OUR SERVICES
Both Graham and Warren are Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng). They are Members of the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), Standards NZ (SNZ), The N.Z. Structural Engineering Society (SESOC), Steel Construction N.Z. (SCNZ), N.Z. Concrete Society (NZCS), Cement & Concrete Association of N.Z. (CCANZ) and the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA). Warren is also a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers, U.K. (IStructE). 

Through these associations they are active in professional development and have up to date contact with national and international best practice.

BMC has a permanent staff of eight located in offices overlooking Lake Wanaka, and in the CBD of Christchurch. We have strong and successful working relationships with engineering CAD drafting specialists and geo-technical engineers.

Batchelar McDougall Consulting (BMC) Wanaka office primarily services the area from Lake Tekapo, to Haast and the West Coast, into Southland and across Central Otago. Our main focus is on structural design of domestic and light industrial buildings, construction monitoring of local projects (designed by BMC or others), site investigations (using specialists as required), structural assessments of existing structures (including earthquake assessments) and the design of on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems. This covers a wide range of specific needs from designing a high altitude tent structure to withstand Mt. Aspiring winds, or a simple beam design, to a commercial 3 storey development.

BMC's Christchurch office provides the same full range of structural engineering services with a strong focus on earthquake assessments and the design of remedial & strengthening work. Earthquake assessments of commercial, industrial and residential buildings range from large multi-storey tower blocks to standard residential construction. A unique collaborative approach working with six colleague engineering companies provides an extensive depth of skill and experience all supported by a large pool of high quality engineering resources that can handle almost any structural project.

Being local and "On the Spot" allows BMC to be on-site immediately to deal with any issues that need attention or react quickly and efficiently to any changes a client requests during construction saving the contractor / builder / client time money and heart ache.

THE CENTRAL OTAGO REGION 'S ENVIRONMENT
Central Otago is an impressive landscape with outstanding mountain and lake views that has a soft tranquil appeal to many, which is why the Region has one of the fastest growing populations in New Zealand. This peaceful image often masks the harsh realities of engineering design in this Region.

1. As with all areas of New Zealand we feel the effects of earthquakes. While seismic loading it is not unusual in New Zealand, it does form a significant focus for structural design in this area as the Alpine Fault, which runs from Kaikoura through Haast and down through Milford, is geographically close.

2. The area is subject to 'High' winds and in some cases 'Very High' depending on specific location and geographical features such as hill slopes.

3. Snow loading is also a significant consideration as many parts of the Region are in a sub-alpine or alpine area. In some cases this is equivalent to designing for a domestic floor load on your roof.

4. The glacial sculptured landscape has formed some unique soil and ground water conditions that can present geotechnical and structural challenges. In most cases the underlying ground conditions are not apparent and a good understanding of the site is required to ensure any difficult ground conditions are accommodated in the design.

BMC has the local experience and expertise which, together with support from other engineering specialists when required, is critical to ensure your project takes account of these factors.