Core Technical Expertise

Engineering Services

Since 1880, Sewall has provided engineering services throughout the Northeast, establishing a reputation for superior design and construction management. With experience in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering, Sewall has accumulated an impressive performance record on a wide range of projects including roads, streets and airports; drainage, sewerage, and waste treatment systems; water supply and distribution systems; reservoirs, dams, and flood control; industrial buildings; and recreational facilities. Depending on client requirements, Sewall has performed feasibility studies and system analysis, planning and site development design, permitting, and construction inspection. In addition, Sewall engineers have demonstrated expertise in hydraulic modeling, database design, and municipal GIS development.

Sewall brings to an engineering project broad capabilities, including aerial photography, surveying and GPS, photogrammetric and cadastral mapping, facilities management, and natural resources consulting. Prepared inhouse, aerial photography, base mapping, and orthophotography provide planimetric, topographic, and geologic data for route and site analysis and GIS landbase development. Sewall survey control and layout eliminate reliance on third parties, speed production, and strengthen quality control. With expertise in multiple platforms, Sewall can deliver design drawings and attribute data in digital formats compatible with existing systems or create new database models. Sewall also provides data conversion services, programming support, and ongoing data maintenance to meet client needs.

SITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Sewall has a history of successful land use planning, including preparing many initial comprehensive plans for Maine communities. Currently Sewall performs a growing number of commercial and industrial site evaluations and prepares designs for entire commercial/industrial business parks as well as individual establishments. We routinely undertake projects that involve wetlands delineation, stormwater management, drainage, utilities, roadways and parking, erosion and shoreline protection, and landscaping. With thorough understanding of the permit application process, Sewall engineers are able to assist clients secure permits from local planning and zoning boards and state and federal agencies. Our attention to detail ensures the success of the permitting process and of our projects as a whole.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
In the constantly evolving field of environmental engineering, Sewall has taken the initiative to design projects that incorporate both time-proven and innovative techniques based on such considerations as stormwater quality, stormwater quantity, and sediment/erosion control. Our use of low impact development has made us a recognized leader in the region. Sewall has sucessfully prepared many Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Site Location of Development (SLOD), Natural Resource Protection Act (NRPA), and stormwater permit applications for our clients. In addition, we have prepared environmental permit applications for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and numerous local authorities. We act as municipal engineers, peer reviewing submittals to several towns.

WATER SUPPLY, TREATMENT, DISTRIBUTION, AND STORAGE
For many years, Sewall has provided water supply and distribution services to meet the needs of industrial, municipal, and residential users. Sewall has performed system improvement and acquisition studies, flow testing, and hydraulic modeling; supported wellhead and watershed delineation and protection efforts; and provided troubleshooting expertise. Sewall has designed, inspected, and administered contracts for a wide range of facilities from relatively small community systems to multi-million-gallon-per-day pump systems, steel and concrete above- and below-ground storage facilities, chemical feed and corrosion control systems, and filtration systems. For numerous water supply, treatment, and distribution projects, Sewall engineers have prepared detailed applications and assisted in securing permits and funding.

UNDERWATER ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION
Sewall now offers waterfront engineering and underwater engineering inspection services to facility owners, designers, and constructors. With PE commercial diver expertise on staff and advanced surface-supplied diving and underwater inspection equipment, Sewall conducts a full range of inspections of underwater and water-related facilities, including bridges, water storage tanks and reservoirs, marinas, port and harbor facilities, and municipal water intakes. Our professional engineering staff is prepared to assess and document conditions and conduct failure analysis, tailoring inspection packages to meet individual client requirements and regulatory compliance.

WASTEWATER COLLECTION, TREATMENT, AND DISPOSAL
During a century of service, Sewall engineers have fostered the growth of communities by designing systems that safely transport and treat wastes. These systems include hundreds of miles of gravity pipelines; numerous pump stations, associated pressure lines, and auxiliary power systems; and treatment and residuals disposal systems. We also perform operation and maintenance preparation and assist with startup and troubleshooting. As facilities age and new technologies emerge, we have participated in facility upgrades and efforts to monitor, quantify, and control combined sewer overflows.

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Throughout Maine, Sewall engineers have developed plans and specifications for municipal and state streets and highways and designed parking areas and bridges. In recent years, Sewall has been instrumental in the planning, design, and construction monitoring of several airports, including runways, aircraft parking, and operation facilities. Our engineers have performed traffic impact studies throughout the State and designed interconnected, traffic-responsive signal systems, developing timings and supervising system installations. We have extensive expertise in intersection widening, channelization, enhancement, and signal optimization.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
In utility and transportation design projects, Sewall incorporates solid principles of structural engineering, utilizing a variety of materials, including wood, masonry, reinforced concrete, and structural steel. Sewall is ready to perform structural analyses, modeling, and evaluations. We have conducted numerous investigations of existing structures for forensic purposes.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
With a strong mechanical engineering capability, Sewall performs such diverse assignments as HVAC system design and troubleshooting, fluid dynamics and heat transfer analyses, solid mechanics and stress analyses, vibration and time-dependency analyses, and finite element analyses.

MUNICIPAL GIS DEVELOPMENT
Sewall is equipped to assist municipal clients with all phases of GIS development, from requirements analysis to system implementation, training, and maintenance. To establish an accurate landbase, Sewall acquires aerial photography and survey ground control and produces high-quality photogrammetric mapping and digital orthophotography. Sewall analysts are experienced at converting legacy data from multiple sources and fully integrating existing databases with the landbase. With specialized knowledge of utility systems and infrastructure, Sewall engineers produce customized systems that aid municipal planners, utility operators, assessors, and public safety officials. Depending on client requirements, Sewall also provides updating and Internet mapping services.

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
To meet the specific needs of our clients, we routinely provide construction-phase services, including construction cost estimates, bidding and contract award assistance, construction overviews, construction layout, requisition review, and record drawing preparation. Sewall engineers have also co-ventured with general contractors to provide design-build solutions.

INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
Sewall engineers have ongoing involvement in industrial/commercial sectors throughout the Northeast. For our corporate clients, we perform a range of wastewater pretreatment, water quality, and waste reduction studies. We design pretreatment systems, apply for air and water permitting, and help establish residual disposal programs.

ENGINEERING SUPPORT
Experienced and multidisciplined, Sewall engineers are uniquely qualified to assist clients with funding source location (EPA, DEP, MDOT, FAA, HUD, RUS, CDBG), application preparation, feasibility studies and cost analyses, value engineering, and project reviews.

For additional information on Sewall's engineering services, contact: Scott Graham, P.E., Vice President of Engineering Services at (207) 827-4456; E-mail: scott.graham@jws.com

Top of page