WHB Engineers was hired to author permit required documents (PRDs) for permit activation including a notice of intent (NOI) and Technical Report detailing site conditions. 

WHB was selected by a commercial compost facility to assist in compliance with the State of California Compost General Order (CGO).

The scope of work included initial site testing of the surface soils and their hydraulic infiltration rates, ongoing groundwater monitoring, and permit preparation and submittal as required by the State Water Resources Control Board.

To comply with the California General Permit (CGP) requirements for a Tier II Facility, WHB prepared and implemented a Groundwater Protection Monitoring Plan (GPMP).

This included a review of the regulatory requirements for this type of facility and an examination of the geology and hydrogeology of the site.

Based on our findings, WHB implemented the design, installation, and development of two groundwater wells, and performed an elevation survey.

WHB’s Environmental Services Team then collected groundwater samples for laboratory analysis and calculation of hydrogeologic parameters. A Well Installation and Monitoring Report was delivered to the client and ultimately submitted to the regional water quality control board.

The outcome of this assessment will aid the facility in future management decisions and contribute to the long-term preservation of water quality in the San Pasqual Valley.

WHB has a long history of successfully executing projects for local power utility company, San Diego Gas and Electric. For close to ten years, WHB has completed a wide variety of SDG&E projects related to critical infrastructure such as electric substations transmission structures and distribution structures. Services that WHB typically provides includes but is not limited to the following:

Construction management, civil engineering design, structural engineering design, and site development design.

WHB Engineers has broad experience with designing and supporting biotech.  Recently, WHB has been serving as the civil design consultant for Healthpeak’s new Vantage life sciences campus in South San Francisco.

Over the past 20 plus years Wilsey Ham has worked closely with PMA, Healthpeak’s trusted local project management advisor, on projects throughout the Peninsula. Vantage is Healthpeak and PMA’s latest biotech project, and it is strikingly gorgeous. Phase 1 features two aggressive research & development buildings that can best be described as ships passing in the night, along with an amenity building, landscaped programmable areas, and surface parking.

Wilsey Ham prepared the grading design for a series of tricky landscape elements, including land bridges over terraced bioretention moats, raised decks, sports fields, and planted berms. We designed a large underground stormwater hydromodification tank that will slow runoff from the site with consideration to sensitive local habitats.

WHB prepared designs for the site water and sewer utilities, parking layout, hardscape grading, and bioretention treatment facilities. As part of the overall Phase 1 effort we also managed the plan preparation for the offsite improvements that include new median turn pockets, lighting, landscaping, and retaining walls for the Rule 20 undergrounded utilities.

Phase 1 construction is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. Phases 2 and 3 were recently entitled, adding 1.3 million square feet pf lab space to the campus. WHB is currently preparing designs for Phase 2.”

WHB has an 80 year history of providing civil engineering services for public clients.  Our talented staff can take a project from preliminary design through engineering services support during construction.

One recent project is Phase 2 of the Almond Grove Street Reconstruction Project in Los Gatos, CA.  The scope of work included reconstruction of 8 intersecting streets within the quaint historic Almond Grove neighborhood adjacent to Los Gatos’ downtown hub.  The residents strongly desired to replace damaged concrete roads in kind with new concrete pavements in order to preserve the neighborhood’s character.

WHB lead a series of community meetings to inform residents of the design appearance and illustrate the impact on trees and neighborhood walkways.  We coordinated closely with subconsultants to prepare tree planting plans and a new jointed plain concrete pavement section that did not require steel reinforcement.  This design achieved our goal of increasing the tree canopy in Almond Grove while reducing environmental impacts and construction costs.

We also performed comprehensive topographic surveys of the project streets.  As part of the design, the streets were raised several inches to minimize construction impacts on existing shallow utilities.  WHB prepared detailed grading designs that ensured that the new streets’ improvements conformed to existing elevations at the back of sidewalk while also draining stormwater safely away from homes.  These designs were made possible by our survey and field evaluations by project engineers.

WHB provided steadfast engineering support to the Town during construction, which spanned 3 construction seasons and required intensive coordination with residents and stakeholders.

WHB has had long-lasting relationships with many life science developers in the Bay area and is currently serving as the Civil Engineer of Record for multiple major biotech campus developments. 

One on-going project is the Kilroy Oyster Point development, which is a  public/private partnership development project located on an approximately 80-acre site at the end of Oyster Point Boulevard in South San Francisco.  The project includes the construction of 11 biotechnology research & development/office buildings, a hotel, a marina park, open space, three parking structures, new streets and utilities, a parking lot, a sanitary sewer pump station, Bay Trail, and other BCDC improvements and a public beach.

Roughly 50-acres of the project is underlain by landfill refuse and bay mud, with an existing engineered clay cap.  To make room for building foundations and a clean-soil utility corridor in the new street, refuse was relocated on site and a new clay cap installed.

In addition to the public improvements, WHB was involved in the entitlements process for the project, including the private Kilroy Oyster Point Phases 2-4 Precise Plan.  We provided the schematic plans for street design, grading, drainage, utilities, stormwater treatment, erosion control, fire access, and hydrant location.

In addition to Kilroy Oyster Point, WHB is also serving as the Civil Engineer of Record for the Shore in Brisbane, The Cove in South San Francisco, and a myriad of improvement projects on Genentech’s South San Francisco campus.  These campuses are seen in the photo below. We are proud to play a key role in creating new life science spaces that will provide health care for those in need.

We take great enjoyment with working with private developers to guide and advocate for them during the subdivision map recordation process.  Several of our upper staff members are former public servants who have great understanding of the Subdivision Map Act and public sector’s nuanced requirements for entitlement approval.

Natoma Oaks is a tract of high end homes set above Matadero Creek.  WHB worked exhaustively with the developer and the Town throughout the map approval process.  The site featured a myriad of constraints including groves of heritage oaks, a protected creek bed, wildlife habitats, two dormant landslides, a deep colluvium deposit, and a hillside with slopes exceeding 100%.

The team performed design and construction management of the subdivision improvements.  WHB’s design is keenly considerate of the extremely sensitive site and features landslide and colluvium deposit stabilization measures along with stormwater hydromodification and bioretention facilities engineered to protect the creek for generations to come.  This project was the first project within the town to include bioretention.

WHB Engineers completed the design of the new Well No. 13 Chlorine Storage Building for the City of Huntington Beach. Access on this site was constrained with two large potable water reservoirs; one 17MG capacity and a smaller 9MG reservoir. 

In addition, three groundwater production wells were located onsite.  The existing chlorine storage building was designed to store four 150-pound chlorine containers.

WHB Engineers designed the new chlorine storage building, including all associated electrical, instrumentation and control system components. 

The new building facility was upgraded to store two 1-ton chlorine storage cylinders, incorporating TGO system components to meet Uniform Fire Code requirements for full containment.  The new one-ton chlorine storage cylinders required the design of a monorail-mounted crane for support. 

WHB Engineers team designed seismic upgrades and seismic monitoring using SCADA that would automatically shut down the chlorine system in the event of a 4.0 or greater seismic event.

The design upgrades increased facility safety and reduced the risk of chlorine exposure to workers and residents by implementing zero release and passive mitigation technologies, rendering scrubbers unnecessary.  The new system prevents the generation of hazardous waste and reduces the cost of ongoing O&M.

Services Provided: Civil, Construction Management, Concrete Inspections, Labor Compliance, Change Order Management, Subcontractor Management, Payment Applications, Observations and Oversite 

Description: The FY 23-24 Concrete Improvements Project addresses the need for concrete repairs needed in more than 50 locations throughout the City of Pacifica.  This project enables the City to achieve compliance with modern ADA requirements (truncated domes and handicapped ramps) throughout the city footprint while also making necessary repairs to degraded concrete areas through the city.  This work was conducted in parallel with a city-wide asphalt overlay project occurring as the concrete work on this project was completed.  This required extensive coordination between contractors, City agencies, and affected residents.  Work is scheduled to be completed in August, 2023.

WHB Engineers served as the Engineer of Record for the utility replacement for the City of Oceanside’s Municipal Pier.  WHB Engineers conducted an initial study for the City to determine the feasibility for replacing potable/firewater and electrical systems due to operation issues the City was experiencing with the water system. 

In addition, WHB Engineers was responsible for plan preparation of the replacement of the existing combined domestic/firewater pipes and the replacement for the pier’s sewer force main and three sewer sump systems. 

This project also consisted of electrical upgrades, a new handrail, and refurbishment and upgrades to structural components.  WHB Engineers developed contract documents, including basis of design reports, plans, specifications, calculations, and cost estimates.