Site Engineering

The Heights: Sustainable Community Living

One of Sain Associates’ latest residential projects, The Heights, is a mixed-use development in Irondale, Alabama, that offers residents a high-quality living experience. Our Site team began conceptual planning for the development in late 2019, with site work commencing in 2021. The first homes were ready for lease in early 2022, and today, the development…
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Alabama SEEDS Act: Boosting Economic Development with Grants

The Alabama Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) Act is a groundbreaking grant program that aims to expedite the process of developing economic sites throughout the state. The program is a critical component of Governor Ivey’s Game Plan to boost economic development in Alabama. Under the SEEDS program, the State Industrial Development Authority (SIDA)…
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Excellence in Airport Planning

I began working in aviation services back in 1985 with GW Jones & Sons Consulting Engineers, Inc. at the Huntsville International Airport. Little did I know then that this would mark the beginning of a lifelong passion for airport development. Since joining Sain Associates in 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of adding aviation as a…
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Project Spotlight: Anniston Courthouse

Sain Associates completed the civil site design and permitting for a 68,000 SF federal courthouse on the former Anniston City Hall site at Gurnee Avenue. The scope of work included boundary and topographic surveys, site layout, grading, stormwater management, erosion control, utilities, and construction services. Sain coordinated with a team led by B.L. Harbert Construction…
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Meet the Birmingham Site Team

Let us introduce ourselves – we are Sain Associates’ Birmingham Site Team! As a group, we combine our design expertise, strong relationships, and ability to handle difficult and complex problems to deliver quality services to a variety of markets. Over the years, our team has successfully completed projects ranging from a few thousand square feet…
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Site Engineering Helps Revitalize Urban Areas

When tackling site engineering projects in urban settings, such as downtown Birmingham, the areas we are working on typically have been developed multiple times in the past. This means that they frequently involve environmental remediation or rehabilitation. Redevelopment of these old sites is a very sustainable approach for planning a project or revitalizing a city….
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Advocacy for the Engineering Industry

We sat down with Jim and Joe Meads to discuss why advocacy is important to building and maintaining relationships. Joe serves as a Sr. Principal of Sain, and Jim is President and CEO. This year, Sain celebrates its 50th year and our success has been due, in large part, to our relationships and how the…
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Project Spotlight – Carvana Distribution Center

In April 2020, Carvana, a cutting-edge leader in online automotive sales, contracted Sain Associates to perform surveying, civil, and traffic engineering services for a distribution facility in Bessemer, Alabama.  Although non-disclosure agreements required the project to be known as “Project Otto,” it was later announced as Carvana. Commonly known as an online car dealership and…
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Evolution of Civil and Traffic Engineering

When Sain Associates opened its doors in 1972, the business consisted of consulting engineering services and land surveying. Many projects included site engineering for enclosed shopping malls across the southeast. Believe it or not, some of the mall projects from the 1970s are still in operation today, including the Santa Rosa Mall in Mary Esther,…
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5 Components of Transportation Planning

With the recent trend of increased integration between transportation planning and traffic operations, it is important for new traffic analysts and engineers to understand the different levels of planning along with the most appropriate tools and methods of analysis. As planning encompasses areas ranging in size from a few intersections to entire sub regions of…
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