CE Civil Engineers – Services
This work includes the design of small structures, both residential and commercial, including beam and column design, bearing wall removal, large window installations, residential decks and lateral bracing, conforming to the latest building code requirements. Renovation work has included upgrades to small residential structures and large church repairs. I have done design work in steel, concrete, and in timber.
This work includes the inspection of existing structures both prior to a sale for specific structural concerns and as a prelude to the design of repairs to an existing structure. I do not do complete home inspections; those can be done by specialists who are more proficient than I am in many of the house systems such as plumbing or electrical systems. Generally, I am called in when there is a structural issue that cannot easily be resolved. These can be either non-invasive (visual) inspections with no damage to the existing structure, or dependent on the underlying concern or plans for the site can involve the removal of wall coverings such as sheet rock. The equipment used includes ultrasonic micrometers, laser rangefinders and levels, strain gages, crack monitors and cameras.
Foundation design can be as simple as a typical residential foundation or more involved designs for sites that have weak soil conditions. We have done sites that had challenging restrictions requiring the use of piles, heavily reinforced slabs, and slabs that were designed to “float” above a weak soil layer. Methodologies include the use of long used standard formulas, or the use of Helicap, RetainWall and Excel software, some developed in house.
We can and often do inspect the visible portions of basements and crawl spaces (both interior and exterior) for cracks, settlement, water penetration and a host of other issues. The size and shape of cracks and stains within the foundation wall are symptoms. Reading those symptoms is critical to explaining why they occurred and to defining solutions. During these inspections or in a written report we can, if necessary, recommend any necessary repairs, as well as experienced contractors.
Inspections of soils require the use of equipment such as backhoes or drilling rigs to define the material beneath the ground. Laboratory tests can be done, on soil samples, including sieve analysis, unit weight, and permeability in house. Other tests may be done using specialist testing firms as required. As you might imagine different materials require different designs to provide economical support for a structure.
Amusement ride inspections are one of the fun parts of my work. I am state certified to inspect amusement rides. Most of the carousels, trackless trains and other small rides, including several carnival operators who require in State inspections, use my services.
Should an accident involving injury or death occur, many attorneys call on our services to define what happened, determine if code violations occurred, research weather and other factors that contributed to the incident. We provide reports, deposition and court room testimony for both defendants and plaintiffs. I have qualified as an expert witness in both state and federal courts. Our work this year has included sidewalk falls, automobile accidents, bicycle falls, hunting injuries, and pavement collapses.
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p 860-884-5473
e [email protected]
433 Providence – New London Turnpike
North Stonington, Connecticut 06359