OTHER SERVICES
Railroad Topographic Surveys
Crouch Engineering uses the latest tools for the collection of GPS based data needed for various digital terrain models, maps, charts and plans. The railroad topographic survey is the basis for all designs, and should be conducted by experts in railway surveying. That’s why Crouch Engineering uses its own experienced staff of eRailsafe certified, annual RWP trained surveying staff to perform all our railroad surveys.
Crouch Engineering uses GPS receivers, GPS survey equipment, aerial surveys, LIDAR surveys, and other tools for the collection of GPS based data needed for the preparation of maps for planning and engineering purposes including location maps for plans, the preparation of track charts, geographical and graphical presentations of data, conceptual plans, etc.
Crouch Engineering utilizes ground surveys and aerial surveys to produce many of its maps, and has access to USGS maps and other existing digital format maps and ArcView Compatible databases.
Phase 1 Environmental Assessments
Crouch Engineering performs Phase 1 environmental assessments for due diligence related to mergers and acquisitions.
Environmental Permitting and Design
Crouch Engineering performs environmental permitting and design for all types of railroad, highway, transportation, and site design projects
Environmental Permitting - Crouch Engineering performs environmental assessments for major projects, phase 1 environmental site assessments, and environmental permitting and design for all types of railroad, highway, transportation, and site design projects. By performing environmental permitting in house, Crouch Engineering reduces the design timeframe for most projects, improving the project schedule, and reducing costs.
Crouch routinely performs NEPA reviews for linear transportation projects, and works with its clients, and Federal and State agencies to prepare efficient plans, reduce impacts to wetlands and streams, mitigate impacts, and reduce permitting time for its design projects. Crouch Engineering has been very successful and has a stellar reputation in the railroad industry based on our history over the last two decades in streamlining permitting times, and getting approvals in a very reasonable timeframe for its construction projects.
Crouch Engineering is on the approved list of providers for Environmental Assessments of the Federal Surface Transportation Board.
Our projects typically require submitting Notices of Intent for Grading, and agency review. Crouch Engineering designs workable, efficient designs for erosion and sediment control devices, and pollution control plans for all of its grading related construction projects. Crouch routinely develops Storm Water Pollution Control Plans, conforming to state and local requirements, for contractors to use during the construction phase of its grading projects. Our plans are developed with the intent and purpose of not allowing any sediment to leave the construction site.
Crouch Engineering conducts historical, archaeological, endangered species, wetlands and other environmental reviews and studies for major track and bridge projects. We work directly with federal, state and local agencies to address all required areas of environmental concern.
Crouch Engineering Prepares Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCCs) and storm water treatment permits for its railroad clients’ repair and maintenance facilities, and SWPPPs for construction projects. EPA requirements are fulfilled in the SWPPP and SPCC plan production process. Crouch Engineering develops training plans and other documents required by the EPA.
In performing the design of new projects, Crouch Engineering always looks for creative solutions and creative designs to reduce, eliminate, or mitigate impacts to streams and wetlands. We take pride in having accomplished this goal in many ways, on many projects.
Geotech Services
Crouch Engineering provides geotechnical and structural engineering services for track, bridge, structural and transportation projects.
Crouch Engineering’s performs geotechnical evaluations, studies and designs for many types of civil and railway engineering projects, including slope stabilization; retaining wall design; bridge and building foundation design; and soil studies for grading projects.
Crouch routinely provides geotechnical investigations and geotechnical design for railroads, and governmental agencies.
Our geotechnical engineers are responsible for coordinating construction management services, and conduct geotechnical investigations and perform geotechnical design; performing construction management and engineering, for Class 1 and short line railway track and bridge projects, and civil site projects throughout the country.
Crouch Engineering provides in-house geotechnical engineering services for track, bridge, structural and transportation projects, including shallow and deep foundation design, drilled pier design, micropile design, cantilevered and anchored retaining structures design, slope remediation and mitigation, ground improvement strategies, geotechnical finite element modeling (FEM) and limit equilibrium slope stability modeling.
Crouch Engineering routinely performs design calculations for earth pressures, settlement, slope stability, lateral support, retaining walls, shoring systems, grout underpinning systems, sheet pile retaining systems, drilled piers, driven and drilled pile systems, reaction block anchored walls, tieback anchor walls, and associated structural components.
Crouch Engineering’s Geotechnical services also include providing field engineering, construction engineering, and QA/QC engineering during construction of bridge, railway, civil, and geotechnical projects, and direction of periodic and full-time construction management personnel, depending on the individual project Scope of Work.
The Crouch Team has extensive experience in the design of gabion retaining wall design; steel reinforced concrete wall design; tunnel liners and rehabilitation
Crash Wall Design
Where additional tracks are added under highway overpasses, Crouch Engineering routinely designs crashwalls for existing structures or bridge piers incorporating crashwalls for new bridge structures over railroads. Crouch Engineering follows AREMA guidelines and coordinates designs with state DOT’s.
Civil Site Design
Crouch Engineering provides its clients with general civil engineering services for industrial and commercial site design, as well as transportation and infrastructure projects, across the US.
Some of the typical civil engineering services provided by Crouch Engineering include:
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Civil Site Design
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Pre- and Post-Construction Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis
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Flood Plain Analyses and Modeling
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Site Evaluations and Feasibility Studies
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Site Grading Plans
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Utility Design (Water, Sanitary Sewer, Gas and Electrical Connections)
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Parking Lot Design
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Building Foundation Design
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Building Design
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Drainage Structure and Detention Design
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Highway, Road, and Driveway Design
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Construction Staking
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Environmental Permitting
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Construction Project Management
Crouch Engineering routinely provides its clients with site feasibility studies, site evaluation and site selection for new industrial sites, including meeting with customers, preliminary planning, conceptual designs and preparation of engineering reports for the purpose of establishing new industries and their required railroad freight service and facilities. Tasks generally include data collection, mapping, environmental review and assessments, utility research, conceptual design, preliminary design, developing quantities, preliminary cost estimates, railroad service and capacity evaluation, highway capacity evaluation, storm water design and permitting requirements, etc.
Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis
Crouch Engineering provides the following civil engineering services related to hydrologic and hydraulic analysis and storm water design:
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Surveying of Stream Channels, Floodplains, Bridges, Culverts, Levees, and Other Storm Water Structures and Features
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Hydrologic Studies and Modeling, Including Development of Flows, Storm Frequencies, Times of Concentration, Required Hydraulic Capacity, etc.
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Hydraulic Analysis and Modeling, Including Open Channel Flow and Design, Culvert Flows and Culvert Design
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Design of All Types of Culverts, Including Pre-Manufactured Pipe Culverts, Pre-Cast and Cast-In-Place Concrete Box Culverts, etc.
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Inspection of Existing Drainage Structures, Rehabilitation and Replacement, and Evaluation of Capacity
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Drainage Plans for Civil Site Projects and Linear Transportation Projects
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Flood Plain Analysis
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Highway Bridge, Railroad Bridge and Culvert Design
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Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis for Bridges and Culverts
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Sanitary Sewer Design
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Site Grading and Drainage Plans
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State Aid Bridge Projects
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Storm Water Management, Routing and Drainage Design
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Storm Sewer Design
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FEMA Flood Plain Studies
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Surface Water Quality Modeling – Spill Analysis, Waste Load Allocation
Utility Research & Design
On virtually all of our capital design projects, Crouch Engineering is responsible for coordinating the utility research, establishing the location of above ground and underground utilities and having them located and marked prior to conducting topographic surveys. Crouch Engineering works with local utility companies, government utility boards and commissions, and other utility owners to identify potential crossings, and determine the need for adjusting or protecting each utility. If there are existing utilities crossing railroads, Crouch Engineering helps determine whether the crossing is covered by an existing agreement.
Crouch Engineering provides utility research, and coordinates field marking prior to survey and designs for all types of projects.
Crouch has assisted companies such as RailAmerica in setting up permit application forms and regulations, review and approval processes, and construction oversight for pipeline and other overhead and underground railroad utility crossings. We routinely review utility crossing permit applications for many railroads across the USA.
For major construction projects, Crouch Engineering typically assigns one project manager the responsibility of utility coordination. Our project manager works with the railroad company or land owner to determine whether there are any existing utility agreements. The project manager also performs research to determine whether there are any existing utility easements, and what utilities are on site. In addition to calling the proper one-call number, the Project Manager contacts all local utilities and reviews utility maps, and where possible, downloads GIS utility system drawings so that all potential utilities can be identified.
Once utilities have been identified, Crouch Engineering works with the client and railroad to ensure that existing utilities are properly protected, and if necessary, utility adjustments, relocations, or casings are designed for utilities that impact the project.
During the construction phase of our projects, Crouch Engineering’s Project Managers coordinate the relocation or protection of above ground and underground utilities so that the project schedule is maintained, or improved. Crouch maintains a detailed database for each project, including utility owners, utility company contacts, lists of agreements, locations, data on the type of utility, the commodity being carried, whether underground carrier pipes are cased or not, and the proposed method for adjusting or protecting each utility crossing.