Developers are increasingly turning to engineers before they commit to buying land or pursuing approvals as rising construction costs, stricter environmental regulations and infrastructure constraints make it harder to determine whether projects can even be built.
This approach means that geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering input is now central to early development decision-making, not simply design execution, according to Parsippany-based SESI Consulting Engineers, which marks its 50th anniversary this year.
Developers need consulting engineers to evaluate site conditions, environmental issues, utility capacity and construction challenges at the outset to identify potential obstacles and help control costs, company officials said.
“SESI works closely with our clients to develop practical site and entitlement strategies that support their goals while addressing these challenges," said Franz Laki, principal at SESI Consulting Engineers. “We recognize that no two sites or projects are alike, and each deserves a deliberate, thoughtful, and solutions-oriented approach.”
Founded in 1976, SESI provides geotechnical, environmental and civil engineering services for commercial and infrastructure projects throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and the Northeast. The firm said it increasingly evaluates project feasibility by examining engineering, environmental and construction issues simultaneously rather than in separate phases.
This approach has become especially important for redevelopment sites, where aging infrastructure and environmental remediation often present additional challenges.
As an example, SESI cited an industrial redevelopment project in Lyndhurst, where SESI engineers used ground improvement techniques that included surcharge loading and dynamic compaction instead of deep foundations, reducing construction costs and improving the site's buildability. In Fair Lawn, SESI coordinated environmental remediation, permitting and site preparation for the redevelopment of a former industrial property into a modern warehouse.
The northeastern U.S. presents some of the country's most challenging subsurface conditions, particularly in areas such as the New Jersey Meadowlands. Subsurface conditions can include up to approximately 200 feet of compressible marsh deposits, silts, clays, and variable fill materials. SESI has long supported projects requiring specialized ground improvement strategies to address these conditions. These solutions have enabled developers to reduce foundation risks, improve schedule certainty, and advance projects that might otherwise be considered unfeasible.
Industry clients report they increasingly expect engineering firms to act as advisers during the earliest stages of project planning.
"We needed a consultant that would function more like a business partner," said Peter Palazzo, president of LRC Construction LLC in White Plains, New York. "They stayed engaged and adapted as our needs evolved."
Looking ahead, SESI expects continued demand for early-stage engineering services for industrial redevelopment, data centers, multifamily housing and infrastructure-related projects.
Photo caption: SESI Consulting Engineers provided geotechnical work for this industrial redevelopment site in Lyndhurst and offered ground improvement recommendations as an alternative to deep pile foundations. – Courtesy image.
