From the outset, civil engineers provide the foundation for technical viability.

A comprehensive site appraisal establishes whether a proposed site is suitable for development and identifies any engineering constraints likely to affect the structural and architectural design. Taking the time to complete a comprehensive site appraisal will help mitigate the risks of anything going wrong and not optimising the site, where later remedial work will prove much more expensive.

Working with the structural engineers and other specialists, SWJ Consulting would complete

• Topographical and geotechnical assessments, identifying gradients, soil types, groundwater levels, and potential contamination.
• Access and transport assessments, including junction visibility, vehicle tracking, and compliance with DMRB or local highway design standards.
• Flood risk and drainage appraisals, referencing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), CIRIA SuDS Manual (C753), and Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) requirements.
• Utility searches to confirm capacity and connection points for water, gas, electricity, and telecoms.

All this information will inform the structural feasibility of a site. If ground conditions vary significantly, early liaison between civil and structural engineers will not only enable the selection of appropriate foundation solutions across the site but optimise the placement of structures to reduce the need to cut-and-fill and possibly reduce the need for more expensive foundation solutions.

With civils and structures working together, the proposed development can be planned out to make the most efficient use of the existing ground conditions, ensuring both the structures and infrastructures will be as efficient as possible.

Once feasibility is established, the design team moves towards the planning submission and concept design stages. Civil engineers develop preliminary site layouts and technical strategies that demonstrate the project’s compliance with local authority and statutory requirements.
Key civil deliverables include:

• Site access design, turning analysis, and swept-path assessments to determine if there’s enough room for safe and efficient navigation.
• Surface water management strategy, incorporating attenuation, infiltration, or discharge controls in line with SuDS principles.
• Foul drainage strategy, aligned with Water Authority design standards and capacity constraints.
• Earthworks and levels design, balancing cut and fill, managing gradients for DDA compliance, and integrating with any structural platform levels.
• Highway design for adoptable and private roads, prepared to Manual for Streets or DMRB standards.

By working collaboratively, civil and structural engineers ensure that the building footprint, levels, and foundations align efficiently with site-wide infrastructure.

In most developments, this coordination is crucial to maintaining safe pedestrian segregation, adequate service vehicle access, and compliant gradients for accessible routes between buildings and other areas.

As the design progresses into the detailed stage, coordination between civil and structural teams intensifies. The two disciplines must integrate their models to achieve consistency between site levels, structural interfaces, and below-ground systems.

Civil engineering scope typically includes:

• Detailed drainage design, using InfoDrainage or Civil 3D, incorporating network analysis, flow control devices, and attenuation storage sizing.
• Private and adoptable highway design, including pavement build-ups, kerbing, and road markings in accordance with the Specification for Highway Works (SHW).
• External works and levels design, managing falls, thresholds, and retaining features.
• Utility coordination drawings and trench cross-sections, preventing clashes with structural foundations.

Structural coordination includes:

• Alignment of foundation levels with finished ground levels to minimise retaining walls and unnecessary excavation.
• Coordination of load paths and substructure interfaces with drainage runs and service corridors.
• Review of retaining and boundary structures, ensuring structural and geotechnical design parameters are consistent
• At this stage, BIM Level 2 (or ISO 19650) workflows allow both civil and structural engineers to exchange models efficiently, reducing design clashes and ensuring coordinated information for contractors.

During construction, both civil and structural engineers continue to add value through technical oversight, quality assurance, and design support.

Typical activities include:

• Site inspections and compliance checks to verify that construction aligns with approved drawings and specifications. It is important that any changes made are understood by all contractors and stakeholders to not only prevent clashes but also ensure the as-built reality matches the design intent.
• Design queries and value engineering, such as adjusting drainage layouts for unforeseen obstructions or reviewing material substitutions. Our engineers will naturally value engineer throughout the project to ensure there is continued maximum efficiency. By using SWJ Consulting engineers from the early stages, there should not be too many surprises or unforeseen obstacles to overcome, and our use of 3D modelling allows us to find and test solutions quickly.
• Temporary works coordination, particularly for earthworks, excavation support, and temporary drainage. Where temporary works are required our structural engineers can determine if they are needed or could form part of the permanent works to save time and materials.
• Environmental compliance monitoring, ensuring SuDS and surface water controls are implemented correctly.

For developments where construction may occur adjacent to operational buildings such as offices, schools, or industrial units, civil engineers often contribute to construction phasing and traffic management plans, minimising disruption and maintaining safe access.

Structural engineers, meanwhile, monitor frame erection, foundation performance, and material testing. SWJ Consulting’s structural and civil engineers have extensive experience working across many sectors and understand the challenges of working around fully functioning operations, making minimum disruption and safety the priority.

Civil engineering involvement does not end at practical completion. Long-term asset performance depends on accurate documentation and informed maintenance planning.

Our post-construction support typically includes:

• Preparation of as-built models and asset data (COBie-compliant where applicable).
• Drainage performance verification, confirming storage volumes and flow rates match design predictions.
• Maintenance and lifecycle planning, including surface materials, SuDS maintenance regimes, and structural interaction points.
• Post-occupancy reviews to assess user access, drainage performance, and any settlement or surface water issues.

Integrated civil and structural collaboration at this stage ensures that both above-ground and below-ground infrastructure perform efficiently and are maintainable throughout the building’s life.

The whole-life involvement of both civil and structural engineers — from feasibility through to post-occupancy — ensures that developments are technically robust, buildable, compliant, and sustainable. Close collaboration allows for the optimisation of foundations, levels, and drainage, ultimately reducing carbon, cost, and complexity.

At SWJ Consulting, we advocate early, consistent, and transparent coordination between civil and structural disciplines on every project. For our clients, this translates into:
• Reduced design and construction risk.
• Greater cost predictability.
• Enhanced long-term resilience and sustainability.
This integrated approach supports the delivery of facilities that are safe, efficient, and designed to perform for generations.

Contact SWJ Consulting
To learn more about how our civil and structural engineering teams can support your next project from concept through completion, please get in touch at mail@swjconsulting.co.uk or call our Witney office 01993 225085 or Southampton office on 02381 920656.