Services

Construction Engineering

The urgent need to replace, upgrade, and retrofit infrastructure drives the heavy civil, marine, and bridge construction industry. PND applies creative civil/structural design for increasingly complex projects that require the temporary structures necessary during construction while placing a premium on safety.

From the start, our deep knowledge of and relationships in the construction business have provided context for our best innovations.

Construction environments are always changing and growing increasingly complex, particularly with multiple stakeholders involved. PND’s construction engineering support has been applied with regional contractors and private-sector businesses in Alaska, but has also included the largest marine contractors in the U.S. By supplying end-to-end services, we ensure the structure matches the design and the timeline stays on track.

Proprietary Design Solutions

Our SPIN FIN™ piles and OPEN CELL™ bulkhead concepts were created to meet specific construction industry needs to decrease construction cost, reduce construction duration, and efficiently match contractor equipment and labor capacity.

Strong Industry Partnerships

Our success as project partners is bolstered by our familiarity with the construction industry and markets which PND operates, as well as our longstanding professional relationships with the construction companies we provide services for.

Broad Construction Engineering Services

We provide expert services for temporary structures on construction sites, serving local, regional, and national markets.

Temporary Work Bridges

We can provide designs for a temporary detour bridge for public traffic or a temporary trestle for contractors, subject to all rules for safe passage on byways of public transport. Our designs frequently consider safe passage and support for heavy cranes, material/equipment transport, and all associated personnel. PND develops plans and specifications for these temporary structures in order to install permanent foundations for bridge or marine projects, even over challenging terrain.
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Excavation Support

Stability and safety during construction projects is prioritized with excavation support, a time-honored task in construction engineering. Significant ground disruption, groundwater flows, lateral earth pressure, and heavy equipment loads can challenge the final excavation design and associated installation of support materials. PND’s proprietary OPEN CELL SHEET PILE™ system has been used for a number of complex excavation support projects to accommodate heavy surface loads and extreme environmental or geotechnical conditions in order to construct a permanent structure.
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Vertical Falsework & Shoring Systems

PND provides creative solutions that reduce field labor and material costs by offering essential skills in structural falsework design for heavy structural concrete placements in bridge and marine construction. Using different types of vertical shoring, PND can stabilize existing structures during retrofits until permanent components are in place. PND can also design custom forms systems for unusual or complex structural configurations. We have designed heavy strut-and-jack systems in support of deep excavation for tunnel pits and similar items, which bring precision and efficiency to a project, aligning each structural element for accuracy.
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Cofferdams / Flow Diversion Systems

Construction or structure removal in water or near a waterfront presents a particular challenge. PND applies a combination of classic hand calculations and sophisticated software analysis to create cofferdam designs with a safe work area below the waterline. Whether deep or shallow, cofferdams can help with a variety of projects, including fish passage restoration, pump stations construction, and dam or pier construction and repair. PND also has experience with temporarily diverting river flows to gain access to a stream or riverbed for both restoration work and new construction. Cofferdams and braced cuts provide critical project support so construction can be completed in a safe environment.
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Personnel Access & Staging Design

Given the essential need for safe worker access to all aspects of bridge and marine construction, PND regularly develops designs for atypical or unusual situations. Ensure efficient, safe movement across the site with construction access and staging. Personnel are provided a pathway with temporary and long-span foot bridges from a fixed shoreline to floating equipment and barges. Stair towers and inspection platforms ensure a vantage point to oversee quality control, making sure the project is progressing from start to completion. PND’s designs address safe worker access during construction, especially for those situations that require fall arrest/restraint in vertical construction.
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Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans

Stormwater pollution must be prevented in order to avoid water table contamination, harm to wildlife, and resulting negative impacts to the economy tied to fishing and waterfront tourism. Since stormwater control within a project site’s boundaries is subject to detailed scrutiny from city, county, and state agencies, PND provides complete plans for capture, storage, testing, and discharge of stormwater during project construction.
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Decades-Long Client Relationships Start With A Solution

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Permanent Canal Closures & Pumps | New Orleans, LA

"PCCP was a very challenging project with many technically complex issues and a variety of contractual groups involved, including a very involved sponsor. PND provided excellent technical representation and answered questions from senior USACE technical reviewers, as well as a contracted doctoral subject matter expert review – all to full satisfaction. During construction and throughout, PND coordinated with USACE for a safety and reporting plan that had daily and as-needed updates. I was impressed with both their technical capabilities and the ability to adapt to the unique project needs."

Jennifer L. Kline, PE
|
Lead Technical Engineer, USACE MVN

FAQs

To learn more about PND’s construction engineering support services, read our frequently asked questions.

PND offers a wide range of services, including temporary bridges or work trestles, cofferdam design, vertical shoring and falsework, temporary access and staging, lifting systems, excavation support, and even custom design for detailed form systems. Our services are all tailored to meet the needs of our clients’ construction projects and the safety protocols of the owner and contractor.

PND’s design solutions, such as SPIN FIN piles and OPEN CELL systems, are inspired by construction industry needs and developed through a deep understanding of the industry’s people, processes, and challenges. We developed these concepts by matching engineering skills to the realities of construction operations and market needs. Our persistent effort to know the construction business, people, and the mindset has been essential to our long-term success.

We provide heavy lifting support through marine or land crane operations, steel erection analysis, and lifting and assembly aids. On land, PND will evaluate the global stability of the crane-on-ground system, where equipment loads can create unstable conditions. Our services provide safety for personnel, construction, and the contractors’ equipment used in various configurations.

Our shoring and forms services offer temporary structural reinforcement for added safety and efficiency by using systems such as falsework, custom forms, and jacking and strutting.

PND works with a diverse range of clients, including regional contractors, private-sector businesses, and some of the largest marine/waterfront contractors in the U.S. Our tailored engineering support for local, regional, and national markets has helped their construction projects succeed.

Access and staging ensures the efficient and safe movement of components and personnel across construction sites. Inspection is also made easier with stair towers and inspection platforms for improved quality control.

One step at a time. We follow our comprehensive process—plan, design, build, solve—and guide our clients through each step to develop and implement the most effective engineering solution for their construction project.

Contact Us

Build something better with PND. Contact our construction engineering support team today.