About

Schonewald Engineering Associates, Inc.’s (SchonewaldEA) engineering specializations include traditional geotechnical, transportation geotechnics, earthwork/ geosynthetics, soft soils, and geotechnical instrumentation.

SchonewaldEA offers site- and project-specific subsurface exploration programs, land- and water-based; geotechnical engineering studies, design (ASD and LRFD design platforms), and construction support; geotechnical instrumentation system design, installation, and monitoring; earthwork and geosynthetic design and construction support; and site civil/ stormwater design support. 

Differentiators

  • Value-added W/DBE
  • Thrives in team environments
  • Effective communication of risks posed by site conditions
  • Understands and manages competing project constraints
  • Clients know who exactly is performing the work
  • Sole responsibility for meeting scope, schedule, and cost commitments
  • Key relationships with contractors

SchonewaldEA was founded by Isabel V. (Be) Schonewald, P.E. in March 2009 and brings over 35 years of geotechnical and related geo-engineering professional practice experience to Owners and their Prime Consultants. SchonewaldEA is a MaineDOT and NH-DOT Certified W/DBE and an SBA Woman-Owned Small Business firm located in Cumberland, Maine.

Since establishing SchonewaldEA, Be has successfully completed numerous traffic, multimodal, highway, bridge, and marine facility design projects; embankment dam and transportation embankment design, stability and/or settlement mitigation projects; solid waste facility stability projects; and traditional building design geotechnical projects.  These projects have required evaluating and addressing site-specific subsurface conditions; addressing soft subgrade and shallow bedrock issues; developing geotechnical recommendations for project design and construction; preparing geotechnical reports; developing project-specific geotechnical specifications and drawings; and providing geotechnical-related construction support.

Be routinely performs all aspects of each project from scope development and field services, through analyses and preparation of project deliverables, to provision of construction-phase services.

Prior to establishing SchonewaldEA, Be gained valuable technical and management experience with leading regional geoenvironmental consulting firms where her traditional geotechnical and geoenvironmental project portfolio broadened to include complex solid waste design, permitting, construction, and operations support projects. These projects not only required the use of her geotechnical skills but allowed her to develop strong site civil design skills, as well as specialty design skills related to earthwork, geosynthetics, instrumentation, and soil improvement.  Many projects required construction and operations support, providing her with invaluable construction experience and perspective.

Be has a keen awareness of the challenges that geotechnical issues—coupled with natural resources and design constraints—impose on every project

SchonewaldEA is pre-qualified by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) and the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) to provide geotechnical design- and construction-related services, and has completed numerous assignments for MaineDOT, MTA, and their prime consultants.  Be is accustomed to working with multi-member teams and has worked with client staff and with consultant teams to complete most of SchonewaldEA’s project assignments. A key benefit of being an experienced, one-person firm is that SchonewaldEA’s clients know who is performing the day-to-day work on their projects. SchonewaldEA uses qualified outside subconsultants to provide independent technical quality assurance reviews of analyses and deliverables. SchonewaldEA is registered and in good standing with the Maine Secretary of State.  SchonewaldEA carries commercial and professional liability insurance.

Former & Present Associates