Engineering and design

Our Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health Engineering specialists add value throughout a building’s development cycle from preliminary studies, determination of user requirements and design conditions, to handover of the completed building.

Our building physics experts determine the optimal shape and form of a building to minimise energy consumption and create a healthy indoor climate that reduces sickness and improves productivity.

Our electrical engineers propose tailored technical solutions to optimise operational reliability and cost effectiveness. Whether it be a large regional hospital or a data centre, we ensure resilient electrical services are provided for the successful operation of the building.

Our multidisciplinary service includes advanced capabilities in fire, safety, and acoustics engineering.

Ramboll plays a leading role in the design, construction, and maintenance of the built and natural environment - from iconic buildings, ultra-efficient water infrastructure, and pushing the boundaries in green energy through to developing bridges and railways that enable seamless travel.

Our structural engineering experts are focused on developing optimised, resilient, and sustainable structures that also meet architectural, economic, environmental, fabrication, transportation, and construction requirements. Employing a data-driven approach and advanced digital tools, we set new standards in the industry – both in terms of structural concepts and geometric complexity.

Engineering and design services applied

Bridges, tunnels & major crossings: Ramboll has delivered transport infrastructure in more than 90 countries including rail, light rail, metro, roads, ports, and airports. Our iconic major crossings include the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, the Queensferry Crossing, the world’s longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, in the UK. And we have provided the detailed design for the Fehmarnbelt Link, which will be the largest immersed tunnel in the world.

Energy infrastructure: In the energy sector, our pioneering technical expertise is paving the way for mass scale decarbonisation with new advances in green energy production, storage and distribution. From the world’s first energy islands to city-wide district energy systems, Ramboll has designed the foundations for 65% of all wind turbines globally and is at the forefront of technical advances in green hydrogen and carbon storage.

Water infrastructure: With a 50-year track record in water and wastewater treatment, we support utility and manufacturing clients globally with cost-effective and sustainable engineering solutions encompassing process design, technology selection, equipment specification, tender appraisal, permitting, planning, construction management, commissioning, and operations.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) creates advanced simulations to capture, mirror and simulate real multi-physical events in a digital environment thereby enabling for swift exploration, examination, and optimisation of different design scenarios. As well as saving time, CFD creates improved certainty regarding the impact of a particular design approach. We use CFD to make informed decisions and determine the best solution compared to conventional methods. This benefits design interventions that, among others, will affect air quality, building ventilation, water infrastructure, and wind loads on built infrastructure.

Ramboll’s mechanical engineers use the latest digital tools to analyse performance and design well-functioning buildings, industrial facilities, and transport systems.

We have created solutions for the most complex environments such as university research laboratories and hospitals where special requirements are required for ventilation, heating, water supply, and the safe handling of dangerous liquids and gases.

From the latest advances in green power production to the next generation of energy-efficient buildings, Ramboll’s electrical engineers play an instrumental role across the energy, real estate, industrial, technology, and transport sectors.

We design, develop, test, and supervise the implementation of the electrical systems needed to achieve successful and smooth operations, helping provide cost-effective and tailored technical solutions that optimise system reliability and efficiency.

Creating façades often accounts for over 25% of a building’s construction budget. We add value by developing solutions that are functional, sustainable, and visually attractive.

To optimise facades, we conduct detailed analyses of the structure, thermal performance measures, use of materials, and the interfaces between them. We work closely with building services and environmental and sustainability consultants to ensure that the façade is always an integral part of a building’s energy strategy.

Ground engineering is a prerequisite for developing land and improving the performance of structures such buildings, roads, railways, bridges, and tunnels – and it can significantly reduce lifecycle costs.

Ramboll brings together experts in geotechnics, geophysics, hydrology and remediation with extensive experience from over 70 countries, to provide the technology and methods needed to handle any soil condition anywhere in the world.

Our services cover all project phases from site investigations, laboratory and in-situ testing to advanced numerical modelling, project implementation, inspection, and supervision. This includes non-invasive techniques and draws on numerous sustainability research initiatives that we have conducted such as renovating and improving road structures using recycled industrial by-products.

New buildings grow the world’s building stock by only one percent each year, with all other assets requiring maintenance, upgrades, and alterations to keep them safe, sustainable, and fit for purpose. Along with lower environmental impact and costs, retrofitting, conservation, and adaptive re-use brings significant social and cultural dividends whilst creating unique and attractive spaces.

We draw on our many years of multi-disciplinary experience in building optimisation to conserve or refurbish sites, helping meet changing user demands, extend service life, and improve environmental performance. By employing the best digital and traditional techniques on a needs-driven basis, we analyse more so clients need to build less, embracing the principles of lean design to avoid unnecessary interventions which add cost and carbon.

Where demolition is unavoidable, we audit and inventory buildings before deconstruction to develop material reuse strategies, either through retention on-site, or to feed back into the circular economy to ensure that embodied carbon is retained.

Ramboll is at the forefront of digital design, offering the most advanced expertise in Building Information Modelling (BIM). Digital design and modelling ensures that clients and users get the results they want and that solutions are fully optimised.

Integrated 3D models improve collaboration and co-ordination between project stakeholders, enabling informed decision making whilst minimising lead times, costs, risks, and design clashes in the early phases and throughout the project lifecycle.

Using advanced analytical tools such as FEM, Nucleus, Robot and our in-house developed Green BIM, we provide more efficient solutions than would have been possible using traditional engineering techniques. We can assess, iterate and optimise building configuration and characteristics before construction – resulting in inspiring structures that are achievable, more sustainable, and economical.

We are pushing the boundaries of digital design and conduct research and development in emerging areas such as 4D, 5D, 6D, and 7D modelling, digital twins, VR and AR models, smart concepts, and parametric design.

Optimising design to avoid and reduce operational and upfront carbon emissions through the building lifecycle. We bring specialist knowledge of MEP, building physics, fire, safety, and acoustic engineering.

Embedding energy efficiency into built-environment projects through energy strategy advisory, lean asset design, and optimising operations. We have undertaken energy efficiency initiatives for public authorities, utilities, and industries in 20+ countries.

Vertical Transportation (VT) is more than just lifts and escalators; VT is the understanding of people and goods flow within buildings. Ramboll’s VT team focuses on human behaviour, modelling vertical movement to design safe and efficient systems, especially in high rise developments.

Ramboll VT is formed by talented design and site professionals, with extensive experience across all markets, able to provide a comprehensive service across all design and construction phases from competition to project completion.

Our strength is the importance we place on market experience and human interactions – we believe in early coordination and engagement with the developer and wide design team, and so that is our priority to understand the design intent and identify opportunities in line with our client brief.