blog.enggroupe.comEng Groupe - Engineering Services in Washington DC & VA | Discussing engineering and mixed use devel

Eng Groupe - Engineering Services in Washington DC & VA | Discussing engineering and mixed use development in Washington DC & VA Why public works engineering is so important in everyday life June 1st, 2011 We work hard to improve how people live. Our engineering services are very important in a community like Washington or even an entire state like Virginia. The higher the concentration of residents in an area, the more important good and solid engineering becomes. It is a challenge to meet residents’ needs while working within the constraints of resource allocation and local infrastructure. What we do Our public works engineering services deal with the structure and infrastructure within communities that serve and are used by the general public. Mostly these are large scale projects that affect the day to day lives of many people. We may well work on roadways, railways, sewage systems, dams, power plants, airports, water treatment systems, canals, tunnels, harbor areas, and ports – all key facilities to make modern societies work efficiently and effectively. How we do it Well, how do you get these projects done and what do you do as engineers? You might design sanitation systems that keep a city clean and functioning. We design systems that collect and dispose of waste properly, and that promotes the health and wellbeing of the community. You might design a water resource system. People need clean and sufficient water. You may direct a close source of water to a community or you may build a complete a new dam and an entire system of moving water from that dammed area. Project management is important. For the project to proceed well, a public works engineer may oversee the entire project to make sure that everyone assigned is working together, staying on target, and working to meet the final goals of the project. Highway design is an important part of public works engineering. Transportation systems must work and work well to move people to and from their work and everyplace they have to go. Highway and roadways systems connect people. The process of permitting and zoning can be time consuming and demanding for public works projects. This is something that public works engineering must consider. It often all begins with a good survey. You have to know boundaries, heights, grades, etc. – all to plan and execute large projects. The Engineering Groupe is dedicated to helping citizens through excellent public works engineering. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » A look at modern highway engineering technology May 25th, 2011 Most people look at highway construction or maintenance as an inconvenience that simply delays how long it takes them to get from one place to another. But have you ever stopped to think about the technology that goes into designing and creating a roadway? Just like with computers and IPhones, advances have been made in road and engineering equipment over the past few decades. These advances often bring costs down and have had a tremendous impact on highway engineering . Significant improvements in time tested processes For example, paving machines spend a lot less time paving the same amount of roadway because laser technology has helped improve the process of road paving by providing more accurate measuring and guidance. Road surveyors can now use a laser beam to plot a perfectly straight line, which enhances the ability to set grade, height and depth of a planned route. Step 1 – Laser measurements Lasers also help machine operators guide their equipment, following a beam for accurate course settings. In fact, automatic laser measuring is now used in a variety of construction equipment and thus highway engineering. Step 2 – Portal asphalt plants You can find another example in compact asphalt batch plants, which can now be dismantled and moved along with the construction of a roadway. In the past, asphalt literally had to be trucked into sites one dump truck load at a time. With these small, movable asphalt plants, a silo holds gravel which is added to a mixer oven with molten tar when the load is needed for the highway. The load is sufficiently heated, mixed, and dumped into a waiting truck. Savings are considerable, requiring fewer trucks and drivers for a job and lower materials costs. Step 3 – Transportation The transport truck then delivers the asphalt load to a large, paving machine. The asphalt paver replaces the old, hand delivered way of asphalt paving, which was one shovel full at a time. And now, the entire process is automated. Step 4 – Paving The paving machine does everything. It distributes, shapes, forms, and evenly compresses the product as it moves down its required path. Today, modern versions of these large paving machines are self-propelled, operated by a driver who sits in an air conditioned cab. In the past, these machines were towed by a large truck, capable of moving these heavy machines that are made of high grade steel. Step 5 – Compacting After the fresh load is laid down, it requires even more compacting. This is accomplished with a different number and sizes of compacting machines. These machines range from small units that work on driveways or drainage gates to very large machines for wide open roadways. Highway construction and engineering technology will continue to improve as the country’s highway infrastructure is replaced. And with all the recent improvements in the last few decades, just think what future highway construction projects will look like! Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » A look at the process of creating retail space May 19th, 2011 Whether you are an avid shopper or just traveling around town, examples of retail engineering projects are everywhere you look! Retail engineers help construct retail outlets, shopping centers, and other commercial space dedicated to the retail customer. Retail engineering projects can range from a single, standalone store to an entire shopping center or even mixed developments that include both housing and retail. How retail space is created Retail engineering relies on a unique combination of engineering skills and competencies to successfully put a project together. Those include all of those used in a commercial project but more tightly focused on the retail environment. Most projects begin with a detailed planning review which takes all of the clients’ considerations into account. Planning addresses the client’s goals, objectives and restrictions and coordinates those with land restrictions, zoning considerations and items like required parking. A detailed engineering plan is then developed. After the engineering plan is developed, the next step usually involves surveying which is a necessary step for establishing boundaries, heights, grades and other important measurement information. Other considerations Depending on the type of projects there may be many different types of factors to consider. For instance, on larger projects road design may be important as sometimes roads must be adjusted to accommodate traffic flow and to insure proper access and egress from the retail facility. Changes in roadways almost always have to be approved and coordinated with local authorities. In all cases attention must be paid to governmental requirements including zoning, permitting, and traffic concerns. In heavy traffic areas like Washington, DC or Northern Virginia, attending to all required paperwork, zoning, permitting and regulations can be difficult and demanding for retail facilities. Firms like the Engineering Groupe have the experience and expertise to complete difficult retail engineering projects even around demanding area like Washington and urbanized Virginia. Hiring an experienced firm with the skill sets needed is the only sound option for retail engineering. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » Modern Surveying Equipment May 11th, 2011 Surveyors today cannot work effectively without modern surveying equipment. It is a necessity....