ACCORD Engineering & Surveying, LLC provides a variety of civil engineering services. We offer many engineering services in addition to the frequently requested services described below. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
Perc Tests
With the exception of town and city centers, most of the land in Berkshire County is not provided with sewers. As a result, homes must be served by on-site sewage disposal systems, typically septic systems. The first step in designing a septic system is to test the soils at the location where the septic tank effluent will be discharged to the ground. The testing involves an examination of the various layers of the soil in a deep observation hole, and an estimation of the seasonal high groundwater table. Also, a percolation test is conducted, which determines the rate at which water is accepted by the surrounding soil. Percolation testing is best carried out when the soil is dry. Weather patterns are constantly changing, and while the spring is typically wet, and the summer is typically dry, this is not always the case.
Septic System Design
Following the percolation testing, the resulting perc rate and depth to groundwater are used to design a septic system to serve the facility. ACCORD’s staff will perform a topographic survey of the area where the testing was performed, noting and collecting pertinent data on many other items as well – adjacent wells, structures, property lines, rock outcroppings, etc. All of this information is used in the design process, and ACCORD seeks to create a design that accomplishes the CLIENT’s wishes in the most satisfactory and/or cost-effective way.
Wetland Protection
Many projects occur in or near wetland resource areas protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. The Act and associated regulations require that if there is an alteration of wetlands, that a “Notice of Intent” be filed with the Conservation Commission. ACCORD can assist property owners with this process, or even help them avoid it, if suitable design alternatives can be developed which lessen or eliminate alteration of wetlands.