Civil Engineering Design Thinking

Civil engineering is the practice of designing, building and maintaining infrastructure for land development, transportation, water or environmental systems. My focus was land development, designing for stormwater management, grading, and utilities. Now imagine a blank canvas. A client might envision a 16-pump gas station in the heart of Los Angeles, or seek accessibility upgrades to an existing 300-stall parking lot. In both cases, their business goals are to complete the project on-time and within budget.
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The journey of a successful land development project starts with a deep understanding of its landscape, literally. My design process began with research to ensure that client goals and agency requirements were aligned. I reviewed title and environmental reports and interviewed agency officers to determine any expensive design-related items or project-ending factors like no-build easements or contaminated soils. I gathered data on factors like topography, rainfall intensities, and existing infrastructure, and translated those through preliminary engineering calculations to roughly size stormwater systems that will serve as flood prevention and water quality treatment for the development. This process typically took 1-4 weeks depending on the scale of the project.

Developing a deep understanding of the site, identifying potential challenges and opportunities are essential to be able to provide the client potential solutions. Through the in-depth research, I created feasibility reports and preliminary site designs that serve as a roadmap for subsequent project phases. These documents inform the client about risks and opportunities to help them determine if the project will move forward or not.

With a clear understanding of the project’s goals and constraints, I then developed conceptual designs into construction documents such as plans and reports. I designed for the optimal placement of site features and stormwater/utility structures across the site. Every element, from curbs to storm drains, accessible ramps and transformers, were considered to create a functional and efficient environment.

Autodesk Civil 3D and Bluebeam Revu were my design tools to prepare and review construction plans. My old team had design templates that we constantly updated to increase our efficiency in drafting large-scale projects.

Cross-checking regulations and codes related to infrastructure, site planning and accessibility, ensured my designs meet agency standards. I balanced priorities such as cost, design, and deadlines through close collaboration with my teammates. Our goal was to create a comprehensive and accurate set of construction documents that clearly communicate our solutions.

A critical aspect in land development is obtaining agency approvals on tight deadlines. This requires effective communication and coordination with a diverse group of stakeholders, including clients, contractors, and other engineering disciplines. From permit application to negotiating changes with agencies, I was involved in every step and accomplished iterations for design reviews.

My work mostly revolved around redevelopments where an existing structure is added to or built upon. For instance, I worked on a gas station project in Southern California that was proposed to be built within the existing parking lot of a membership-only retail warehouse. The common and major issue with redevelopment projects is the requirement of upgrading the entire site’s stormwater systems to current code, even if the redevelopment is only a fraction of the existing site. This meant a very expensive project for the client and most likely shut down the project. By collaborating with my team, consulting experienced engineers, conducting thorough code research, and developing a detailed site plan, I successfully demonstrated to the agency that the project qualified for an exemption from full site upgrades. We were able to secure approval for designing infrastructure solely for the proposed redevelopment. This is one of the many examples I was able effectively communicate and collaborate with multiple parties.

Building infrastructure warrants a rigorous design and approval process due to public liability involved. This demands meticulous attention to detail from civil engineers, who are accustomed to multiple rounds of review and quality assurance. My construction plans typically underwent five or more iterations of redlining to they adhered to standards and design accuracy. This iterative process typically took 4 weeks and demanded flexibility, adaptability, and a problem-solving mindset.

When I worked in land development, one of my favorite phrases was "PERMIT APPROVED". As silly as that sounds, that meant my design had passed regulatory standards and construction could finally start. That is when design handoff happens.

I continued to support a different user, the contractor, by being their trusted advisor, offering expertise and support in unforeseen situations like delivery and construction delays, and survey discrepancies. During the construction phase of an old project, the contractor called me with an issue where an existing pipe they were connecting to was in a completely different location. I provided support by designing a new pipe route and obtained the agency’s approval within a day and eliminated construction delays. Responsiveness and quick turn arounds were key in this phase of the design and build process, and were valued by both contractor and client.
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The handoff phase ends with a successful project build that involves stronger relationships among happy clients, agencies, contractors and civil engineers!