PCA is able to provide a wide range of civil engineering services to support the work of developers, architects and private clients. Our services include: highway design and structures, drainage design, including strategy and soak-away design for planning purposes, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), 3D ground-modelling, flood risk assessments and alleviations, sewerage treatment solutions, bridges and inshore marine structures.
PCA has extensive specialist knowledge of historic, listed and ancient buildings. Our sympathetic and pragmatic approach to understanding structural issues in old buildings is well respected. Careful consideration is given to ‘the philosophy of repair’ in the context of the design requirements to achieve an end result that is both beneficial to the building and the client. Conservation is an exciting part of PCA’s work and we enjoy the satisfying challenge of saving a building from decay. Our conservation work has helped our clients repair and restore buildings to their former glory or been successful in finding a new use for a once redundant structure. We work with a number of conservation bodies including The National Trust, English Heritage, Historic England, The Landmark Trust and The Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Safe temporary support and shoring is essential during construction and PCA is able to assist contractors and clients with detailed and outline temporary works designs and construction method statements to ensure they remain in line with British Standards or Eurocodes.
PCA have registered members of the Association for Project Safety and can therefore provide CDM consultancy advice where required. PCA can provide a single solution for the PD role under CDM2015 and advise clients through the statutory regulations to ensure they fulfil their duties.
Structural engineering is an important discipline at PCA and this is reflected in the broad range of projects undertaken. Whether large multi-million pound developments, smaller residential and commercial projects, extensions or conversions our experienced structural engineers are able to provide efficient, sympathetic and economic designs with an architectural bias, where required. PCA is committed to meeting the clients’ needs and enabling them to realise their design ambitions. We have won awards for these often challenging projects, including for residential properties, business premises and large-scale developments. State-of-the-art finite element analysis and design computer software is used where necessary. We have recently expanded our 3D modelling capabilities by including Autodesk Revit and CSC Fastrak into our range of design and draughting programmes. We look forward to working closely with architects, as well as mechanical and electrical consultants, in producing a complete Building Information Modelling (BIM) cycle which will benefit contractors and clients alike.
The Party Wall (etc) Act 1996 deals with party walls and other neighbourly issues. PCA is able to act on behalf of building owners (developers) or adjoining owners (neighbours) to deal with this issue, where it applies, in a pragmatic and practical way to find a reasonable resolution.
Successful project management requires knowledge, experience and support. PCA’s dedicated team of specialist surveyors has successfully performed the role of project managers and contract administrators on numerous jobs, ranging from simple building works to more complex civil and structural engineering projects. PCA acts as a point of contact for the various parties involved in the project, coordinating the works as required. We have worked with private clients, insurers and contractors to ensure the smooth running of the project.
Our engineering bias enables PCA to offer an expert and specialised range of structural surveying services, including • Traditional building structural surveys – valuable if there are any concerns regarding a property, if required for insurance purposes or when buying/selling a property. • Pre-planning structural reports – to aid the planning process and aid determining project viability. • Expert witness reports –to provide a professional opinion and clarity in the event of a dispute.
