Civil Engineering

As part of the design-build team with a construction firm, Huitt-Zollars prepared full design drawings and specifications for five Land Ports of Entry (LPOE) along the U.S./Canadian border. Huitt-Zollars provided complete design for civil engineering, architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, plumbing, fire protection, communications, data, and security. The LPOE’s act not only as a welcoming entrance for visitors into the country but also as high security technical checkpoint for potential harmful threats to the U.S.

The new 61,000-GSF Station building was designed as the first integrated, co-located facility of its kind and serves as a functional and operational template for future stations to emulate. The Office of Border Patrol, Office of Field Operations and Office of Air and Marine are all housed at the new station building which acts as a state-of-the-art hub for information gathering and sharing. Huitt-Zollars provided turnkey architectural, interiors, landscape, civil, structural and MEP design services for all phases of project development and construction/contract administration.

The Yuma Border Patrol Station was site adapted to a 250-agent station at Blythe, California. The main station building is approximately 42,500 square feet, with an additional support building of approximately 14,500-square-foot which includes specialty vehicle storage, vehicle service and electronics equipment maintenance. The over 20-acre site includes car parking (some covered) for private and government vehicles approximately equal to the agent count at each station.

Over an extended period, Huitt-Zollars performed annual condition assessment inspections for federally constructed portions of White Oak Bayou and 3,000 miles of Harris County channels. Each inspection required documentation of deficiencies with supporting digital photographs. Cost estimates were prepared after repairs were categorized and prioritized. Huitt-Zollars also prepared a construction documents package, assisted HCFCD with project bids, and provided technical oversight during construction.

Huitt-Zollars prepared construction documents for the rehabilitation of the outlet structures for the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in Houston, Texas. These “extremely high-risk” dams provide flood-damage reduction for our nation’s fourth largest population center.

Huitt-Zollars teamed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct aerial reconnaissance of nine jetties and the Texas City Dike. The compilation of reconnaissance information was used to: establish survey control, obtain quality assurance cross-sections, ascertain data obtained from aerial LIDAR and hydrographic surveys, prepare 35% design plans and specifications for the repair of damaged areas, and also prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) used in the procurement of a MATOC Design-Build Contractor for the design and reconstruction of the jetties and the dike.

Huitt-Zollars was responsible for the design and preparation of the construction documents related to 30 repair sites located along the banks of the Channel to Victoria barge canal. Specific project limits ran 17 miles from State Highway 35 (in Calhoun County) to the Port of Victoria turning basin (in Victoria County). Repairs included erosion repair and protection consisting of the installation of storm drainage inlets, manholes, pipe and outfalls, swale protection with blanket stone and riprap, plus toe protection with rock gabions and articulating concrete block revetments.

Huitt-Zollars prepared construction plans for this urban tollway in Harris County. The scope of services includes surveying, roadway design, bridge layout and design, traffic engineering, traffic control planning, signing, pavement markings, signage, signalization, cost estimating, drainage, utility coordination, and storm water pollution prevention planning. This toll road has a six-lane configuration. Additional improvements included expansion of adjacent streets, intersections, utility relocations, and retaining walls.

Huitt-Zollars prepared construction plans for the construction of a new location six-lane freeway approximately two miles in length. The corridor connects the IH-35E and IH-635 freeways. Design plans included storm drainage, paving plan and profiles, culverts, bridges, four exit ramps, ramp toll plazas, and a detention pond grading plan. This project included seven bridges; two stream crossings; two structures adjacent and over the river east levee embankment; two ramp structures; and one elevated parkway structure.

Huitt-Zollars designed this project to replace the existing IH-30 mainlanes with new mainlanes as identified in the Loop 12/IH-30 ultimate design schematic. The project’s focus filled the gap between two construction projects with ultimate mainlane configuration that meets the future four-level interchange criteria. Huitt-Zollars designed the bridges to accommodate future direct connector, HOV lane, and railroad bridge bents.