Grading an Unpaved Lot

We got a call from a catering company needing a Civil Engineer for a grading plan.

I was given an overview of the job quickly over the phone to learn what the job entailed.  My first question to myself was how do I get out there to the job site fast enough as they wanted a Civil Engineer to get started on the plans asap.  I was able to get out of a prior meeting looking at property and made my way to the site.  After meeting the client, we went over what was needed.  Regrading the dirt lot to incorporate added parking into their existing parking lot was the main idea.  I told him he would need to hire a Surveyor and Geotechnical Engineer to get the required information we would need to get our plans started.  We are in the beginning stages of design.  The footings of the three buildings next door have caused some issues with where their footings are located in relation to the live load that the catering trucks would exert.

The next issue to tackle was regarding the new LID (Low Impact Development) requirements that took effect May 12, 2012.  Before Los Angeles City Wastershed used SUSMP (Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan) for their stormwater management requirements.  The LID is the preferred approach to stormwater management by the RWQCB, SWRCB, and US EPA.  To meet these requirements, we need to take the first 3/4″ storm into infiltration tanks.  So besides needing a Geotechnical Engineer too verify the soil is okay to pave over, we also need them to preform a percolation test to see if the soil where the infiltration tanks will sit, can actually allow water to percolate at an Los Angeles City approved rate.

At this point in the project the Civil Engineer must make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding the site plan layout, the geotechincal report, and that all of this matches up to the survey.

 

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