BEACON Engineering is a multi-disciplinary consultancy and contracting firm, providing professional services in a wide range of Civil & Water Engineering works including water well drilling and shoring works. At inception, BEACON was oriented toward geotechnical engineering.
Introduction
Design is one of the five operational departments of the company. It is organized to provide a wide and full range of engineering services in the design of roads, bridges, buildings, water supply, and sewerage systems. Besides this the department conducts detailed ground surveying works and evaluation of aerial photographs. The department has been playing pivotal role for the last fourteen years in building the country’s infrastructure.
Setup of the Design Department
The department has four divisions which are well organized to render tailor-made engineering services for our customers specific to their needs.
Photometry & Topographic Surveying Division
The division is staffed with well-experienced GIS experts and surveyors well acquainted with local and international geophysical conditions. The division carries out the evaluation of aerial photographs, digital maps, and satellite imageries relevant to specific projects the department engaged in. Besides, the division carries out ground surveying work for the development of a ground model that could be used in the detailed engineering design.
Road & Bridge Design Division
This division provides consultancy services related to road and bridge design. The design process is very complicated and involves multi-disciplinary engineering solutions. Geometric design, the provision of drainage structures, pavement design, and tender document preparation are the major elements of the division’s activities.
- Traffic engineering
- Transportation management
- Aerial photography
- Photogrammetric evaluation
- Route selection
- Detailed ground survey.
- Detail design of New Roads
- Detail Design of Existing Roads
- Upgrading, Rehabilitation, Maintenance
- Building Design
- Architectural, Structural, electrical, sanitary
- Water Supply & sewerage systems
- Tender document preparation Evaluation of Bids
- Feasibility studies
- Socioeconomic studies
- EIA
Building Design Division
This division is engaged in the architectural and structural design of office buildings, dwelling apartments, modern villas, factories, etc. The design process also involves sanitary and electrical installation designs most appropriate to service the building designed to render.
Water Supply & Sewerage Design Division
The division involved in the design of water supply systems for major towns. The design process includes the intake, mechanical, biological, chemical treatment, and distribution system of drinking water. The design of a sewerage system generally involves the design of sewer collection pipes, its treatment through different mechanical, chemical, and biological menses, and the release of discharges to the required quality standard that consider the environment.
Manpower
The department has more than forty permanent staff who are experts in the specific area of their assignments. The team of experts comprises road designers, structural engineers, architects, hydrologists; contract engineers, location engineers surveyors, economists, sociologists Auto CAD technicians, etc. Moreover, the department also uses high-caliber professionals as freelancers whenever a need arises.
Equipment
The department uses quite modern equipment related the design activities. This includes Lieca and Pro Mark GPS, surveying equipment like Sokia total stations and Levels, computers, plotters, etc. SAP 2000 and ETABs are used for Architecture and structural designs.
Software
The department uses various authentic & licensed software for the design of various types of infrastructures. Road designers widely use road design software such as In Roads, 12D, and SDR. It also applies HECRAS, HECHAMS, EPANET, and Water CAD software for drainage and storm analysis. Among these, Arc View and Arc GIS are widely used for the development of geo-referenced digital maps.
Principal projects
Currently, the department is engaged in projects of the most challenging nature. Some of them are Mabayasa Afar Horn Developmental Organization Mega Projects which are located in the most difficult terrain and inaccessible location.
Future plans
In line with BEACON’s vision, the department has planned and working to build its capacity and expand its frontier to more African and other countries around the world. It is also working to reorganize itself to function as an autonomous entity believed to bring effectiveness and efficiency to the department tasks.