Civil Engineering in New Bethlehem, PA

Civil Engineering in Pennsylvania: what governs your project

Pennsylvania's NPDES construction stormwater program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), often through county conservation districts. Highway occupancy permits for state-road access go through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Philadelphia's combined sewer system makes stormwater detention a major plan-review item, and the southeast's karst geology adds sinkhole review.

Permitting & plan check

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code is enforced by local code officials, giving the state a consistent base code with local administration. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh run large electronic review operations with detailed checklists; historic review in Philadelphia and smaller boroughs can add architectural layers on top of technical review.

Good to know

• Erie and the northwest corner sit in a heavy lake-effect snow belt with some of the highest design snow loads in the eastern United States.
• Southeastern Pennsylvania's limestone geology makes karst sinkholes a routine geotechnical concern around Allentown, Harrisburg, and Lancaster.
• The anthracite coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania carries legacy mine-subsidence risk that still affects new construction.

Every discipline, one team