House Types
At GPS we know that the design of a residential property can vary dramatically to suite the client’s needs. Our residential design solutions can range from standard house types for large commercial developers to individual housing projects.
Building Regulation & Applications
We are able to provide the required specialist drawings and incorporate any specific details into the working drawings to allow you to obtain building permission from the Local Planning Authority.
Building Projects
Our architectural services cater for the following projects:
- Garage Conversions
- Single Story Extension
- Two Story Extensions
- Loft Conversions
- Building Regulations
BEAM CALCULATIONS
GPS Structural Engineers frequently undertake beam calculations and column calculations. If supporting walls or structures are being removed new support will need adding and these are often required for Building Regulation approval. We can check an Architects design to ensure conformity or we can happily work with the home owner directly.
RETAINING WALLS
Generally speaking, a retention wall serves to hold back vertical soil that would, minus the retention wall, slide, collapse or slump to its natural slope. Binding two levels of soil elevation often occurs when the terrain slope will not work for the purpose of a project, particularly when structures such as a road overpass will be constructed.
Retaining wall design is complex and must take numerous factors into consideration. GPS are well equipped to provide sound engineering solutions for both retaining wall design and retaining wall inspection.
BRIDGE DESIGN & ASSESMENT
GPS team members have extensive experience in designing a range of different bridges and culverts, including footbridges, railway bridges and road bridges. Our bridge engineering services also includes assessments of structures, bridge inspections for the redevelopment of brownfield sites, as well as advice regarding maintenance and repair.
GPS has a proven track record in all aspects of drainage engineering. We are experts in the design of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and can incorporate soakaways, infiltration trenches, permeable paving and swales into our designs as required.
We have a great amount of experience when dealing with local authorities and sewerage undertakers to agree discharge rates that help save our clients’ money.
We always prepare Section 104 Agreements for our clients to get drainage infrastructure adopted. We are also entered into Section 102 Agreements to get already-installed systems retrospectively adopted.
We fully integrate Autodesk Civil 3D with Micro Drainage so all our designs are accurately modelled and our designs are produced as promptly as possible thereby saving our clients’ financially.
Here at GPS we have undertaken all kinds of highway design schemes from simple junction improvements to complex roundabouts. We have experience of highway maintenance and improvements along with detailed designs for new road networks. We have many years of experience obtaining Section 38 Agreements and dealing with Section 278 Works for a variety of clients.
We use cutting edge software in all our designs and prepare our designs in full 3D to get an accurate representation of the finished project. This saves our clients’ money as our design times are reduced and the whole construction team will have confidence that the design can be accurately transferred to site with no problems.
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Our team possess extensive knowledge and experience of working for consultancies, providing design support on major highway schemes. This includes trunk road designs for highways in England and various other highway design schemes for both local authorities and private developers.
Our main highway designs are created using the latest Autodesk products such as Civils 3D to provide accurate and high quality designs with 3D visualisations to afford our clients the satisfaction to observe how the finished design will look from the comfort of their PC.
GROUND MODELLING / LEVELS
Our engineers produce 3D computer models of the built environment to advise on land use / site layouts, optimise Cut / Fill, manage retained levels.
We use the latest software to ensure our ground models are fully integrational with other disciplines to create a fully compliant BIM model.
OUR SOLUTIONS
- Road Signs, Carriageway Markings and Lighting
- Residential Safety Improvements -20mph zones, Home zones
- Footway & Cycle Ways
- Signage
- Road Markings
- Traffic Calming Features & Measures
- Traffic Regulatory Orders (TRO’s)
- Bus Stops & Bus Lanes
- Parking Schemes
- Junction Improvements
- New offline Highway Schemes
- Online Highway Widening & Improvements Schemes
- Earthworks Design & Quantities
- Detailed Level Design
- Roundabouts ( controlled and uncontrolled)
- Major Highway Intersections
- Trunk Road Design
- Contract Preparation
- Route Options
- Utility Diversions & Provisions
- Co-ordination with Third Parties
- Traffic Signs
- Traffic Signal Design
- Road Markings & Signage
Infrastructure
Residential & Commercial Infrastructure
GPS have a proven track record of collaborating with the private developers to provide cost effective design and professional advice in helping to develop Greenfield and Brownfield sites for commercial use.
Specialist support can be offered for Brownfield sites, including advice for contaminated land and planning support.
We also work closely with architects and transport planners on projects ranging from feasibility to detailed design. This ensures a co-ordinated approach to the project.
Public Realm
GPS have a proven track record of conducting design commissions for both private developers and Local Authorities, providing cost effective advice and design solutions in solving local issues.
Our design team are highly experienced in working directly for local authorities, delivering a broad spectrum of schemes and support.
We pride ourselves in providing clear, easy to read design solutions, created in the latest AutoCAD software for those clients who request our services to progress their project requirements.
Our Solutions Include:
- City Regeneration schemes
- Residential Safety Improvements
- Footway & Cycle ways
- Signage
- Road Markings
- Traffic Calming methods features & measures
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- Traffic Regulatory Orders (TRO’S)
- Bust Stops & Bus Lanes
- Parking schemes
- Traffic Signal Design
- Junction Design
Legal (parallel stage with detailed design)
Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO)
We have the capability to provide advice and support regarding Traffic Regulatory Orders (TRO’s) including:
- Assessing the type of order required
- Creating plans for the public consultation
- Writing the legal order associated with the specified TRO
- Highway Stopping up order
- Adopted highways approvals, including Section 38 / 278 works
Section 38
Section 38 of the Highways Act (1980) provides an agreement to whether a road becomes a public highway. This is important for developments which propose to construct new estate roads for residential, industrial or general purpose traffic.
GPS can lease with the Local Authority on the developer or clients behalf to obtain adopted highway approvals.
Section 278
Section 278 of the Highways Act (1980) allows a developer to carry out works on the public highway. This is necessary where planning permission has been granted for a development that requires improvements to, or changes to, public highways
Section 104
Section 104 of the Water Industry Act (1991) agreement is a legal agreement between a developer and a water company, where the developer agrees to build sewers to an agreed standard, which the water company will then adopt.
The agreement is usually signed at the early stages of the development and lasts for several years; until the water company is satisfied the network has been completed to their satisfaction.
Section 102
Section 102 of the Water Industry Act (1991) allows a developer or an individual to submit an application to a water company asking them to adopt a private operational sewer which is already installed.
On a new development, the S102 process is usually followed if the new sewers are installed and become operational before the S104 agreement is signed and the S104 process is no longer applicable.
Technical Approval
GPS are able to provide guidance to developers (private developers and others) and their designers on the technical approval procedures for highway structures.