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Site Planning
FAIRFAX COUNTY SITE PLAN

SITE PLANNING

Ceed Civil Engineering is experienced in providing smart, cost-effective designs while remaining responsive to our client’s needs, and we are always evolving to remain progressive and current with regulations and development standards. As our culture becomes more eco-aware and environmental policies dictate new stringent and environmentally conscious requirements for development, our staff implements sustainable practices which are sensitive to, and well-integrated with, surrounding communities and natural features while adhering to progressive development requirements in the most cost-effective way possible. Our services span from California to Virginia and every state or municipality in between.

Standard Site planS

  • Pre-Condition Plans
  • Post-Condition Plans
  • Pre-Vegetation Map
  • Post-Vegetation Map
  • Tree Conservation Plan
  • 10 Year Canopy Calculations
  • Pre-Grading
  • Post-Grading
  • NCS Detail
  • Storm Water Management (SWM)
  • BMP, Outfall and Impervious Area Calculations
  • New Home Site Plans
  • Subdivision Site Plans
  • Site Topographical Survey
  • Existing Building Height Survey
  • Setback Certification
  • House Location Plat
  • Resource Protection Area (RPA)
  • DOT Requirements

Development Services

  • Full Site Plan
  • Infill Lot Grading Plans
  • Conservation Plan
  • Master Planning
  • Site Development Permits
  • Vesting Tentative Maps

  • Planned Development Permits

  • Commercial/Industrial Site Development

  • Residential Site Development

  • Public Facilities/Golf Courses

  • Tentative Subdivision Maps

  • Tentative Parcel Maps

  • Pre & Post Development ALT
  • Limited Feasibility Study
  • All Other State Specific Civil Engineering and Site Planning Services
Structural Engineering
California Structural Engineering

ENGINEERING DESIGN

Ceed Civil Engineering provides engineering design in all 50 states and D.C. for onsite and offsite infrastructure, commercial, educational, hospitality, healthcare, residential and mixed-use projects. Our design experience includes full structural plans and details. During construction, our professional team works closely with the owner and all others on the design and construction team to ensure the project is completed in accordance with local governing requirements, contract documents, and applicable building standards and codes.

Northern Virginia:

Due to the high standards and requirements required by Fairfax County and to comply with State of Virginia requirements, we are aligned to complete engineering plans for any county in Virginia and the WMA (Washington DC, Maryland). We are not limited by any state or county, we perform services in all 50 states and D.C.

Home building plans:

From small home additions, decks, two story or 3 story additions we are capable of drafting and engineer stamping of building plans. We are aligned to efficiently provide complete home P.E. review and stamping for submission in all 50 states and D.C. as required by all municipalities and throughout the WMA.

Commercial Building plans:

We hold vast experience of commercial and non-commercial building plans for any jurisdiction. From 20 page to 2,000-page submittals we are capable and ready to engineer.

Architectural

Architectural Engineering in California

Architectural ProjectS

We take great pride in the reputation we have earned for delivering the highest level of quality and efficiency while maintaining the flexibility required to provide second to none exemplary customer service. Ceed Civil Engineering’s professionals are adept at working as value-added members of multi-disciplinary teams.

Architectural Services

  • Complete and Detailed Construction Documents (CD’s)
  • Custom Home Plan Sets

  • ADU/JADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) Design

  • Home Additions

  • Detached Garages

  • Attached and Freestanding Decks

  • Multi-Family Plan Sets

  • Commercial Build-outs

  • Condominium Plans

  • Apartment Complex

  • Full Home Bump-Ups (adding second floor to existing home)

  • Everything From A-Z
Violation
Fairfax County Violation

Fairfax county violation – Civil Engineering

Fairfax County has a rigorous process for approving site plans where a simple Infill Lot Grading Plan requires a checklist with 100 plus line items of required detailed elements.

  • Conservation Plan – 2,500 sf of disturbance to 4,999 sf.
  • Infill Lot Grading Plans (INF) – 5,000 sf of disturbance or more.

We specialize in and have extensive experience dealing with Fairfax County on land disturbance violation and compliance site plans.

Elements of a Minimum Violation Site plan

  • Pre-Condition Plans
  • Post-Condition Plans
  • Pre-Vegetation Map
  • Post-Vegetation Map
  • Tree Conservation Plan
  • 10 Year Canopy Calculations
  • Pre-Grading
  • Post-Grading
  • NCS detail
  • Storm Water Management (SWM)
  • BMP, Outfall and Impervious Area Calculation

Violation Site plans

Due to the nature of land disturbance violations, Fairfax County holds a very high standard for these types of plans, which is why most firms will not handle these cases (higher than standard plans). This is a stressful and extensive process, however, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

  • New Home Site Plans
  • Subdivision Site Plans
  • Existing Building Height Survey
  • Setback Certification
  • Tree Conservation
  • House Location Plat
  • Resource Protection Area (RPA)
  • VDOT Requirements
  • Full Fairfax County Violation Services, but we can provide violation services anywhere you might need.
Foundation-Only Plans
Engineered Foundation Plans

Steel Building Foundation-Only plans and calculations

When you a purchase a pre-engineered metal building, most often your steel building supplier does not do the foundation design. However, you are required by the City or County to get a soils report and foundation design plans. Foundation Engineering Consultants, Inc. has a package for a soils report & foundation design for metal buildings. We need foundation reactions & anchor bolt plan from your steel building manufacturer.

 

Planning Your Metal Building Foundation

The goal for any foundation is to anchor the structure to the earth and provide strength, stability, and longevity.

Design your foundation according to your local conditions regarding soil quality, frost lines, wind uplift and static load for a metal building that will last for years to come.

Soil Quality

Before laying a foundation, it is crucial to have your land professionally surveyed to determine soil quality, plot boundaries, and leveling. If your soil quality is low, you can excavate and remove it to replace with higher-quality soil that will prevent your steel building from shifting or sinking over time.

Frost Lines

When you excavate the future site of your building, you will need to dig below the frost line to secure your footings. Securing the footings of your building below the depth at which moisture in your soil freezes ensures your footings are insulated and unaffected by shifting soil during freezing and thawing.

You or your project manager can contact your local building authorities for more information on the frost line requirements in your area.

Wind Uplift Threats

Wind uplift refers to the suctioning effect that can occur during high winds. Wind uplift is of particular concern to metal buildings which are known for being susceptible to lifting from the foundation in uplift.

If wind uplift is a known threat in your area, accommodations will need to be made in foundation design. Heavy foundations, deep footings, and a foundation with topsoil will all help to mitigate the effects of uplift on your steel building.

Static Load

Steel buildings can be significantly impacted by high winds and earthquakes, which can destroy the structure or cause it to detach from the foundation.

Anchor bolts and larger footings can be tied to your foundation using steel tie bars to help your building resist the effects of weather phenomena. 

If heavy equipment will be stored in the building, the foundation’s load-bearing capacity needs to reflect this additional weight. The weight and dimensions of your metal building will also affect the static load your foundation must carry.

The more expansive your building, the heavier and deeper the foundation must be.

However, your local conditions are not the only considerations that must be made for your building foundation. Owners must also choose which type of foundation works best for their purposes.

 

Types of Steel Building Foundations

Perimeter Footing

For a minimalist approach to laying a foundation, owners can choose a perimeter footing foundation.

A perimeter footing is exactly what it sounds like: a foundation that only exists on the perimeter of a building. To construct a perimeter footing foundation, concrete is poured around the exterior of the metal building structure dimensions.

The foundation will provide support to the exterior steel walls. Perimeter footings can be used on their own or combined with piers or concrete slabs for additional support.

Slab Foundation

Slab foundations are the most popular foundation used today.

A concrete slab is an area of poured concrete with a reinforced grade beam that transmits the load from bearing walls into the foundation. A slab foundation becomes the floor of the building after construction.

Slab foundations are made popular by their quick, easy and affordable construction that does not utilize piers or footings, making for a simpler construction.

However, if pipes and electrical lines are required, it complicates the process a bit. Pipes and electric must be embedded directly into the slab.

Pier and Beam Foundation with Optional Footing

In a pier and beam system, the foundation rests on piers which rest on footings with a grade beam wall.

Some buildings can utilize drilled piers instead of a footing, but in either case, the piers and footing are primarily responsible for carrying the load of the metal building. A drilled pier foundation includes concrete piers that are drilled down to support the foundation walls at the piers.

With pier and beam foundations, the floors can be left as dirt or gravel. The pier and beam foundation with optional footing is a more expensive option but is not without benefits.

This foundation type offers additional opportunities to secure your metal building against horizontal loads, wind uplifts, and seismic shifts.

Ground Mounting with Concrete Caissons

If you would prefer your structure to have a dirt floor instead of a concrete slab, ground mounting may be the right choice for you.

This option is typical for agricultural buildings and equipment storage. Ground mounting with concrete caissons anchors the building to the earth using concrete anchors called caissons.

Caissons are, in essence, dug out post holes filled with concrete to create a secure tie-off point for a metal building structure.

Container Homes

CONTAINER HOMES

Shipping container homes

Ceed Civil Engineering specializes in custom home designing and engineering utilizing standard ISO shipping containers to develop detailed plan-sets for eye-stunning container homes and functional structures (also known as Conex homes, Container Houses). We also enigneer a vast amount of other shipping container buildings such as restrooms, kitchens, venue housing, portable housing, FEMA housing, Fire Proof homes, bunkers, etc. These structures are versatile, unique, and extremely cost-effective while still providing a spacious and beautiful alternative building style. With millions of shipping containers sitting at ports and storage sites, these units can reduce build time and costs by up to 3,000%. We have helped hundreds of clients design and utilize shipping containers for their homes, garages, and even utility uses such as portable battery storage, ADU’s, homeless shelters, Temporary housing, Concert stages and the like.

Ceed Civil Engineering has deep experience ensuring the modification of these large shipping containers is not only safe and code compliant, but beautiful.

Shipping Container House

What is a container home?

Shipping container homes (also known as CONEX homes) are exactly what they sound like; homes made from the steel shipping containers that you see carrying cargo everywhere on trains, trucks, and ships. From these giant Lego blocks, we are designing homes of all shapes and sizes. Shipping containers are generally available in standard 10ft, 20ft, 40ft and 52ft. The smallest shipping container can provide about 80 square feet of floor space for a shipping container home. Eight larger 40 foot containers together can make a two-story house at about 2,560 square feet. Hundreds of container micro-apartments together can make a huge apartment building, as seen in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, CA.

We are asked daily why shipping containers are being used to make homes, studios, cabins, and offices? Our answer is, with about 14 million ‘out-of-service’ containers in the world, there are lots of them available. And playing with giant blocks are definitely exciting!

Besides trendiness, interest in container homes is also part of a wider interest in saving money with prefabricated and modular homes. Many potential clients are looking for lower construction and maintenance costs. There is also a perception that container homes contributing to recycling and their high ‘Fire Proof’ steel construction is an ideal building material in high fire zones throughout the West Coast.

Shipping Container Homes Have Standard Costs

Our plans are equipped with everything that is needed for the builder to complete the build out. Delivery to the site, site preparation, foundation, assembly. Container homes are generally always less expensive than a CMU, ICF or stick built home of the same size. Estimates vary, and some put the savings anywhere from 30-40% compared to wood frame and 300% compared to ICF.
Shipping Container Home Building Plans
RECYCLED SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES

Recycled Shipping Container Homes

The environmental appeal of a container home being re-used after its cargo products are unloaded and delivered opens the doors to a new custom and unique home. This is a excellent for the environment and the industry.

Some of the advantages, like short construction time, predictable pricing and versatility in design, are the larger draw for clients to consider a shipping container home. But container homes benefit uniquely from the worldwide infrastructure built to move shipping containers. Even where local building expertise is lacking, or for emergency shelters, shipping container structures can be moved easily to where they are needed. In these scenarios, the versatility of container transport is a huge advantage.

Roofs

While shipping containers are reinforced at the corners, the existing roof may lack structural integrity depending on location and planned loads. Those looking for container homes capable of support weight, such as weather, should consider an expert like Ceed Civil Engineering for ensuring your planned build is safe and structurally sounds. A roof can provide aesthetic and architectural flair that is common amongst homes throughout North America. While there are multiple styles of roofs that can be used for a shipping container home engineering, flat roofs, pitched roofs, roof terraces, and living roofs are the most common and many clients choose to utilize this space as a roof deck.
  • Flat roofs are the simplest, fastest, and least expensive to construct but can be more costly to maintain. It’s essential to create a slight pitch for the drainage of rainfall.
  • Living roof, also known as a green roof, is a roof with introduced plants and greenery. These roof types are both aesthetically and naturally pleasing and provide natural insulation and cooling.
  • Pitched roofs are roofs that slope downwards and are among the most common roof types found in areas with heavy rainfall and snow. Popular examples of pitched roofs are gables, hip, mansard, gambrel, and skillion.
  • Roof terraces are creative flat spaces built on top of the roof to expand occupiable or usable space. Many roof terraces are used for small outdoor gardens, eating or lounging areas.
Building Shipping Container Homes

What type of ADU Should you build?

You may be asking yourself whether to build an ADU or garage conversion. Luckily, you may now be able to choose the structure that best fits you! Most states recently passed laws allowing many new zoning codes to accommodate Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU/ALU) and Garage/Basement Conversions. Many new single and multi-family properties will be permitted to have both!

California ADU plans

Ceed Civil ADU Development Process

We take your hand and walk you through from start to finish.
In just 5 steps you can change your life with an ADU or Garage/Basement Conversion!

1. Create ADU Blueprints

In most jurisdictions, homeowners will need to run plans for the project by their local department of building and safety. For ground-up construction, that means diagrams and exact measurements will need to be included. If a project is especially complex, homeowners will utilize our engineering expertise to ensure it’s built to code.

California ADU plans
ADU Plans California
2. Get Permits

In most areas, you are allowed  to turn your garage or basement into a habitable dwelling unit. It will be an accessory to the main house. That is why it’s called an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or accessory living unit (ALU). Ceed Civil will assist you in all aspects of the permit plan process.

3. Build ADU or Garage Conversion

Upon receiving your permits, Clients can finalize their Construction Contract, including a budget and estimated build time. Then they will begin construction on your ADU or Garage Conversion. We can provide engineering services throughout the build process. After all, it is in your backyard!

Costs and estimated build time depend on the size and features requested.

Building an ADU or Garage/Basement conversion can increase your property value by $100,000+ and generate $10,000-$50,000 in rental income per year, depending on location.

Conservation Plan Virginia
Civil Structural Engineer
4. Complete Finishes

When your ADU or ALU is completed, the final inspection will give you the ability to start utilizing your new space and generate the income you have always wanted.

5. Renting out the unit
Local cities and jurisdictions decide whether ADUs can be listed on short-term rental sites like AirBnB. Some larger jurisdictions, such as some in Virginia and some California municipalities, have chosen to limit AirBnB, but there are many ways to rent out units. Longer term rentals are easier, compliant, risk-free and are less hassle. Homeowners aiming to build a rental unit to help pay the mortgage are working towards financial freedom.
Virginia Structural Engineer