Civil Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering
Serving Calgary, Edmonton, British Columbia, and Saskatoon
Nichols offers Civil and Geotechnical Engineering Services to a wide range of clients and industries. From subsoil investigations and slope stability analysis to site surveys and civil design work, we have you covered. If you have a civil or geotechnical project but don’t know where to start, contact us today! We’d love to chat with you about your project.
Civil Engineering
Our civil engineering services include
- Earthwork designs
- Grading and stormwater management design
- Material volume and construction cost estimates
- Tender preparation
- Contract administration
- Construction supervision
- Quality control/quality assurance inspections.
Using GPS or Leica Total Stations and performing civil design work using AutoCAD 3D software to design and construct various earthwork structures.
Project Management
Our project managers will work with you through every step of your project. From start to finish we’ll be there to guide the way, using innovative technology to benefit your project, including:
Topographic site surveys using GPS
Grading plan design using AutoCAD Civil 3D software
Tender preparation and contractor bid review
Earthworks construction survey layout
Construction supervision
Property stormwater management design
Quality assurance: foundation/pile inspections and site proof roll inspections
Our project management services also include:
We will leverage our relationships with the provincial and federal regulatory agencies, and we can assist in negotiations on behalf of our clients.
We provide expert review and testimony as it relates to environmental and civil engineering problems. We’ve acted for various law firms and made presentations at settlements conferences and Development Appeal Board hearings.
Drawing on our years of industry experience in civil construction, our team will work with you to provide strategic solutions to ensure your project is completed as per specifications, on schedule, and within budget. Construction monitoring services include:
- Onsite management of contractors
- Foundation/pile inspections
- Compaction and construction material testing
- Geosynthetics installation monitoring
- Excavation stability inspections
- Retaining wall construction inspections
- Grade stacking and quantity surveys
Civil Design
Using the most up-to-date modeling software, we provide innovative solutions to maximize design and minimize time. Focusing on client and project objectives within Industrial, Commercial, Residential, and Rural development areas, we’ll provide you with a civil design that is tailored to your needs, including:
- Preliminary designs and planning
- Sanitary sewer design and distribution
- Storm sewer and water management design
- Road design
- Overland stormwater grading design
- Upstream oil and gas lease design
Our Civil Design Services also include:
Water Reservoir Design and Management
Our team will design and manage the construction of water reservoirs of all sizes. Our services include preliminary geotechnical drilling, foundation, and berm design, slope stability modeling, on-site grade control, and quality management, as-built surveys, and design and completion reporting. Over the years we have completed numerous water reservoirs in partnership with upstream oil and gas companies ranging in capacity from 60,000 m3 to 500,000 m3 of water.
Retaining Wall Design and Construction Monitoring
We provide expert review and testimony as it relates to environmental and civil engineering problems. We’ve acted for various law firms and made presentations at settlements conferences and Development Appeal Board hearings.
Yard Development & Site Grading Design
Our professionals provide design, modelling and drafting of a site grading plan that meets our clients requirements. This involves understanding our clients needs and constraints while balancing those against existing site subsurface and surface conditions, and environmental conditions to provide a cost effective long-term solution. Nichols has completed numerous site grading designs for well sites to industrial facilities to commercial and residential developments.
Site Design and Development
Going beyond site design, Nichols can also help you with detailed project-specific site development including:
Earthwork’s quantities and specifications
Asphalt and concrete specifications
Geosynthetic specifications
QA/QC inspection and testing
We will leverage our relationships with the provincial and federal regulatory agencies, and we can assist in negotiations on behalf of our clients.
We provide expert review and testimony as it relates to environmental and civil engineering problems. We’ve acted for various law firms and made presentations at settlements conferences and Development Appeal Board hearings.
Slope Stability
Through slope stability analysis we can provide recommendations for safe and economic development nearby natural or human-made slopes (ex. Developments near embankments, road cuts, open-pit mining, excavations, landfills, earthen berms, etc.). Results from our analysis can be used in both design and review applications.
Recommend Foundation Strategies
We will provide recommendations and soil properties for foundation design. Our engineering team will leverage their experience to evaluate options to meet existing soil properties ensuring a suitable and cost-effective strategy (including evaluation of the shallow and deep foundation strategies).
Roadway Pavement Design
As part of our geo civil engineering services, Nichols will design site-specific pavement structures based on your needs, subgrade strength, traffic counts, and applicable design standards and guidelines. Our team will recommend material specifications, design thickness of asphalt; granular base, sub-base materials, and prepared subgrade are provided. We work with a variety of commercial and industrial use roadways and parking lots, including:
- Quality and sustainable pavement ideas
- Low-duty and heavy-duty pavement structures
- Flexible and rigid pavements
- Rehabilitation of existing pavement structures
- Subgrade stabilization
Nichols engineers can recommend geosynthetics for subgrade stabilization and reduction of granular base thickness. Nichols has close relationships with various geosynthetic suppliers and stays up to date on the latest geosynthetic materials.
Geotechnical Engineering
Nichols provides geotechnical consulting and investigating services specializing in foundation recommendations, top-of-bank assessments, slope stability analysis, landslide remediation, excavation stability, dewatering requirements, retaining wall design, and project management services.
Since 1999 we’ve completed thousands of investigations, including:
- Site investigations for various commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities
- Frost heaving evaluation and remedial plan for a freezer warehouse
- Deep auger and coring to recover bentonitic shale to evaluate slope stability
Frequently Asked Questions
We specialize in comprehensive civil engineering solutions tailored to meet the needs of landowners and developers. Our services include preparation of site servicing plans for municipal utilities such as sanitary sewer systems, water, stormwater management and Low Impact Development (LID) systems, site grading and drainage plans. Additionally, we can perform precise topographic surveys using Trimble GNSS GPS systems—an essential prerequisite for initiating any civil design or site development project.
A geotechnical engineer evaluates soil, rock, and groundwater conditions to ensure safe and effective construction. Before any development begins, they conduct site investigations—such as borehole drilling or test-pitting, analyze soil samples to determine key properties, and measure stabilized groundwater levels. Based on these findings, they prepare a geotechnical report with recommendations for foundation design, slope stability, groundwater management, excavation support, and more. Their expertise is essential for ensuring project safety, regulatory compliance, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation.
The cost of a geotechnical investigation or civil design project varies depending on the scope, complexity, and location. While prices can range from a few thousand to over a hundred thousand dollars, a typical geotechnical investigation for a 2 to 3-storey commercial or residential building in the Edmonton or Calgary metro area generally costs around $6,500. More complex projects—such as high-rise buildings with underground parkades, remote oil and gas sites, or large industrial facilities—can significantly increase costs. Our team is available to discuss your specific project needs and provide a tailored cost estimate for geotechnical and civil design services.
Slope stability analysis is the evaluation of natural or engineered slopes to determine their safety and potential for failure due to factors like gravity, water infiltration, seismic activity, or construction surcharge loads. It is typically required for projects involving hillsides, embankments, deep excavations, retaining walls, or areas with soft soils or high groundwater levels. This analysis helps engineers design appropriate stabilization measures, prevent landslides or erosion, and ensure the safety and integrity of infrastructure.
Nichols ensures regulatory compliance by operating as a registered firm with multiple provincial engineering associations and strictly adhering to the defined scope of practice. The company’s Professional Practice Management Plan (PPMP) serves as a guiding framework for all team members, outlining their roles and responsibilities to maintain accountability. In addition to leveraging extensive engineering experience, Nichols follows all applicable project-specific design and construction standards, building codes, published design manuals, and recognized industry best practices to ensure every project meets regulatory and technical requirements.
Alberta Based
Materials Testing in Alberta
Our in-house material testing services include all types of laboratory and field testing services for soil, aggregate, and concrete materials.