How We Got Started
Souhegan Valley Engineering, Inc. had its beginnings in the region of Milford and Amherst, New Hampshire, in 1990. Although located in the area of the Souhegan River, we provided site design engineering services throughout the New England region. Our projects ranged from single family house lots to residential subdivisions, shopping malls, and commercial plazas. We also specialized in conversions and upgrades for gas stations and convenience stores. We performed work for our own clients as well as subcontracting with area engineering firms.
In 1994, we began designing segmental, earth-reinforced retaining wall systems. This grew out of a need to construct walls on those "few remaining good lots". These wall systems have quickly become the favored retaining wall installations due to their ease of installation and, compared to cast-in-place concrete, their reasonable cost.
Where We Are Today
We now average over 700,000 SF of retaining wall designs per year, making us the largest segmental wall design firm in New England and New York. We have engineers registered in the six states of New England and New York. We have also provided expert testimony regarding wall installations. Wall designs produced by SVE include walls as high as 42 feet, longer than 1000 feet, single walls upwards of 20,000 square feet and tiered walls upwards of 30 feet in height. Site conditions have been as varied as they can be in the northeastern United States.
Our corporate office is located in the small town of Unity in western New Hampshire, but we still provide all of our services to projects throughout New England and New York. We have satellite offices in Massassachusetts and northern New Hampshire and are ready to provide the segmental retaining wall design services that you need.
Our Philosophy
From day one, our goal has been to provide professional engineering services at a reasonable cost. We work hard and don't waste time on any project, thus reducing the final cost of services to the client. Design is performed directly on the CADD system by the designing engineer, allowing the design and drafting to be done in unison. We perform work for our own clients as well as subcontracting with area engineering firms. We pride ourselves in these relationships because it demonstrates our professionalism and integrity. These are important aspects of our firm.
We also pride ourselves on our responsive turn-around time. We typically provide completed wall designs within ten days of receiving plans.
Our Engineers
Randall H. Bragdon, PE, is the president of the firm, and provides design oversight on all wall designs. He graduated from Northeastern University (Boston) in 1984, earned his Professional Registration in 1989, founded Souhegan Valley Engineering in January, 1990, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He has since become registered in the six New England states and New York, regularly attends seminars and conferences regarding segmental wall designs and construction, and has been asked to provide presentations at wall seminars held for architects, engineers, and contractors. The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) is the standard-bearer for the design of segmental retaining walls and Mr. Bragdon is a past member of the NCMA Standards Committee.
Eric Merluzzi, PE (Penn State, 1988) and Art Cabral, PE, (Northeastern University, 1984) joined the firm in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and allowed SVE to increase our design output to where we are today...providing more than 700,000 SF of wall designs per year.