Our Engineering Division provides a full spectrum of municipal engineering services focusing on land development and municipal infrastructure. From feasibility studies, through to planning, design approvals and construction we remain focused on performance, efficiency and client satisfaction. We effectively overcome such project issues as tight and complex scheduling, resource coordination, budget constraints, contract administration, design complications and approval-related negotiations.
We are very responsive to our clients’ needs and have a strong reputation for providing high quality design and construction services from project initiation to completion. As a team of experienced project managers,project engineers, engineers, designers, CAD technologists, and construction supervisors we bring a professional level of service and state of the art design to each of our projects. Understanding and meeting our client’s needs and objectives is our highest priority.
As a part of a team of external Urban Planners, Architects, and Environmental Specialists, our Engineering group provides servicing studies for Area Structure Plans (ASP), Neighbourhood Structure Plans (NSP), and Outline Plans (OP). We assist the planning team with technical input, conceptual design and public presentations to enable the project to receive early approvals in complex public environments.
Our engineering experts can help with assessing the financial feasibility of projects by estimating municipal assessments, environmental assessments, design costs, construction costs and maintenance costs. With input on sales expectations, we produce cash-flow projections and development schedules to help our clients assess the financial feasibility of their projects.
We can assess the servicing feasibility of the projects by researching municipal requirements, servicing capacities, environmental constraints and then producing conceptual designs. We assess the servicing opportunities and constraints and recommend feasible solutions and cost implications for issues that are identified.
Financial institutions often require project monitoring by a professional engineer to certify design and construction progress and to authorize draw amounts appropriate for meeting the financial obligations of projects over the course of the development process. Watt Consulting provides this service for developers and lenders wishing expert certification of draw amounts from approved lending facilities.
David Jeffries, Partner
Zeidler Partnership
Our design team provides comprehensive design services for large and small subdivisions for both public sector and private sector developers. These development projects include residential, commercial and industrial subdivisions. Typical design services include:
Low Impact Development is an evolving design approach to storm water management that seeks to utilize rainfall and snow melt as a resource to enhance the natural environment in urban settings. Our design team seeks to recreate natural landscape features while managing site drainage to slow water down, decrease the runoff volume and improve the runoff water quality. Where practical, we employ methods such a rain gardens, green roofs, absorbent landscapes, permeable pavements and bio swales to encourage on-site retention and absorption.
Subdivisions within approved Outline Plans and areas subject to redevelopment require Detailed Subdivision Stormwater Management Reports (SWMRs). A Subdivision SWMR is required for each subdivision development phase. Our engineers and designers will prepare a report that will include a detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis for the subdivision , and any related details. Items included in the report are typically storm sewer and related structures, hydraulic grade line analysis (where required), 1:100 year storage requirements, trap lows, escape routes, BMPs, and water quality requirements.
Construction activities such as site grading and dewatering are a potential source of sediment loading into storm sewers and water courses. Dust caused by disturbance of exposed, dry subsoils by wind and equipment can also be a significant problem during construction activities. Our project managers, engineers, and construction supervisors are trained and certified to prepare Erosion and Sediment Control Reports and to provide construction monitoring services to verify that appropriate ESC methods are implemented during construction.
David Jeffries, Partner
Zeidler Partnership
A Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP), sometimes known as a Mechanical Site Plan, is a drainage and servicing plan that is prepared for multi-family, industrial, institutional, and commercial areas. In preparing a DSSP, our engineers include drainage details such as surface grades, 1:100 year storm water volume storage requirements, trap lows, roof top storage volumes, escape routes, storm and sanitary servicing design, and water quality improvement measures.
During the course of design and approval by the regulating municipality, it is often necessary to carry out negotiations of technical and financial obligations of the developer with the governing municipality. Our project managers and project engineers provide expert guidance to the developer in such negotiations to enable the resolution of issues that might impede or compromise the viability or efficiency of the project.
Contract Administration services include preparing Tender Documents, Contract Documents, and Progress Payment Certificates prior to and during the course of construction. Inspection services and progress monitoring are provided to document adherence to the contract, plans, and specifications.
Our Field Supervisors and Inspectors under the guidance of our experienced project managers and project engineers are provided to certify that the contractor is supplying materials, constructing, and installing infrastructure in accordance with the approved engineering design, standards, and specifications, the approved reports, or as otherwise required by the Municipality under the terms and conditions specified in the Development Agreement. This enables the project manager/project engineer to issue the Construction Completion Certificates and the Final Acceptance Certificates signifying the successful completion of the construction and acceptance by the Municipality.
