Civil
Civil Design Support Solutions for Complex Utility and Drainage Challenges for a Food Chain in Alabama
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Soumen
- April 22, 2025
- 12:13 pm
Intro
Uppteam recently worked on a 2.47-acre commercial food chain. Our designers adopted a holistic site development strategy that addressed compliance with regulations, environmental concerns, and unproblematic utility integration. Veteran designers, Ryan Scott and Jason Pascual, represented the client, Greenberg Farrow, a design and engineering company that required assistance with this project’s planning, coordination, and management.
Project Type: Commercial
Software Used: AutoCAD Civil 3D, GIS Mapping Tools (ArcGIS and QGIS), BIM Software
Client Name : Greenberg Farrow
Task Assigned
Given the project’s complexity, Greenberg Farrow partnered with Uppteam because of its proven expertise in translating intricate survey data into accurate, regulation-compliant civil designs. Uppteam’s collaborative approach and deep understanding of utility and drainage challenges made it suitable to support the client’s vision.
The client required Uppteam to develop detailed site plans covering layout, grading, utilities, and compliance. Simultaneously, the client wanted grading and drainage plans, including contours, elevations, and stormwater systems (e.g., detention basins, inlets, and culverts) for proper flow and code compliance. The client also assigned measures for erosion control.
Challenges
Since the project heavily relied on the client’s information, it posed a few significant challenges to the civil design support team. First, inaccurate or incomplete survey data made site and grading plan coordination with exact topographical and boundary data problematic.
Compliance with US building codes, regulations and the changing nature of municipal, state, and federal codes added complexity and could result in redesigns and project delays. Site conditions, including irregular topography, flood zones, and inferior soils, made grading and drainage planning difficult. Similarly, utility coordination required addressing conflicts with existing underground infrastructure and scheduling relocations. Environmental considerations demanded stringent compliance with regulations to manage stormwater runoff effectively.
Ensuring efficient vehicular and pedestrian circulation while adhering to ADA and traffic safety regulations added another layer of complexity. Finally, collaboration between civil, structural, and MEP teams required meticulous alignment to prevent rework and delays.
Solutions
Uppteam’s civil design support team performed rigorous site surveys in response to these issues. It used state-of-the-art GIS mapping tools, such as ArcGIS and QGIS, and drone analysis to provide better survey precision. At the onset, pre-application meetings with regulatory agencies allowed us to streamline permitting processes and compliance. Feasibility studies and geotechnical analysis helped guide mitigation methods, such as retaining walls and soil stabilization methods, in handling site constraints.
Our team streamlined the utility relocation, as the project required a revamped utility plan with detailed connections to essential public utility services, by conducting early location surveys and working hand-in-glove with providers to prepare relocations. The designers developed a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to ensure regulatory compliance, using AutoCAD Civil 3D to design and detail best management practices such as silt fences and sediment traps.
Ongoing monitoring during construction also enabled regulatory compliance. We conducted traffic impact studies to maximize site access and circulation. The team included adequate turning radii, signage, and pedestrian paths in the design to facilitate accessibility and safety. Regular interdisciplinary coordination meetings and the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software facilitated efficient collaboration and conflict resolution between teams.
Uppteam’s focused skills in site planning, utility coordination, and environmental management reduced delays, conflicts, and costs. Through attention to precise survey information, site constraint resolution, and traffic with accessibility optimization, Uppteam ensured project success. This effective, compliant, and sustainable methodology not only achieved but also exceeded client expectations.