Civil Engineering

Huitt-Zollars was retained by Galveston County to investigate, inspect, and prepare documentation to show that the Texas City Hurricane-Flood Protection Levee meets the requirements of 44 CFR Section 65.10 of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Levee Certification.

Huitt-Zollars provided services for improvements to mitigate erosion problems along the tidally influenced Robinson Bayou. The project used adjacent City property to mitigate flows while providing pedestrian trails and a bridge. Preliminary Engineering Phase included field investigations, surveys, geotechnical investigations, drainage analysis, tree survey, utility coordination, coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Texas Department of Transportation and General Land Office of Texas, and preparation of three conceptual designs with cost estimates.

Rancho Mission Viejo turned to Huitt-Zollars to prepare hydrologic and hydraulic, sediment yield, sediment transport, and geomorphologic analysis, and conceptual mitigation strategies, including peak flood control, erosion protection, and stream restoration.

Huitt-Zollars completed a Master Plan for a 200-acre natural open space canyon acquired by EPWU. Huitt-Zollars investigated the existing conditions in the canyon, which included an existing dam, vegetation and wildlife, hiking trails, access roads, and a culvert at Robinson Road. Huitt-Zollars performed preliminary drainage calculations and determined watershed areas, runoff volumes, and sediment transport potential. Defined infrastructure needs for the Master Plan include expansion of the dam, channelization, sediment basin, and larger culvert.

The North Service Center complex includes a two-story administration building, a 200-person pavilion, a maintenance facility, a distribution warehouse, fueling and wash facilities, parking, landscaping, berms, and a significant storm water quality feature. The entire 22-acre tract was hydraulically designed to surface drain through and be naturally filtered by a series of cascading sedimentation ponds, grassy swales, vegetated filter strips, natural filtering, constructed wetland areas into a dual purpose polishing, and detention pond. An outlet structure was engineered with a vent pipe dri

Huitt-Zollars currently provides services for the NMDOT Drainage Section for Phase 1 and Phase II MS4s, including: revising SWMPs to comply with EPA permit requirements; attending meetings with MS4 co-permittees; attending meetings with NMED and other agencies; revising the NPDES Manual as required by EPA permit language, including Low Impact/Green Infrastructure (LID/GI) measures; participating in LID/GI meetings with stakeholders, and finishing tasks assigned to the NMDOT; participating in Storm Water Quality team (SWQT) meetings for public outreach; keeping updated with EPA correspondenc

A major drainage channel, Mauk Branch, was eroding its banks in the backyards of a residential neighborhood, and getting dangerously close to area homes. Following a public meeting with residents, Huitt-Zollars began work on possible solutions to stop erosion and maintain the 100-year flood capacity of the creek, while at the same time be aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound. Huitt-Zollars located the mean high-water level and went to work on a Corps of Engineers 404 permit. Flood levels were verified by inserting the new cross-sections for the channel into the City’s model.

Huitt-Zollars developed a channel restoration design for a highly urbanized and eroded stream as part of an emergency watershed protection program. Services included a hydrology and hydraulic (H&H) analysis and design, channel restoration, bioengineering, construction documents, and construction observation. Bioengineering techniques were used in conjunction with more traditional engineering methods to develop bank stabilization and grade control structures in order to prevent further erosion of residential property and nearby utilities along a reach of Mary’s Creek.

Huitt-Zollars designed improvements to the Elkins Lake Dam for the Elkins Lake Recreation Corporation. The earthen dam is more than 800 feet in length, 10 feet wide crest and 27 feet high with two spillways: an earthen service spillway and a reinforced concrete emergency spillway.