ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES

We've been saving our customers thousands of dollars with their custom design projects. We can do the same for you.

Fulfilling the needs of companies, both large and small, with their design and manufacturing issues since 1970's,
PFAET has quickly earned a reputation as an innovative problem solver.

PFAET Design Division Design takes an intimate and systematic approach in solving
your design issues. It is our belief that a thorough understanding of our customers' immediate
needs and future goals, the utilization of state-of-the-art design tools, and keeping up with today's
technology is vital to achieving the best possible solution.
 

Structural Engineering

" Architecture is the art which so disposes and adorns the edifices raised by man
for whatsoever uses,
that the sight of them contributes to his mental health, power and pleasure."

- John Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture

Structural engineering is the science of applying the principles of engineering to building structures so the buildings
 are safe, functional and efficient. This requires an understanding of the forces of nature. 

The art of structural engineering developed over history. At the beginning of recorded time, structures were
simple. Nomads moved about the desert, transporting their shelters which were made of animal skins framed by
poles. Cave dwellers developed more permanent structures. In time, structures were built from bricks made with mud,
water and straw. They were held together by tar. 

Bricks were the staple of building construction up until the end of the 19th century. In Boston, for example, most of the
buildings were made from masonry materials, with some variations. Roofs were made from timbers because they were
 lighter and could span longer distances. At the end of the 19th century, steel and cement were the primary building materials.

PFAET Engineering Division is a leader in structural engineering. Our experienced staff of licensed engineers and
engineering professionals can accommodate all of our clients' engineering needs. We work in partnership with our
customers and are proud of our performance record.

The structural engineering services offered by PFAET Engineering Division include:

• Structural Analysis & Design - developing skeleton that meets all of a structure's requirements; analyzing design
  plans to ensure they meet all code requirements.

• Foundation Engineering - Analyzing foundation plans to ensure they will support the building load.

• Building Renovation and Rehabilitation - Analysis of plans to make improvements to existing buildings so they meet
  present day building code requirements in all statutory areas.

• Historical Structures - Maintaining the integrity and historical significance of structures more than 50 years old, while
  meeting all building code requirements.

• Code Compliance Issues - Analysis of every aspect of a building plan to determine compliance with federal, state
   and local building ordinances.

Site Development

In addition to waterfront projects inherent in our name, the majority of PFAET's Engineering's work is inland from the beach.
Starting with feasibility studies, PFAET provides clients with engineering and environmental analysis to determine the
scope and viability of a potential land development project. Preliminary layouts, permitting inventories, timeline scheduling
and cost estimates provide the client with the basic information necessary to make informed land development decisions.  

We have extensive experience in both residential and commercial markets, as well as with municipal, state and federal projects. 

Site Analysis, Development, & Design

More advanced stages of the development process include detailed land surveys with particular attention paid to significant
features, both natural and manmade, that can affect the success of the design. Plans are then prepared for submittal to
a variety of permitting authorities - local, state, and federal, depending upon the complexity and scope of the project. 

After the permitting phase, plans and specifications are refined for more accurate costing before the start of construction.

Throughout the process, PFAET's Engineering's  Project Manager communicates closely with the client to ensure the
continuity and efficiency of the design process. 

Typical Projects Include:

Shopping Centers, Commercial Office Buildings, Communications Towers, Cluster Subdivisions, Multifamily Residences,
Assisted Living Developments, Custom Homes, Golf Course Facilities, Recreation Facilities, Marine and Coastal Structures,
 Landfills, Historic Sites. 

Road Design

We design roads, and know that a properly designed and constructed road provides a means of getting from one point to
another. We also know that roadway location, design, and construction can greatly affect people and property in direct and
 indirect ways. 

While proper access to and through a piece of property is essential, a road design must address the impacts on the property
owner and the property. The cost of construction of a subdivision roadway can be enormous, but the value of maintaining
marketable natural landscape is priceless.  

PFAET Engineering utilizes the accumulation of field data and testing with years of road design experience to serve our
clients' needs. We understand the fundamental principles of good road design: safe and functional access, for example,
 is critical to existing or future properties to prevent an existing roadway from becoming obsolete. In designing roads, our
engineering and land surveying team addresses safety issues, regulatory requirements, stormwater management,
economic value, and Yankee common sense.

Whether a project involves a state highway, town road, private road, subdivision or driveway, a client wants the road designed
 and built properly. PFAET provides a degree of plan detail and specificity, in addition to professional support, to assure that
the road design will be clearly understood and implemented as intended. Our staff has experience with road design conditions
 throughout the Northeast, Southeast and the Great Northwest. We can provide road design solutions to meet any challenge.
Often topography, wetlands, soil conditions and erosion concerns are major factors in development of an appropriate road
design. The diverse experience of our staff has the clients' needs and interests at heart at all times.

 Water Issues: Drainage, Wastewater, and Water Supply

PFAET is a leader in the design of alternative, on-site wastewater treatment systems that have addressed serious environmental
 concerns facing our region. These environmentally sensitive system solutions become even more important as we enter the
21st Century. 

Our experienced staff - licensed engineers, staff engineers, soil evaluators, hydrogeologists and environmental specialists -
 provides full site consultation, plans, documents and contract administration for both private clients and public agencies.
 Coastal maintains in-house survey, computer-aided design/drafting and environmental permitting services. 

Our years of experience in addressing environmental issues and interacting with regulatory agencies helps us provide the
right guidance and recommendations if unforeseen circumstances arise.  

PFAET is proud of its commitment to work in partnership with its clients. We look forward to a partnership with you. 

Stormwater Drainage Design

PFAET Engineering's staff has the specialized knowledge and experience necessary to bring your project into compliance with
the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Policy. 

In the past, stormwater management was limited to containing and disposing of runoff to prevent flooding in the vicinity of
the project site. Recent awareness and concerns about the impacts of untreated stormwater upon groundwater and down
stream receiving waters has led to the development of state and federal regulations. These regulations require commercial
and larger residential projects - that may have an adverse affect on ground or surface waters - to address and mitigate
environmental issues.  Certain projects that require the filing of a Notice of Intent under the Massachusetts Wetlands
Protection Act may now be required to comply with the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Policy. Some communities
also have adopted more stringent stormwater management regulations under their local wetland bylaws.  

An integral component of any Stormwater Management Plan is the preparation of an Operation and Maintenance Manual for
stormwater facilities. The manual includes the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP) to control the source of
pollutants that could be transported by stormwater runoff, and the execution of a spill response plan. PFAET staff has
experience in the drafting of Stormwater Management Plans for residential, commercial and municipal projects. The staff utilizes
state-of-the-art stormwater modeling and computer aided design  software to efficiently engineer a stormwater system in
compliance with the applicable regulations. 

Our experience allows us to better serve our clients by implementing the innovative designs and measures necessary to
comply with the BMP regulatory requirements. 

Wastewater Treatment

PFAET Engineering has extensive experience in all aspects of wastewater treatment and disposal system design and permitting.
 Whether designing a conventional subsurface disposal system or a large wastewater treatment facility, our engineers create
"value engineered" systems. We do this by combining our complete understanding of the codes and regulations that govern
system design with our knowledge of construction logistics and costs. 

We are constantly searching for better and less costly wastewater treatment solutions. We pride ourselves on having obtained
 permits for the first two Innovative Alternative (I/A) wastewater treatment facilities in Massachusetts, nearly three years before
 the new state sanitary code promoted the use of I/A technologies. As new technologies emerge, we continue to evaluate their
 cost and performance for possible use at our clients' facilities. Because of this forward vision, we have been able to provide our
clients with wastewater treatment and disposal system designs that provide the required level of treatment at costs significantly
 below conventional system costs. 

The permitting process associated with large wastewater systems can be quite complicated. By bringing together expertise in
engineering, hydrogeology, and permitting, we are able to streamline the design-permitting process. This benefits PFAET's
Engineering's clients by maintaining quality control, providing more efficient coordination, and monitoring costs. 

PFAET Engineering would like to put its experience to work for you to create an appropriate solution to your wastewater
treatment and disposal needs. Typical areas of expertise include:

• Title 5 Systems (subsurface disposal)

• Wastewater Treatment Plants

• Innovative/Alternative (I/A) Systems

• Industrial Waste Holding Tanks

• Hydrogeological Impact Studies

Water Supply & Hydrogeology

PFAET Engineering is actively involved with all aspects of hydrogeologic investigations and groundwater assessment.
PFAET provides integrated technical and regulatory expertise to perform many types of hydrogeologic studies including: 

• Aquifer testing for water supply and wastewater disposal  

• Computer modeling for mounding potential and groundwater flow characteristics 

• Groundwater aquifer evaluation and water quality assessments. 

Civil and environmental engineering projects frequently require hydrogeologic characterizations as a basis for engineering
design and/or to fulfill environmental regulatory requirements. The design and outcome of many projects depends on
technically sound groundwater data collection and its evaluation. Only when the data is properly evaluated can informed,
effective decisions be made and actions undertaken. In all cases, PFAET develops and implements hydrogeologic evaluations,
 which concentrate on factors to be integrated into the engineering design or environmental planning and permitting activities. 

At PFAET Engineering Division, we provide the following hydrogeologic services: 

• Groundwater monitoring well design and installation 

• Onsite soil and groundwater sampling 

• Soil profiling and characterization 

• Aquifer pump testing and slug testing 

• Groundwater impact analysis 

• Hydrogeological characterization for engineering design and permitting 

• Characterization of groundwater contaminated sites 

• Water supply exploration and development

Soil Evaluation and Geotechnical Analysis

Soil evaluations, more commonly associated with percolation tests, are required to determine if a site is suitable for the
disposal of subsurface wastewater. Soil evaluations describe in detail the soil profile characteristics, site features, and 
groundwater determination, which affect the selection of a wastewater disposal location and size. Soil evaluation is needed
by the design engineer prior to creating a subsurface sewage disposal system and by prospective landowners before a real
estate transfer of a vacant lot.  

PFAET Engineering provides soil evaluations for residential, municipal, and commercial projects. We have dealt with varied
and difficult sites in assisting clients with their individual needs. PFAET also provides hydric soils evaluations for the purpose
of delineating wetlands as well as qualification in the locating of stormwater discharge. 

PFAET Geotechnical group provides geotechnical services in support of our Structural Engineering Department in evaluating
soil strength and stability for many of our building structure projects. We conduct field testing, including soil borings, standard
penetration tests and soil characterization to provide the basis for foundation and engineering design. 

In addition, we perform sieve analysis on soil samples in our soils lab for grain size characterization. This information is utilized
 in many of our projects to ensure grain size compatibility and to meet engineering specifications for fill and aggregate mix.

• Offshore Design Drafting
  
  Services
  
  Semi-submersible pontoon design and detailing
  Cantilevered support structures (lifeboats, etc.)
  Sub-sea tie-ins
  Alignment drawings
  Piping plans
  Hot tap details
  Platform riser plans and elevations
  Riser bending and pipe clamp details
  Jacket piling details
  Platform jacket leg geometry and joint can details

• Barges (Ocean, Rivers, Lakes, Bays, and Sounds)
• Double-skin tank barges
• Hopper barges
• Crane barges
• Flat-deck work barges
• LPG barges
• Tugboats
• Towboats
• Carbon or alloy construction