​Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, but a serious consideration across a broad spectrum of industries — including construction and civil engineering. Sustainable site planning and sustainable design of projects is a major concern for many civil engineers, with a good number of them leading the charge when it comes to breaking ties with the traditional.

Current challenges include the conservation of local wildlife or protected species of plants, making buildings or communities healthier, and rendering towns and cities viable for all citizens — not just those who drive cars. So, how exactly are our forward-thinking civil engineering teams embracing sustainable design as we move into the future? Let’s explore five trends in sustainable site planning that will only continue to grow.

1. Sustainable Site Selection
Sustainable site planning starts with a site selection process that’s kind to the environment, the local community, and everyone who is going to work on the site. Ensure that construction won’t encroach on protected areas. Check for large bodies of water and decide if it will be safe and sustainable to provide buffers for these, or if the potential environmental impact of dealing with these will be too high. Avoid building across green fields, which may be hot spots for biodiversity. Also, consider the transport links. While people are working on-site, how easy will it be for them to get there, and are there green options for transport available? Sustainably-minded civil engineers start by choosing a site that’s going to ensure their project has a low carbon footprint while providing the necessary benefits to the local community.

2. Alternate Mobility Community Planning
Streets are no longer just for cars. They’re for whole communities, and modern civil engineering teams are taking that into account when community planning or creating utilities for towns and cities. Planning concepts like Complete Streets encourage the thought process that pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, and people with a range of physical abilities all have the same right to enjoy their living space as those with cars.

This way of thinking has led to a focus on safety, including the introduction of safer, narrower roads with better crossing facilities. Accessibility is also increasing, with lower curbs often installed as standard, plus additions like tactile paving slabs to indicate crossing areas. Civil engineers are also including more footpaths to access green spaces such as parks and gardens. Encouraging people to leave the car at home is healthy not only on an individual level but for the local and wider community, too.

3. Focus on Green Spaces
Civil engineers might work with conservationists and landscapers from an early stage in projects, in order to either create or preserve green spaces around buildings and communities. Not only are green spaces attractive and great for the mental health of residents and workers, but they improve air quality and can even improve water quality by preventing the excessive runoff of chemicals into local water supplies. In some states, walking or cycling trails purposefully combine rural and city areas in an attempt to highlight and maximize the use of local green space.

4. Low-Waste Projects
One way that developers and design teams are leading the charge in sustainable design is by planning carefully to ensure the effective use of resources. This doesn’t just mean the construction materials, although that is a serious consideration. For example, ensuring wood comes from managed forests is a way to make sure the project has a lower carbon footprint. But other considerations include the use of water and power, how workers will travel to the construction site, and the logistics of transporting materials. Civil engineers may also consider construction methods and the vehicles or equipment the construction teams will use throughout. Mindful planning of the whole project can keep waste to a minimum and create less potential pollution.

5. Designing “Healthy” Buildings
Research in neuroscience shows that everyone is affected by the buildings they live and work in. Mass urbanization has led to a scarcity of variance in modern construction and design, which may lead to declining mental health when residents or employees don’t have rural areas to spend time in. Mental health is a serious concern that’s starting to be taken more seriously, even in the world of design professionals. It’s possible to start thinking about buildings that are not only ideally suited to their purpose, but to the people who live and work in them. Techniques to improve mental health may involve the right acoustic insulation in busy or noisy areas, plenty of natural light through the effective placement of windows and skylights, and variation in aesthetics both inside and outside buildings to keep minds stimulated.

As the world continues to change, sustainability in civil engineering will become even more evident and innovative. Design in construction and infrastructure is an industry with a huge environmental impact, so civil engineers who work toward making it more sustainable are potentially changing the world — for the better. Contact Engineering Surveys and Services for more information or a consultation.


Image Credits: Unsplash @Creative Commons

As civil engineers and community planners see an increasing shift away from siloed suburbs towards livable, walkable communities with a strong sense of cohesion and identity, they are presented with the challenge -- and opportunity -- to embrace new strategies in community planning and zoning. In this article, we'll explore seven strategies for combating urban sprawl and creating modern communities that work for businesses and residents alike. 

1. Interconnected Shared-Use Trails
Multi-use trails are a critical part of smart growth infrastructure to connect community spaces within and around the suburbs. Without an extensive trail system, residents must choose between walking or cycling on the road and driving.

Trail systems encourage walking, bicycling, and other environmentally friendly modes of transportation. They foster safe travel experiences by expanding the space between cars and other traffic.

In addition to a connected trail system, livable suburbs can implement one or more of these strategies to promote walkability:

• ​Improve sidewalks
• Plant trees near streets
• Add crosswalks and signals
• Reduce speed limits in suburban areas

2. ​Mixed-Use Development and Zoning
Urban sprawl can increase the distance between homes and commercial properties, making neighborhoods less walkable. Civil engineers can enhance the livability of communities by developing land for mixed use. Mixed-use development can take many forms, including:

• Live/work: Structures that combine residential spaces with commercial or manufacturing spaces.
• Main street commercial: A revitalized downtown with retail, residential, food and beverage, and civic areas in a walkable format.
• Historic urban: Converted or retrofitted buildings that offer ground-floor commercial and upper-floor residential opportunities.
• Lifestyle center: Commercial shopping centers that house services and food and beverage locations near residential areas.
• Vertical: New structures that include upper-floor housing and ground-floor commercial locations.
• Horizontal: Interconnected structures that incorporate both commercial stores and housing.
• Complete neighborhood: A compact, planned neighborhood that positions many or all daily needs within walking distance of homes.
  
  

The specific features vary, but all of these mixed-use strategies seek to combine commercial and residential properties. Easy access to community centers, shopping opportunities, and other spaces create a more convenient walking experience.

Unfortunately, zoning issues often limit the ability of civil engineers to implement these strategies. Federal policies, local regulations, and other restrictions may need to be discussed and worked around before you can plan a mixed-use development. Partner with consulting engineers, like our team at Engineering Surveys & Services, to navigate these regulations.

3. Distinctive Community Features
Every community needs an identity to give its members a sense of pride and cohesion. Modern community planning will seek to highlight and celebrate existing community features, or create a sense of shared identity and culture in new developments. 

In some instances, distinct community features are shared by every property in a suburb; in others, various properties are tied together by a single structure or other distinctive feature. For example, a particular architectural style can turn a group of buildings into an iconic neighborhood, but so can a central, iconic commercial building.

Consider restoring historic buildings or looking for unique cultural or ecological features as the cornerstone of your suburb development. Revive or create an identity for a community to encourage new residents and new companies to move into the area.

4. Sustainable Transportation Options
Pedestrian-friendly suburbs offer opportunities to enjoy local parks, restaurants, and other amenities. To create a livable suburb, however, you need to connect this microcosm with the greater community.

Public transit is an opportunity to connect suburbs with each other and the downtown area. Quality public transportation includes these features:

• Affordable fares
• Timely transportation
• Convenient stops
• Accessible designs
  
  

Cars discourage communal travel. Accessible public transportation encourages eco-friendly solutions and gives non-drivers an opportunity to travel safely and efficiently.
Underground subway routes may not be a practical public transportation option for your specific suburb, but consider a bus or tram service. Hybrid and electric transportation continues to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to operate a public transit route.

5. Predictable and Equitable Development
Development needs to be predictable and equitable to reach all community members. Look for ways to avoid excluding members of your planned suburb or suburb development project, particularly those who are at-risk or already affected by accessibility issues. For example, a historic urban structure may not have the ramps, elevators, and interior dimensions required for ADA accessibility, so you must incorporate these features into the development process.

Smart-growth community planning solutions must be carefully weighed in light of many different groups. Consider how to create an accessible neighborhood for all individuals of all abilities.

This can include features like wheelchair access to all community spaces and equitable development across income levels. It can also include affordable transportation options for residents who don’t drive. Some developments are inequitable due to unequal amounts of air pollution, so part of the development strategy should be to reduce air pollution in disproportionately affected areas.

6. Participation in Planning
Even a perfectly designed community project won’t succeed unless it’s accepted by those living in the suburb. Don’t move forward with a civil engineering project until you’ve allowed residents to weigh in and participate in planning the development.

Invest heavily in participation from local community members. A beautiful park, stunning apartment complex, or mixed commercial street needs to be designed with a specific community’s goals and vision in mind. Otherwise, it may not be used or may not be the best development opportunity.

7. Incorporate Land Features
Identify unique ecological features early on in your development process. Land features can help promote a community identity on their own or alongside historic structures.

In the past, swampland, woodland, fields, and other land features were quickly removed to make additional space. The result of removing these features was often urban sprawl and limited walkability.

Instead, consider incorporating more biodiversity and natural habitat in your suburb. This includes green spaces, but also rivers, streams, and other water features.


Learn More About Livable Suburbs
A livable and walkable suburb is a nuanced yet worthwhile community planning goal. Contact Engineering Surveys & Services to discuss your goals in providing local residents and stakeholders with livable, walkable solutions for their existing neighborhood or planned development.


Image Credits: UnSplash @Creative Commons
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​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.

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