This is Why Civil Engineers are Needed on Commercial Construction
Civil engineers are needed on construction jobs to plan, design, manage, and create reports on different projects taking place. However, a civil engineer's responsibilities are even more when it comes to taking care of commercial construction.
Civil engineers take on a hands-on role in commercial construction, whether it is ensuring that development is taking place consistently or that the job is being done accurately and all safety protocols are being followed. Believe it or not, commercial construction planning projects require a relatively detailed approach.
Commercial Construction
Commercial construction includes constructing structures or facilities for businesses. This may consist of retail shops, restaurants, hotels, medical buildings, hospitals, industrial shops, and office buildings.
Commercial construction projects are more complicated because they require local government approval and registration. Hence, they need to adhere to a stricter requirement. Since more people are likely to use commercial facilities, the construction planning needs to have a stable component, detailed plan, and development to ensure that there are no risks involved.
Here is what civil engineers do on commercial construction sites:
Site Planning
Site plans are crucial to most permit applications. They show the proposed changes set out to take place to a specific area. A usual site plan will include all proposed and existing structures of a building, parking, roadways, landscaping, utility connections, and of course, sanitary drainage.
Moreover, site plans also include illustrating areas of excavation and filling, terrain elevation changes (if any), and storm weather management. A civil engineer will be able to draft a set of plans before construction begins.
Grading Design
Grading design is done to stabilize the soil around the focused structure. It also ensures that stormwater is efficiently diverted away from the site, and there is no collection of standing water on your premises.
Grading mostly means the cutting and filling of soil where needed in the construction site. A civil engineer needs to ensure that the foundation of a commercial building follows the official laws laid out by the government. This includes making sure that the building is well below the undisturbed ground surface. In case of a basement, the soil will have to be cut deeper.
Drainage
A civil engineer will ensure that your commercial building follows a separate drainage plan, including management of:
- Grates
- Pipe elevations
- Outlet structures
- Erosion control
- Berms, ridges, and swales
- Runoff
A civil engineer will need to prepare a drainage plan which will then be submitted to the building officials.
Planning for Natural Disasters
If you live in a disaster-prone region, your civil engineer will have to ensure that your commercial project is safe from all calamities, hence ensuring building safety.
If a commercial building is built on a floodway, it may require a special permit from the emergency management department. A civil engineer will help ensure that all local, state and federal ordinances comply with the construction of your commercial building.
Looking for a team of civil engineers to help you in the construction of your commercial building? Worry no more. Inhouse Consulting Engineers is a professional engineering practice that will guide you through the entire process of safe construction. Contact us today.