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Engineering Solutions to Any Problem

Engineers have been solving problems for centuries; their creativity and problem-solving skills have paved the way to solutions that make our everyday lives better. Over time, engineers have stayed up-to-date with rapidly changing technology, allowing them to continue being innovators and find solutions to the daily problems we face in today’s society.

In the engineering world, engineers must stay ahead of the game in order to engineer themselves out of any challenges society might face, including:

  • Controlling the climate crisis to avoid potential catastrophe. Engineers are contributing to solving the climate crisis by developing new technologies to reduce the environmental issues created by humanity. For example, solar panels generate clean and pure energy from the sun and are one of the many technologies created by engineers.
  • Making water clean and accessible to prevent disease and death. Water is fundamental for our wellbeing and engineers are improving access to safe drinking water. Desalination and wastewater treatment are two of many technologies created by engineers to provide sustained sources of clean water.
  • Having a balanced food supply to keep up with the growing world population. The lack of food production risks can completely disappear with technologies created by engineers, including 3D food printing, vertical farming, and the Average Quantity System (AQS).

At KC, some ways our staff stay ahead of the game are by continuing their education, being active in their professional networks, and studying new concepts in their downtime. We all know that education doesn’t end after earning a degree; like every other career, engineers must stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in their industry.

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What is Municipal Engineering?

If you’ve ever wondered who oversees all types of project sites in your community, the answer is municipal engineers. When you pass by bridges, airports, public parks, streets and sidewalks, or any general road in your community, municipal engineers are typically the ones behind the work. The most common services municipal engineers provide are structural, water and wastewater, and traffic and transportation engineering, but their work doesn’t just end there. Aside from designing, constructing, and maintaining these communities, municipal engineers do a lot of administrative work and give support to communities.

The administrative work and support municipal engineers provide is for the improvement of their communities. The main goal of municipal engineers’ administrative work is to make sure each project brings a positive outcome to the community, which is why municipal engineers ensure each project is compliant with each project-specific plans, codes, and specifications. Municipal engineers give support to their communities by ensuring that the voices of their communities are heard. Municipal engineers create in-depth approaches to get involved with the communities and gather all necessary opinions to create an action plan that works for all. For example, before a project starts, municipal engineers may speak to all the parties involved such as residents, agencies, and the communities’ officials.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), maintaining and improving our communities remains an important priority. KC’s municipal engineering group is an integral part of our contribution to the safety of our communities.

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What is Topographic Survey?

Land surveyors’ workload consists of a wide range of tasks, but the main concept of their overall work is to prepare sites for construction. Topographic survey is one of the main types of services performed by land surveyors. According to civilengineeringbible.com, topographic survey is defined as a “method of determining the positions, on the surface of the earth, of human made and natural features. It also is used to determine the configuration of the terrain.” So, in other words, surveyors perform topographic survey to find coordinates and height data needed for construction sites.

The methods used for performing topographic survey include:

  • Aerial Survey: Aerial survey is also known as photogrammetry. This method allows surveyors to easily survey the ground by collecting high-altitude photos using a plane or drone.
  • Global Positioning System (GPS): This method is used in smaller areas where aerial approach is not necessary.
  • Total Station: This method is known to be the most effect method since it is performed directly by the field crew resulting in more detailed information being collected.

KC’s land surveying group consists of dedicated professional land surveyors, party chiefs, instrument persons, geographic information system (GIS) technicians, draftsmen, engineering technicians, and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) operators with experience researching and recording all types of survey data and providing field services in varying terrains and weather. To learn more about KC’s services, please visit our Services tab.

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Why is Environmental Engineering Important?

Environmental engineering is one of many methods used to mitigate environmental issues we are facing today.

Environmental engineering is a branch of engineering that concentrates on improving environmental quality. According to the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE), environmental engineering is defined as "the application of engineering principles to the management of the environment for the protection of human health, for the protection of nature's beneficial ecosystems, and for environment-related enhancement of the quality of human life." In other words, the main goal of environmental engineering is to protect humanity from negative environmental effects. Environmental engineering is a key tool to fight against climate change; this is done by using environmentally friendly materials and developing new materials that can adapt to climate change. For example, eco-concrete and eco-bricks are two environmentally friendly materials used by Environmental Engineers.

Some of the main focuses of environmental engineering include air pollution management, water supply and treatment, and wastewater treatment and management, the benefits of which include easily available drinking water, preventing the spread of waterborne diseases with effective sanitation systems, and monitoring air pollution. Focusing on these areas allows mankind to live a much healthier quality of life.

KC understands the importance of fighting against environmental issues. KC’s engineering staff includes a wide range of experienced and talented personnel encompassing all our main areas of service, and includes dedicated civil and environmental engineers experienced in drainage, stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater solutions. To learn more about KC’s services, please visit our Services tab.