Posted February 20, 2024
The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions civil engineering is traditionally the sectors of roads and bridges, but today’s scope of civil engineering tasks includes a more diverse set of projects. This is the case for civil engineering at Cosgroves where we are involved in projects such as land development, fuel facilities, multi-unit developments, treatment plants, due diligence reports and, supporting our building services team on retirement homes, medical centres, commercial retail and warehousing, schools, and Kāinga Ora housing developments. The role of civil engineering is integral when it comes to the complexities of consenting and high project costs, particularly in the early phases with advising on consents, poor ground conditions and methods to reduce project costs. In fact, the impact on project delivery timelines can be streamlined with timely investigations, reports, and design to de-risk projects if we are engaged early in the design process.
Our portfolio displays a wide variety of projects, each uniquely contributing to the built environment and encompassing a wide breadth of expertise. Ranging from the intricacies of land development to the design of three waters systems. In addition, careful design for pavements and poor ground conditions, the design of stormwater treatment solutions, and the oversight of the construction processes. With a holistic approach, we engage in projects that make an impact to our modern communities, ensuring that each undertaking is marked by efficiency, functionality, and meeting consent requirements and clients’ needs. The challenges of poor ground conditions, contamination, or consents and staging require the civil team to approach each project uniquely.
Environmentally conscious practices are already part of our standard approaches. Unlike some other disciplines, where sustainable alternatives might come with added costs, civil engineering at Cosgroves embraces sustainability in the interest of our clients and the environment, often resulting in dual benefits without added costs. For instance, employing sustainable options in cut-to-fill operations not only minimises costs but also reduces truck movements and fuel consumption, in turn lessening the project's overall carbon footprint. We embrace eco-friendly measures like the use of recycled concrete and adeptly managing contaminated materials where we retain and keep them on site, there in, reducing the need to place them in expensive landfills and taking up valuable space in the said landfills. This highlights another sustainable approach that we can take that also has the benefit of cutting costs. The most substantial evolution in the civil field has been the shift towards stormwater treatment. Stormwater treatment devices continually evolve to meet demands and at Cosgroves, we navigate this dynamic field with a comprehensive understanding of the diverse options and their specific requirements tailored to the unique needs of each project. Examples include stormwater swales that blend seamlessly into the landscape, rain garden soak pits or various devices or detention tanks. These solutions all marry ecological benefits with practical efficacy.
In essence, civil engineering at Cosgroves is a diverse world and our designs are driven by both efficiency and practicality. Our team approaches each project uniquely providing civil engineering solutions that meet the needs and requirements outlined by our clients as well as the sustainable requirements led by clients or consent conditions.
