction communities of central Missouri for over 65 years. We are excited to announce the expansion of our services into eastern Missouri bringing our unique brand of commitment to clients and providing quality service to new markets.

The newest ES&S location is currently situated in the City of Wildwood, in west St. Louis County.  Strategically located to expand services eastward from our Jefferson City location, this also offers an opportunity to enhance existing relationships with other firms and expand our client base in the St. Louis metro.

Dan lives in Wildwood with his wife Katie and their two sons, Jack and Will. He serves several civic organizations: as a board member of the Meramec River Recreation Association, vice-president of the Pacific Partnership - a downtown Pacific revitalization organization and is involved professionally with the Missouri Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association.  

He enjoys coaching baseball and soccer, spending time with his family at Table Rock Lake, and has a passion for cooking.

Join us in welcoming Dan (back) to the ES&S team!

If you’re a developer, owner, municipality, or a design firm looking to team on a project in the St. Louis area, contact Dan and Engineering Surveys & Services – Wildwood at 314-254-4498 x1001 or by email.

​All of us at Engineering Surveys & Services (ES&S), congratulate Dave Bennett on his well earned retirement!

Succeeding Dave Bennett as President of ES&S will be Ross Kasmann.  Ross joined ES&S in 2005 after receiving a bachelor of science in Civil Engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology. After serving in the Columbia Office for several years, Kasmann was tasked with management of the firm’s Jefferson City Office in 2011, over which time it experienced continued growth in service offerings and profitability.  Originally from Jefferson City, Ross and his wife (Michelle) now live in Columbia with their two children.  He is a licensed professional engineer in Missouri and a Certified Floodplain Manager.  After many years involvement at the state level, Ross was recently named as National Vice-Chair of NSPE’s Professional Engineers in Private Practice industry interest group.  He moved back to the Columbia Office in early 2017 in preparation for his new role.

"We thank Dave for his years of service and leadership and wish him the best in retirement and adventures yet to come. I and the rest of the leadership team and staff at ES&S remain committed to delivering the same quality and responsive service that our clients have grown to trust."
​- Ross Kasmann