Civil Engineering Design Process: From Feasibility

The design process for a civil engineering scheme involves multiple structured steps, essential for effectively planning and delivering successful infrastructure projects due to minimised risk of delay and cost-effective designs.

Your Guide from Feasibility to Construction.

If you’re planning a new infrastructure project, understanding the civil engineering design process is vital for success. Whether you’re a developer, architect, or landowner searching for a civil engineering consultancy, this guide explains the key steps, best practices, and how they align with the RIBA Plan of Work stages.

1. Defining Client Requirements — RIBA Stage 0: Strategic Definition
Initially, the process begins by identifying and understanding client and project needs, objectives, and scope. This stage provides clarity on expectations and lays the foundation for subsequent stages.

2. Desktop Study and Due Diligence — RIBA Stage 1: Preparation and Brief
A thorough desktop study (or due diligence) follows, where engineers identify constraints like:

Ground conditions
Watercourses and flood risks
Existing utilities
Local planning policy compliance
Environmental considerations

This early feasibility work allows the early masterplanning to design around and incorporate constraints and helps avoid costly surprises later.

3. Site Survey and Inspection — RIBA Stage 1: Preparation and Brief
An in-person site visit is essential to assess physical features such as site levels, trees, ditches and watercourses, access points, and underground/overhead utilities. A reputable civil engineering consultancy will combine this site survey with desktop study findings to ensure practical, cost-effective solutions.

4️. Masterplanning — RIBA Stage 2: Concept Design
In the masterplanning stage, engineers aid with the site layout development to respect constraints and maximise development value. Typical tasks include:

Road alignments
Drainage strategies and attenuation
Housing plot layouts
Root protection zones
Site level design
Utility routing
Highway access design
Foul strategy (including pumping station if necessary)

Good masterplanning reduces redesign risk and construction delays.

5. Preliminary Scheme Design & Planning Applications — RIBA Stage 3: Spatial Coordination
Once the masterplan is approved, the preliminary scheme design takes shape. This includes:

Roads and highways design
Drainage systems and Section 104 drainage agreements
Surface water storage
Site levels and cut-and-fill design
Sustainability, health & safety considerations

At this point, planning applications (outline, reserved matters or full) are prepared. This requires a multi-disciplinary team, including ecologists, landscape architects, planners, highways consultants, and structural engineers.

6. Detailed Design — RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design
In the detailed design stage, civil engineers produce detailed drawings and technical specifications. They ensure compliance with local authority requirements (discharges of conditions) and the preparation of packs for legal agreements such as:

Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980 (highway works on public land)
Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980 (adoption of highways)
Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (adoption of drainage)
Section 106 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (connection of public drainage)

Clear, accurate designs enable competitive tenders and smooth procurement.

7. Tendering, Construction & Site Monitoring — RIBA Stages 5 & 6: Construction and Handover
Finally, the construction package is issued, contractors are appointed, and on-site works begin. Throughout construction, the civil engineering consultancy monitors quality, ensures compliance with approved designs, and resolves issues quickly — delivering infrastructure that meets both client objectives and community needs.

Why Choose a Professional Civil Engineering Consultancy?
Choosing an experienced civil engineering consultant ensures your project is well-planned, compliant, and cost-effective from day one. A trusted consultancy manages risks, coordinates all design disciplines, and supports your project through every RIBA stage, from feasibility to handover.

Key Takeaway
Understanding the civil engineering design process helps you plan better, avoid risks, and deliver successful developments. If you need support for your next scheme, our team of chartered civil engineers is here to help.

Looking for an expert civil engineering consultancy?