Our design team brings extensive and successful infrastructure experience to our customers’ projects. They work seamlessly with our engineering and project management teams and have the field experience necessary to ensure that our designs combine engineering solutions with constructability. We are capable to design in all of our customers’ preferred design environments including but not limited to Autodesk, CADWorx and AVEVA. One of the key differentiators in our design process is our ability to bring aerial drone or laser scanned data from our field crews into our design software seamlessly which reduces project cost and schedule as well as eliminates rework associated with multiple handoffs of project data.
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
The State of California requires all new projects involving grading, demolition, new construction or any activity that results in the ground disturbance of more than one acre, to obtain coverage and comply with the terms of the State’s Construction General Permit (Order No. 2009-0009 [effective July 1, 2010]), which is enforced by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). As part of complying with the General Permit, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) may be required and implemented prior to commencement of ground-disturbing activities.
The new Construction General Permit also includes a provision which allows for a waiver from the SWPPP requirements for projects less than 5 acres in size and scheduled during dry periods of the year. The waiver is meant to encourage developers to schedule their earthwork activities during periods of low rainfall. We have been able to secure waivers for many projects located in the arid parts of California such as the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert.
Some local agencies, including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), may require that a Local SWPPP (LSWPPP) orWater Pollution Control Program (WPCP) be developed and implemented prior to a Notice to Proceed or issuance of a permit, even if the disturbed surface area is less than one acre. Threat to receiving water is a major consideration with all agencies.
Our Stormwater Objective and Approach
The General Construction Permit takes a tiered approach to stormwater protection, based upon the proximity of the project to sensitive receiving waters and the potential discharge volume of sediment to those waters. Projects are classified as follows:
Risk Level 1: Projects with a low potential to discharge sediment to receiving waters and do not discharge to a sensitive water body. These projects require a SWPPP, NOI, weekly BMP inspections, visual rain event inspections, and do not typically require effluent testing. Most projects in California with construction duration of less the one year will be classified as risk level 1.
Risk Level 2: Projects with either 1) a low potential to discharge sediment to receiving waters but have runoff that discharges to a sensitive water body or 2) a medium to high potential to discharge sediment to receiving waters but these receiving waters are not a sensitive water body. These projects require a SWPPP, NOI, weekly BMP inspections, visual and numerical (pH and turbidity) rain event inspections and testing. Projects in California with construction duration of more than one year, or larger projects which discharge to a sensitive receiving water, will be classified as risk level.
Risk Level 3: Projects with a high potential to discharge sediment to receiving waters and have runoff that discharges to a sensitive water body will be classified at risk level 3, the highest level of risk. Fewer than 10% of projects in California will be classified at Risk level 3. These projects require a SWPPP, NOI, weekly BMP inspections, visual and numerical (pH and turbidity) rain event inspections and testing. These sites will have numeric limits on effluent, may require additional testing and active stormwater treatment systems. Large projects in California or construction projects of long duration which discharge to a sensitive receiving water will be classified as risk level 3.
Stormwater Waivers: The EPA allows exemption from these General Permit requirements for projects of short duration on sites smaller then 5 acres. This waiver will require the filing of an NOI with the state, but will exempt the site from inspection and testing. Staging your small project to be constructed during the dryer season will allow you to take advantage of this provision.
Sediment Risk
Low:
Medium:
High:
Receiving Water Risk:
Low:
Level 1
Level 2
High:
Level 2
Level 3
Our approach is to achieve full compliance within the framework of the Construction General Permit at minimum expense to you through the duration of the construction period.
To achieve this we offer the following:
Discussion of your project, review of available plans, and conduct a site visit if necessary.
File a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the State.
Prepare a Plan that meets the following objectives:
Identify all pollutant sources including sediment that may negatively affect quality of storm water discharge.
Recommend implementation of cost-effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce or eliminate pollutants in storm water (and authorized non-stormwater) discharges from the project site.
Create an erosion and sediment control plan detailing sediment and erosion control BMPs to be included in the SWPPP. These can be based off of grading plans, improvement plans, utility plans, or topographic surveys, depending on the type of project (hardcopy, PDF, AutoCAD, or Microstation format).
(If NOI is filed): Upon completion of the project, transfer of ownership, or other change, file all applicable forms such as Change of Information (COI) or Notice of Termination (NOT), as necessary to minimize or omit owner’s liability under the General Permit.
Assist the site superintendent throughout the construction or demolition process to ensure proper deployment of BMPs.
All Plans include a recommendation of acceptable and cost-effective BMPs to prevent sediment from leaving the site and control erosion. The format and content of our SWPPP’s are based upon industry standard templates that are accepted by the EPA and State.
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Institutional Services
Cornerstone Engineering provides civil engineering and land surveying services for site development and mapping projects. Our services include:
Preparation of Infrastructure Plans
Development Plans & Specifications
Preparation of Topographic & Design Surveys
Street, Highway And Surface Improvements
Traffic Engineering & Transportation Planning
Hydrology/Hydraulics
Water/Sewer Pipelines Including Fire, Domestic and Irrigation & Reclaimed Water Systems
Wastewater Treatment Plants & Pump Stations
Wet Utilities
Storm Drainage Pipelines & Channels
Erosion Control and Water Quality Mitigation Including Preparation Of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans
Grading Plans & Permits
Pavement Rehabilitation
Earthwork Computations
Construction Specifications and Cost Estimates
Railroad Grade Crossings
Right Of Way Engineering
Irrigation Resevuoirs
Irrigation Distribution Systems
Roadway Design
Cornerstone Engineering engineers and technicians have a broad range of public works and private development experience, from the design of state highways to rural access roads and dozens of projects in-between.
Water and Sewer Design
Cornerstone Engineering has planned and designed countless miles of water and sewer pipelines. Most of our site development plans include fire line, water and sewer systems. We have designed high-pressure water transmission mains and performed hydraulic transient analysis for water hammer control. Installation methods have included jack and bore, micro tunneling and other trenchless technology methods.
Storm Water Design
We have designed a number of storm water systems that meet current Best Management Practices, and have prepared many Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP’s). We are very familiar with the storm water regulations and are aware of recent court decisions regarding interpretation of the regulations (Friends of the Bay vs. Caltrans, Port of San Diego, etc.).
Grading Plans / Site Design
We have designed a number of storm water systems that meet current Best Management Practices, and have prepared many Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP’s). We are very familiar with the storm water regulations and are aware of recent court decisions regarding interpretation of the regulations (Friends of the Bay vs. Caltrans, Port of San Diego, etc.).
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Municipal Services
Over the last 15+ years, Cornerstone has expanded its a focus to addressing the needs of the Public Sector. We focus on understanding the policies and procedures of the agency, and duplicating those services. Our expertise regarding the needs of Public Agencies, will result in the support needed to meet the demands of projects that will benefit the public in a cost efficient and timely manner.
Waste Water Plant Expertise
With a Grade 5 Waste Water Plant operations certification, Derrill Whitten is using his expertise in waste water in assisting cities in managing wastewater treatment upgrades and expansions, facility planning, sewer master plans, and RWQCB permitting. These are all areas where Cornerstone Engineering can assist your agency.
On-Call Services
Public agencies frequently need assistance with their work load when demand surges for services such as plan checking or field surveying. Cornerstone has developed the staff expertise to enable city and county agencies to meet these demands on a timely basis by farming out these services to us. We focus on understanding the policies and procedures of the agency, and duplicating those services. We become an extension of the agency staff.
Additional Services
Cornerstone also has expanded its ability to provide Public Sector and Municipal Engineering of infrastructure engineering including:
Arterial Road Design
Storm Drain Facilities
Construction Surveys
Corridor Studies
Water Distribution Systems
Master Planning
Water Reclamation
Surveying Services
Right-Of-Way Engineering
Plan Check Services
Dams and Irrigation Networks
Transportation and Corridor Design
Cornerstone Engineering, Inc. engineers and technicians have a broad range of public works and private development experience from the design of highways to rural access roads and dozens of projects in-between. Cornerstone has designed transportation improvements for various cities, counties and agencies.
Water and Sewer Design
Cornerstone Engineering, Inc. has planned and designed countless miles of water and sewer pipelines ranging from four inch (4”) to seventy-two inch (72”) diameter lines. Most of our site development plans include fire line, water and sewer systems. We have designed high-pressure water transmission mains and performed hydraulic transient analysis for water hammer control. Installation methods include jack and bore, micro tunneling and other trenchless technology methods.
Storm Water Design
We have designed a number of storm water systems that meet Best Management Practices, and have prepared many Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP’s). We are very familiar with the current storm water regulations and recent court decisions.
On-Call General Engineering
In addition, we have performed on-call engineering and surveying services for numerous agencies for over thirty-five years, including County of Kern, City of Bakersfield, Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Kern-Tulare Water District and the Kern Community College District. We have been assigned every conceivable project such as repair of wastewater facilities, landfill closure plans, rehabilitation and structural repairs to bridges, repair of dry docks, parking lots and oil-waste separators.
Parking Lots / ADA Retrofit
Cornerstone Engineering has designed many parking lots for cities and other agencies throughout Southern California. All of our school site designs and commercial sites typically include parking lots. We typically deal with such issues as ADA, lighting, landscaping, storm water quality, pedestrian and vehicle separation, and entry and exit issues.
Site Assessment Studies
Cornerstone Engineering has participated in and coordinated many site assessment studies for the location of emerging projects. Services include: utility studies, title studies, boundary and topographic surveys, coordination with Phase I and Phase II hazardous materials assessment specialist, drainage/flood studies, biology, archeology, seismic/geology, groundwater hydrology, and fiscal impact studies.
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