Civil/Infrastructure Projects

TECHKNOW provides professional services for civil design, drainage layout including interface with utility companies, utility investigations, planning design, feasibility studies, roadway lighting design, etc. Starting from concept level plan, TechKnow can provide complete turn-key design including interface with other disciplines such as architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering. TechKnow has provided complete designs for various new and retrofit plazas, which include lane and island addition and for modifications auxiliary structures, canopies equipment/service planning. During construction phase, Techknow provides post-design services which include walk down inspections, nuclear density testing for soil and asphalt, concrete testing, field problem resolution and submittal review/approval. TechKnow philosophy believes in prompt and responsive problem solving that minimizes burden on owners, contractors and other consultants and pretty often provides same days service for RFI resolution.

 

The following are brief descriptions of Civil/Infrastructure projects:        

Metra’s Cicero Avenue Station
Provided civil design, including drainage; platform and site lighting design, including new electric service for entire station; demolition drawings for Cragin and Hermosa Stations; lighting design for all station structures; power, control and security design for elevator; landscaping design, including irrigation; and post design services.  

   

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Bridge Projects

 Chicago Avenue Bridge House (CDOT)
Performing design services including drawings, notes and specifications, for the reconstruction of the bridge houses. All work was done in conformance with CDOT codes and standards.

   

 

 Monroe Street Bridge House (CDOT)
Performed design services including drawings, notes and specifications, for the reconstruction of the bridge houses. All work was done in conformance with CDOT codes and standards.

   

 

 Chicago Department of Transportation Bridge Inspections
Performed 1996 biennial and fracture critical bridge inspections and reports for approximately 50 bridges for the City of Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The inspections were from the top of the bridges and included pavement, handrails and structures. Services included civil and structural engineering.

   

 

 South Ashland Avenue Bridge Inspection
This CDOT project involved electrical and mechanical inspection of the bridge. The inspection included the pump house. Also, calculations were performed for required counter weights due to the proposed modifications to the bridge by T.Y. Lin/Bascor under whom the subcontract services were performed. Services included electrical, mechanical and structural engineering; and CAD drawings for modifications.

   

 

 Chicago Department of Transportation Bascule Bridge Inspections
This project involved electrical and mechanical inspections of 17 bascule bridges for CDOT, and were performed with the bridge in the at-rest position and during a bridge lifting and lowering. The mechanical inspection included open gearing, shafts, coupling, trunnion bearings, braking devices, brakes, limit switches, stops, center locks, lock components and house systems. The electrical inspections included motors, motor wiring, conduit, junction boxes, pull boxes, wiring, lighting fixtures, communication systems, drives, master limit switches, gates, signals, warning and navigational lights, CCTV systems and vibrations and deflections.

   

 

Parking Facilities

 Metra Parking Facilities
Provided civil, electrical and drainage design services to Metra for parking facilities work, at many commuter train stations, including a new parking facility at Metra's 119th St. Station, under a blanket purchase order.

   

 

 Parking Lot Design and Construction
TECHKNOW provided design and construction management services for construction and repair of five parking lots. TECHKNOW engineers provided civil designs for new pavement and drainage systems and designs for lighting, landscaping and security. Redesign of traffic patterns was also required to maximize the number of parking spaces. TECHKNOW developed specifications for construction and repair and also managed the work of the contractor selected for construction work.

   

 

 ComEd Libertyville Paving and Drainage
The 321,000 s.f. pavement in ComEd's Northern Division stores are in Libertyville was deteriorating badly. TECHKNOW surveyed the site, prepared a report recommending repairs and designed new pavement and drainage. Estimated construction of the five phases was $1.68 million.

   

 

Miscellaneous Projects

 ISTHA Pump Station for Eden Spur
This large pump station, located at Lake Cook Road, was designed to pump stormwater as a result of lowering Eden Spur in order to construct an underpass/tunnel. This station includes pumping equipment and controls and instrumentation. The building also included HVAC, plumbing and electrical design work provided by Techknow.

 

 Chicago Marine Safety Station
This CDOT project involved providing mechanical, plumbing and fire protection design for the safety station located on the Chicago River, near Lake Michigan. The existing facility was completely gutted and redesigned.

 

 ComEd Chicago South Transportation Facility
Provided complete A/E services for this 25,000 s.f. building on a 2 acre site for ComEd. The project included vehicle lifts, repair bays, offices, access road and landscaping.

 

   

 

 ComEd Area Headquarters
Techknow provided complete A/E services including architecture, civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering for ComEd's two new Area Headquarters; one in Northbrook, Illinois and one in University Park, Illinois. The Area Headquarters consists of a 68,000 sq ft office/warehouse building, transportation building, and parking areas for employee cars, customer cars and ComEd trucks and trailers and a large outside stores area. Each site is about 20 acres. A central chiller and VAV system cools and heats the office portion. Underfloor deep heat, unit heaters and paddle fans are used to heat the warehouse and transportation building which are both high bay buildings. In addition, the transportation building has a carbon monoxide removal system. The electrical system is 3000 amps includes supply from two transformers and automatic transfer switch for redundancy.

   

 

 ComEd Bolingbrook District Headquarters
The Bolingbrook District Headquarters of ComEd needed an expanded all weather stores and parking pavement. TECHKNOW surveyed the site and designed new pavement and storm sewer system for an additional 20,000 s.f. of pavement with and estimated cost of $25,000.

   

 

 ComEd Aurora District Headquarters
The Aurora District Headquarters of ComEd needed to construct an all weather pavement in their stores area at the site, and to renovate the deteriorating parking pavement. TECHKNOW surveyed the site, made cost estimates and recommendations, and divided the work into several phases through a master plan. Estimated construction cost is $700,000. Storm water detention and flood plain analysis was also prepared for the site.

   

 

 ComEd Quad Cities Laundry, Tool, and Dry Waste Storage Building
The Laundry, Tool and Dry Waste Storage Building is a two story building located west of the Unit 1 Turbine Building at the Quad Cities Station. The project is being constructed under a design/build contract. The building contains 21,730 square feet of sorting and storage space. Including in the building are a hot machine shop, decontamination facility, respirator facility, dry active waste storage, compactor/sorting area and clean and dirty storage. Provisions for handling and storage of radioactive waste containers include bridge and monorail cranes for handling the containers, HEPA filter in the ventilation system, connection to the gaseous monitoring system, floor drain system connection to radwaste treatment and special epoxy coatings on walls and floors. TECHKNOW is performing all structural, HVAC, civil and electrical engineering and architecture design for the project.

ComEd Standardized Training Facility
Techknow designed four standardized training facilities worth over $22 million as part of a design build team for ComEd's Byron, Braidwood, Quad Cities, and Dresden nuclear power stations. Techknow prepared all architectural, structural, HVAC, plumbing, fire alarm and suppression, civil, electrical and lighting designs. The firm also designed ties-ins from the main plant to the new buildings for the sewage, potable water, fire protection, computer and communications systems at all four sites. Each building has extensive electrical systems including redundant power and a UPS for the control room simulator and its computers. Computer and telephone communication systems included the use of fibre optic cable and type 1 cable. Roof top units and a VAV system with in-duct heaters is used to heat and cool the building in which most of the ductwork is exposed. Indirect and direct florescent lighting is used in classrooms and office areas. A sprinkler fire protection system protects classroom, shop and office areas and a Halon system protects the simulator and computer areas.