Structural | Civil | Engineering | Social and Affordable Housing | Commercial | Drainage | Residential | Subsidence | Highway Design

Site Feasibility - A senior engineer will undertake a site visit and provide a considered overview of the engineering constraints associated with developing the site. Using preliminary architect's layouts, soil investigations, services information, historic maps, public sewer and highway records etc., we will identify and highlight engineering issues that can potentially impact both financially and on the proposed layout. In doing so we will provide solutions or alternatives.

Highway Design - our experienced engineers use PDS software for design of highway infrastructure associated with residential and commercial developments. We can administer and secure technical approvals such as Section 38 and Section 278 Agreements. The depth of expertise we have accumulated with respect to Section Agreements, both highways and drainage, enables us to give informed advice to clients that can secure significant advantages when developing sites.

Drainage Design - the regulations and requirements in relation to surface water drainage have changed and are still changing beyond all recognition due to new legislation. We are able to provide a design service utilising 'Microdrainage', the industry standard software, to ensure the implementation of Sustainable Drainage (SUDs) meets legislation. The requirement for rain water harvesting - particularly when meeting compliance with the 'Code for Sustainable Homes' - is an area that Gemma BDS is recognised as having the foremost expertise.


Flood Risk Assessment - this is now a prerequisite for virtually all development sites. Gemma BDS can provide a comprehensive assessment report and advise authoritively on the impact of its findings.

Affordable and Private Housing Infrastructure - Gemma BDS is perhaps best known for its ability to make Planning Layouts work in terms of achieving basic buildability fundamentals i.e. that the levels work to meet mobility requirements, that Highways infrastructure meets the standards for adoption by Highway Authorities and that the drainage can be adopted by water authorities. In doing so, consideration of Code for Sustainable Homes, Building Regulations, Environment Agency, BREEAM and sustainability are all accounted for.

Contract Administration - we can provide a service to compile tender documents, tender, administer and inspect civil engineering works for certain contracts on behalf of the client.



Earthworks and Ground Modelling - we have expertise using digital ground modelling software to allow accurate assessment of volumes and to achieve an economic cut and fill earthworks design.