Kleinfelder Dive Team Supports Town of Stoughton Flood Resilience
Many staff may not be aware that Kleinfelder has its own dive team, a highly specialized group trained to inspect critical infrastructure in places few others can reach.
Kleinfelder Construction Services’ National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) Topside & Underwater Inspection Team provides comprehensive structural inspections for bridges, dams, utility crossings, retaining structures, and other essential assets that keep communities safe and connected.
Based out of Augusta, Maine, the team brings together years of combined topside and underwater inspection experience. Their deep expertise, supported by advanced diving certifications and NBIS qualifications, allows them to evaluate structures in challenging environments, identify defects, assess scour, document conditions, and support construction oversight for federal, state, municipal, and private clients.
Recently, the team put their skills to work in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where flooding has become an increasing concern for residents and businesses. With support from a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program Action Grant, the Town of Stoughton is partnering with Kleinfelder and the Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA) to study local flooding, map high‑risk areas, and develop strategies to protect vulnerable neighborhoods from future storms.
As part of this effort, Kleinfelder’s dive team — led by Michael Falla, PLS, along with NBIS Inspectors Rylan Norris and Cameron Falla — conducted inspections of 14 culvert structures that were inaccessible to the topside and camera inspection teams. Many of these culverts were built decades ago and were not designed to handle today’s more intense and frequent rain events. By performing detailed underwater evaluations, the team helped identify structural concerns, blockages, and other issues that could contribute to flooding.
The findings from these inspections will support the Town’s broader culvert study, which aims to prioritize repairs and replacements that will improve stormwater flow, reduce flood risk, and enhance community resilience.
Through this project, Kleinfelder’s NBIS Topside & Underwater Inspection Team is helping Stoughton take proactive steps to prepare for climate impacts — and demonstrating the critical role that specialized inspection capabilities play in protecting infrastructure and the communities that rely on it.
