Roadway and Traffic Engineering
Two of our areas of specialty at Howard Civil Engineering are roadway engineering, also known as highway engineering, and traffic engineering. Through our expertise as a roadway or highway engineer, we design the way that roads intersect and merge with one another while considering their horizontal and vertical alignment.
Through our specialty as a traffic engineer, we take steps to improve the flow of traffic within the roads. For example, we assess the capacities of different lanes and provide possible solutions, including sensors to gauge flow and automated guidance systems. In one of our capacities as a roadway engineer, developers will contact us when they need our expertise to get the necessary permissions to move forward with their project. Our input is critical to developments because the new construction can influence the concentration or flow of traffic or pedestrians; plus, public transportation may be strained, and additional access points may be needed.
Roadway Design
One key aspect to any road engineering project is that of the road designer. A roadway or highway designer creates a vision that allows roads to meaningfully interconnect, with consideration of their horizontal and vertical alignment. The ultimate goal of the designer is promotion of safe and continual movement of traffic. It is worth noting that a qualified and licensed road designer will be able to address both vehicle roadways and railways. (When railways and other transportation modes are included, the field is often called transportation engineering or transport engineering.)
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With over 20 years in business, Howard Civil Engineering knows to take into account factors such as the following when working on a road design:
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Design speed
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Alignment
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Grades
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Road width
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Sight distance
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Superelevation
Traffic Impact and Trip Generation Studies
At Howard Civil Engineering, one task at which we excel is site planning – a comprehensive effort that examines a development in terms of the building, parking areas, public road access, and site circulation. The site planning process includes a financial feasibility report, traffic impact study (TIS), and site plan review. The traffic impact study contains projections for the number of trips created by the development and directional distribution of traffic that is expected, along with other information pertaining to vehicle flow.
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Note that the trip generation study, which estimates how many trips are generated within zones used for the development, can also be considered one of the core components of a thorough traffic impact report or study (as indicated above). Through creative problem-solving, Howard Civil Engineering acts as your dedicated agent while you prepare these important documents and fill in the details of your development project.
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Slab Design
We respect the fact that slab design is one of the trickiest elements of structural design and engineering - because these components must be strong enough to handle live loads. In meeting the expectations of our clients over the past two decades, Howard Civil Engineering has designed slabs that are built for extreme and moving live loads, as well as stationary live loads. A leader among structural engineering firms, we enhance safety by limiting the permissible extreme fiber stress and investigating for potential differential settlements. Having designed and permitted developments in almost every Southwest Florida municipality, we are slab designers known for our technical precision and innovative thinking.
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Intersection Design and Analysis
One critical aspect of roadway or highway engineering is intersection design. A skilled intersection designer will analyze the place where two roads cross in consideration of elements such as signage and striping; signal controlling; curb extensions; detection and actuation; and signal phasing for pedestrians and bicyclists.
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Bikeways and Pedestrian Paths
A key capability of our transportation engineers and transport engineering consultants at Howard Civil Engineering is the development of pedestrian paths and bikeways. The core concern when dealing with pedestrian walkways and bikeways is safety, which is threatened when these paths intersect with roadways. Intersections can be protected for bikers and walkers through forward stop bars, refuge islands, and signal enhancements. Other features that an engineer might incorporate into these plans are hybrid beacons – a.k.a. High-intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) beacons – and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). The licensed engineers, designers, and support staff at Howard Civil Engineering have the skill and dedication to adeptly incorporate a bikeway or pedestrian pathway into any project.