From simple to complex, from public to private and from rural to urban, A&O provides hydraulic design services for stream crossings, roadway projects, and land development projects. Impacts to the 100-year floodplain can result from site development, roadway crossings, greenway trails, or dam impoundments, which is why A&O specializes in FEMA-regulated floodplains. Hydraulic designs are used to assist in determining proposed bridge lengths and elevations of bridge decks with an ultimate goal of reducing or eliminating potential flooding of property. A&O is experienced in providing FEMA flood studies and certified letters of map revision (CLOMRs) for bridge crossings across North Carolina.

Specialized hydraulic analysis is also needed for determining flood inundation from a dam breach. In the process of developing an emergency action plan, a detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis is performed to determine the extent of inundation resulting from a dam breach. The inundation map is then incorporated into the county or municipal’s GIS system for notification of residents in danger of a potential disaster.