No two civil engineering jobs are the same. A small drainage package and a major road scheme both need skill, planning and safe working, but the way you run them is worlds apart.
Knowing those differences helps you plan better, budget smarter and hit your deadlines.
At GAM Civil Engineering, we handle projects of every size across the East Midlands, and we bring the same care to each one.
Whatever you’re planning, our team can help. Call us on 01604 552 336 or email info@gamcivilengineering.co.uk to talk through your project and see how our civil engineering services can keep you on track.
Scope: what’s actually being built
Scope is the first big difference. A smaller project usually has a tight, focused set of works. Take our South East Coalville Phase 2 job.
We installed 1,450m of foul water drainage, 2,000m of storm water drainage, a foul water pumping station with a wet well, emergency storage tanks and PCC box culverts. That’s a solid, well-defined package with a clear finish line.
Now compare that to Corby – Priors Hall Park. There we laid 2,870m of foul water drainage, 4,500m of storm water drainage, built 21,250m² of new adoptable roads plus 9,450m² of footways, and moved 11,500m³ of earth. The scope is far wider, with many jobs running side by side.
Planning: from simple to serious
Planning scales up fast with size. On a smaller job, you can often map out the sequence quickly and crack on. On a large scheme, planning becomes a job in itself.
Look at Coventry – Eastern Green. That work included building a new reinforced concrete bridge over the live A45 dual carriageway, two new junctions and three roundabouts. You can’t just turn up and dig.
Every phase has to be timed around traffic, deliveries and other trades. The bigger the project, the more careful the planning has to be.
Resources: kit, materials and money
Small projects need less kit and fewer materials, so cash flow is easier to manage and there’s less standing about. A large project ties up a lot of plant, a steady stream of materials and a bigger spend across the board.
At Eastern Green we handled 5,500m³ of earthworks, 5,600m of storm drainage and 584m² of reinforced earth retaining walls up to 9m high.
That takes serious kit, more deliveries and tight control of stock. Get the logistics wrong on a job that size and delays pile up quickly.
Timescales: weeks versus many months
Timescales stretch with the work. A focused drainage package like Coalville can be delivered in a shorter, predictable window. A scheme the size of Priors Hall Park runs far longer, with each phase feeding the next. If your roads aren’t ready, footways and kerbs wait. Good sequencing keeps everyone moving and stops costly hold-ups.
Team size: from a tight crew to many trades
Smaller jobs run well with a compact, skilled crew who know the site inside out. Large projects bring in more people and more trades, all working together. That means more coordination, clear communication and firm site management.
On our bigger schemes we provide full site engineering and supervision so the whole job stays joined up and on programme.
Complexity: the hidden challenges
Complexity is where big projects really test you. Deep drainage, live carriageways and major structures all add risk.
At Priors Hall Park we installed a foul water pumping station with a 3,000mm wet well at 9.4m deep, plus 35m of twin PCC box culverts. Working at those depths, near live infrastructure, demands experience and strict safety.
That’s true whatever the size. We hold CHAS, CITB and CPCS accreditations, and we’re Worksafe Contractors, so safety stays front and centre on every site, big or small.
Which one is your project?
Most jobs sit somewhere on the scale between a focused drainage package and a full infrastructure scheme. The trick is matching the right planning, kit and crew to the work in front of you.
Overplan a small job and you waste money. Underplan a big one and you lose time. Getting that balance right is what keeps projects safe, on budget and on time.
Ready to get started?
Whether you’ve got a small drainage package or a large-scale development, GAM Civil Engineering has the skills, kit and track record to deliver. We’ve built a strong reputation across the East Midlands for safe, reliable and cost-effective work.
Give us a call on 01604 552 336 or email info@gamcivilengineering.co.uk today, and let’s get your project moving.