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pickup truck parked in field with land surveying equipment next to it

What is the Importance of an Accurate Topographic Survey?

Sites with proper stormwater drainage protect businesses, residences, and city infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots from flooding and water damage. There are many factors that contribute to whether a project site is flood prone. These include offsite tributary runoff onto the property, rising flood waters from changing weather patterns, outdated or damaged […]
a view of the old red metal building in the middle of a Brownfields site

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for Land Development

If you’re considering purchasing land for development, it’s in your best interest to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) during your due diligence period. The due diligence period is when you can elect to perform any inspections on a property that you find appropriate. Phase I ESAs are often required by lending institutions […]
National Flood Insurance Program Elevation Certificate and instructions 2023 edition

FEMA releases updated Elevation Certificate Form and Instructions

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released an updated version of the National Flood Insurance Program’s Elevation Certificate and Instructions that is valid through June 30, 2026. The Elevation Certificate is used to document elevation information to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances. Older versions of this document should no longer be used […]
street view of the award winning CA6 residential building that includes the Sears Tower in the background

New Project: Award-Winning CA6 West Loop Luxury Condominium Building

Our client, SGW Architecture & Design, won a 2023 Silver Design Award from the Association of Licensed Architects for the CA6 West Loop luxury condominium building and Bono Consulting is honored to have served as the civil engineering partner for this successful project. What’s the CA6 building? The building, named CA6, is in Chicago’s West […]
architect rendering of a mixed-use modern building

New Project: Oak Park Commons

We’re fortunate here at Bono Consulting Civil Engineers to be part of this exciting new residential project that is truly one-of-a-kind. Oak Park Commons is more than a residential building, it is the first cohousing development project in Illinois and has the additional distinction of being intergenerational by design. Photo Credit: Foster Dale Architects What […]
three blue barrels that include corrosive and flammable liquid

What’s the difference between an SPCC Plan and a Slug Control Plan?

It’s important to understand that a Slug Control Plan differs from a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan. An SPCC plan deals exclusively with oil storage. A slug control plan, on the other hand, is broader and covers any chemicals released into a sewer that could damage wastewater treatment facilities. If your facility has […]

Do You Need a Slug Control Plan?

Did you receive a notice in the mail that your industrial facility has the potential for slug discharge? You’re not the only one. What’s slug discharge? “Slug discharge” is any unscheduled discharge into a sewer system that could interfere with local wastewater treatment. Slug discharge could be an accidental spill or the disposal of prohibited […]

¡Tenemos Ingenieros Civiles de Habla Español!

Muchos de nuestros clientes prefieren hablar español cuando discuten sus proyectos de desarrollo de tierras. Si eso te describe, estamos aquí para ayudarte. Nuestros Ingenieros Civiles Omar Cruz y Josue Espinoza, con experiencia, hablan español y inglés con fluidez y están disponibles para sentarse con usted y repasar lo que propone construir, los permisos que […]
solar array consulting midwest

Bono Consulting Now Offers Solar Photovoltaic Installation Engineering & Support

Bono Consulting is excited to announce that with the support and guidance of our parent company – Sevee & Maher Engineers (SME) – we now offer engineering and support services for ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation projects across the Midwest. SME has extensive experience in renewable energy design and permitting since 2009. Thus far, SME has […]

BONO CONSULTING INC. ACQUIRED BY NATIONAL ENGINEERING FIRM

Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2022 PARK RIDGE, IL – September 29, 2022 – Bono Consulting, Inc. (BCI) a Park Ridge-based civil engineering firm, has been acquired by Sevee & Maher Engineers, Inc. (SME) a nationwide civil and environmental engineering firm headquartered in Maine. The acquisition extends the depth and range of services […]

What are Rain Gardens?

Rain gardens are small depressions that collect rainwater runoff from roof downspouts, sump pump discharges, driveways, and/or lawns. The water is absorbed or infiltrated into the soil within the rain garden and/or filtered through the vegetation. Rain gardens are typically planted with various native wildflowers and grasses suited to periodically wet conditions. The primary purpose […]

Yard Flooding Assessments

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers has also helped hundreds of homeowners that are experiencing an unacceptable level of yard flooding. Their lot may be the lowest of the surrounding lots and they collect the water for the neighborhood. Their yard is a muddy mess and the neighbor’s yards are high and dry. What do you do? […]

Elevation Certificates

Property owners are often asked for Elevation Certificates from their Municipality, from their Insurance carrier or from their lending institution. It is a document prepared by a Civil Engineer that defines the exact elevation of the building and the floors within the building as compared to the base flood elevation for the site. This is […]

Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA, CLOMA, LOMR-F, CLOMR-F)

Bono Consulting has prepared applications for numerous letter of map amendment to either amend an incorrect flood determination on a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), or to document a change in the conditions due to placing fill. We prepare a topographic survey of the property tied into a FEMA benchmark. Often, the FIRM Maps […]

Commercial Building Flooding Assessments

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers has been retained by numerous commercial buildings, warehouses, churches, schools and homeowner associations to assess flooding into a building. Flooding can lead to financial losses from damaged product and unrentable space. Flooding typically comes into the building from one of three ways: external runoff coming towards the building that comes in […]

Swimming Pools

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers has designed the drainage and grading plans for over 60 swimming pools. The most important feature is to keep the pool deck from grading into the pool so that the pool stays clean. The yard needs to be enclosed by a self-closing / self latching gate. The water from the pool […]

Yard Drainage Problems

  Bono Consulting Civil Engineers has prepared engineering plans for hundreds of sites that required engineering drawings to improve existing drainage. Many yards have low spots that collect water during rain events. This makes it extremely difficult to have a useable lawn because it has standing water for a week or two after every rain […]

New Homes

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers is the local industry leader in the field of site drainage and grading plans for new single family houses. Since 1997 we have prepared the site plans for over 1,500 new stand-alone single family homes. Each home is different and each site is unique. We work with the owner, builder and […]

Additions

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers is the local industry leader in the field of site drainage and grading plans for additions to existing single family houses. Since 1997 we have prepared the site plans for over 1,200 additions to existing single family homes. Some of the additions are simple family room bump-outs and some additions are […]

Tree Preservation Plans / Tree Protection Plans

The trees on a property help define the character of the home. Mature trees add beauty, lower cooling costs, increases the curb appeal and property values. Some Oak trees may be more than 100 years old. These trees must be carefully preserved during construction or they could die or even fall on the house. Constructing […]

Grading Plans for Garages

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers is the local industry leader in the field of site drainage and grading plans for garages. Since 1997 we have prepared the site plans for over 350 garages. Many communities do not require engineering plans for garages if you are replacing a garage in the same place are not significantly increasing […]

Basement Flooding Assessments…

Bono Consulting Civil Engineers has helped hundreds of property owners that are experiencing basement flooding. The owners typically have had numerous solutions presented to them by different trades, and are confused because there is a wide range of solutions and a wide range of prices. The plumber wants to install new sump pumps, the architect […]

Cost-Effective Design, Quickly

Contact Us to Determine the Challenges and Solutions of a Property.