Roadways & Highways

CONSOR performs basic and specialized planning and recommended studies needed to design and license major transportation facilities in accordance with state and federal standards and requirements. Our experience ranges from the design of local intersection improvements, design of new/reconstruction of streets and arterials, and the design of new/reconstruction of urban interstate highways.

Bridges & Ancillary Structures

CONSOR has designed more than 300 bridges over the last 30 years. Our bridge design expertise encompasses the full range of planning and design for bridge reconstruction, new alignment, widening, and rehabilitation of bridges ranging from simple off system bridges to complex bridges for interchanges, freeways, and major stream crossings in urban and rural settings. Superstructure types designed include slab beams, TX girders, box beams, pan girders, flat slabs, steel simple spans, continuous spans, decked slab, and X-beams. CONSOR provides design for retaining walls including MSE, soil nail, drilled shaft, and sheet pile. Foundation types have included mono and multi drilled shafts, prestressed piles, pile groups, and spread footings.

Traffic Engineering

CONSOR’s traffic engineering experience includes traffic signal design, signal interconnect systems, ramp metering, bicycle and pedestrian signals, traffic control plans, signing, pavement markings, traffic calming, roundabouts, emergency and railroad pre-emption, illumination simulation and design, Complete Streets,​ intelligent transportation systems, and design-build projects. We have extensive experience in traffic studies including traffic impact analysis, corridor feasibility studies, signal warrant studies, safety studies, and feasibility studies for alternative intersections and interchanges. Our multimodal operations and simulation experience includes freeway and interchange improvements, traffic signal optimization and coordination, transit signal priority, light rail transit (LRT) systems, safety evaluation, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, railroad grade crossings, and alternative and innovative designs. We also have expertise in bicycle, pedestrian, and trail planning; bikeway design; pedestrian and bicycle design innovations; Safe Route to Schools; and wayfinding signs planning and design. 

Our approach integrates design and extensive knowledge of construction to provide a combination of creative and practical solutions for all travel modes.

Pedestrian & Bicycle Facilities

CONSOR has designed more than 150,000 LF of sidewalk, 30 miles of hike and bike trails, 25 miles of on-street bike lanes, and 10 pedestrian/bicycle bridges. CONSOR manages and designs ADA-compliant sidewalks, bicycle lanes, trail geometrics, pedestrian/bicycle bridges, and bridge rail modifications for aesthetics and bikeway compliance.

Hydraulics & Hydrology

CONSOR offers a full range of engineering capabilities for innovative drainage design and analysis. Our capabilities include the design and analysis of bridge deck drainage systems, storm sewer and catchment basins, stormwater management for the evaluation of water quality and quantities, erosion and sediment control, and advanced analysis of rivers and open channel systems using the latest software and methodologies. CONSOR has advanced knowledge and experience in utilizing both one-dimensional and two-dimensional steady and unsteady state techniques for the analysis of a multitude of hydraulic systems including bridge hydraulics, precipitation analysis contributing to open-channel mechanics, urban drainage and sheet flow patterns, scour potential, and retrofit designs to combat scour.

Bridges, Tunnels, and Ancillary Highway Structures

CONSOR is recognized across the nation as a leader in full-service structural inspection for bridges, tunnels, overhead signs, traffic signals, and high mast light poles. Each of our inspectors receives specialized training from the Federal Highway Administration and various national agencies to provide superior service, including certifications from the Association of Diving Contractors International for underwater inspections and the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians for climbing inspections. Furthermore, much of our equipment, including our trucks and boats, is custom-made, providing optimal efficiency in the field. Regardless of the structural assessment need—above and below water inspections, in-depth or hands-on inspections, rope or mechanized access inspections, non-destructive testing, load rating, structural analysis, scour evaluation, and emergency response— we provide one-stop services in a single mobilization with cross-trained, expert personnel.

Professional Training

Since 2007, as a natural extension of our structural assessment services, CONSOR has provided professional training for team leaders and bridge inspectors nationwide through both federal and state agencies. We serve as lead instructors for the FHWA’s National Highway Institute (NHI), having taught NHI 130053, Bridge Inspection Refresher Training for over a decade; we now teach NHI 130078, Fracture Critical Inspection Techniques for Steel Bridges; NHI 130099A, Bridge Inspection Nondestructive Evaluation Seminar (BINS); and NHI 134063, Bridge Preservation Module courses. Our course instruction has been recognized by NHI as a “Course of Excellence” several times since 2007 and eight of our instructors have received “Instructor of Excellence” awards for multiple years. Our structural inspection training for Pennsylvania bridge inspectors has included PennDOT’s Basic Bridge Safety Inspection; Bridge Inspection Refresher; BMS2 iForms Training; Bridge Scour Evaluation; and Load Rating Analysis of Highway Bridges courses. We were also selected to develop and deliver PennDOT’s Introduction to Element Level Bridge Inspection course.

Waterfront & Marine Facilities

CONSOR’s personnel approach waterfront and marine facilities inspection and repair projects with a safe, methodical, and analytical engineering-based process, particularly in difficult access scenarios commonly found such as under piers and in confined spaces. Our 60+ full-time inspectors have attended a multitude of national courses and training related to structural inspection; they also carry specialized certifications from the Association of Diving Contractors International and the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians. We are experienced in diverse environments for a wide variety of structures, including piers, wharves, relieving platforms, docks, decks, ramps, bulkheads, caissons, pipelines, fender and mooring systems, aid-to-navigation structures, locks, spillways, pump stations, weirs, and shoreline protection systems. We are well-equipped to carry out inspections from simple, straightforward tasks to more intricate projects that require complex equipment or material sampling and testing regimens. Once CONSOR’s engineer-diver personnel have established the above and below water condition of a structure, the same personnel prepare reports, plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for execution of repairs. This documentation is prepared based on facility sustainment and/or repair. Deliverables can be used for soliciting construction services to execute the work in either conventional design-bid-build or design-build procurement methods.

Construction Engineering & Inspection

CONSOR’s construction engineering and inspection practice ensures conformance with the plans and specifications and set for by the Engineer of Record. Our construction engineers and inspectors are on-site to verify that contractors utilize good construction practices and construct the work to a high quality, ensuring a long life to the project and reduced maintenance costs.

Project Management

CONSOR provides project management services for construction projects. Our services include staffing, planning, controlling, and closing out projects to achieve the goals of our clients. Project management is the art of balancing the competing interests and desires of various stakeholders to deliver to the client a project on time and on budget while ensuring conformance with the accepted practices and standards.

Contract Administration

CONSOR’s contract administration services, rendered from time of letting through final payment to contractors, provide clients with an easily auditable file system to ensure compliance with legal requirements and owner specifications. We ensure each client’s project is constructed in accordance with the plans and specifications, and change orders are in compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. CONSOR utilizes electronic filing systems and financial information systems to prepare project status reports, accounting reports, and project final cost reports to ensure each contract is completed on time and on budget. Contract administration involves utilizing negotiation skills to facilitate resolutions beneficial to both parties in contract disputes and claims by developing timely solutions that comply with plans, specifications, and policies.

Scheduling

CONSOR utilizes constructability and schedule reviews to identify issues and mitigate project impacts before and during construction. We provide expertise in the review of baseline/monthly schedules, critical path method (CPM) progress tracking, and identifying and monitoring impacts/changes in order to provide recommendations on the acceptance of baseline/monthly schedules and time/cost/scope loss resolution. CONSOR is experienced with CPM techniques used in highway construction using Primavera P3 and P6, Schedule Analyzer, and ClaimDigger. Our schedulers can also provide the Time Determination Schedule to be included with design documents and bid package for client. Our scheduling staff has reviewed more than 100 baseline schedules and more than 600 schedule updates.

Disaster Recovery

Our firm has the ability and experience to provide emergency inspection services nationwide during a natural disaster. CONSOR has firsthand knowledge of how imperative it is to reach and perform a timely assessment of structures to allow for emergency aid, restoration, and assistance to the affected areas. We work alongside of emergency personnel to reach and clear corridors, providing immediate notification of critical findings. Communication is essential when a catastrophe occurs; our response teams are outfitted with satellite phones to ensure that communication is maintained. We are experienced in performing emergency assessments, having responded to clients nationwide after hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, fires, and vehicular or ship/barge impacts.

Land Surveying

CONSOR provides a full range of surveying services with experience in establishing baseline and vertical control, gathering topographic features, providing utility surveys, locating boundary lines, and performing construction layouts. We maintain multiple in-house survey crews led by full-time, licensed land surveyors.

Aviation

CONSOR staff has managed airport projects in coordination with the FAA and proves to be a valuable asset to airport systems. We provide design and rehabilitation of airside and landside facilities including roadway, bridges, runways, drainage, utilities, SW3P, signage, monuments, and miscellaneous structures. We provide condition assessments, load analysis, and load rating for structures and perform traffic engineering services for all of these projects.

Alternative Contracting Methods

CONSOR’s expertise includes the use of alternative contracting methods (ACMs), such as design-build and Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), to accelerate project delivery, encourage innovation, and minimize unforeseen delays and cost overruns. Other benefits of these delivery methods can include risk reduction, mitigation, and distribution; streamlined plans; early work packages; and flexibility in changing project scope. When used in conjunction with single contract “project bundling” (a current Federal Highway Administration Every Day Counts Innovation), ACMs can lead to streamlined design and construction, increased competition, reduced costs, faster delivery, and reductions in transportation project backlogs.

Railroad & Transit

CONSOR has extensive experience in providing structural, utility, traffic, and value engineering services for railroad and transit projects. Additionally, we have provided construction management and inspection services for these projects. We have been involved in light rail, HOV, bus, and park & ride projects for various agencies.