Project Highlights

Subsurface Utility Engineering

City of Chicago Central Business District Mapping Initiative
In the interest of facilities protection and in a climate of increased vigilance for the protection of key infrastructure in our nation’s urban centers, the City of Chicago selected HBK to map the underground infrastructure of the City’s Central Business District (CBD).

The project divided the CBD into 12 panels, and each panel was surveyed by HBK’s survey crews, and then a detailed basemap of each panel was generated to enable utilities, excavators, and emergency responders to quickly identify key infrastructure. All of the information produced is on the Illinois East State Plane coordinate system, which allowed the drawings to be integrated into the City’s Geographical Information System (GIS), putting high-level detail drawings a mouse-click away for key City officials.

HBK was awarded the Illinois Road Technology Advancement Award (the “TAD”) for this project. The “TAD” award is given to the individual or organization that has utilized electronic communications or technology in the best interest of the transportation, design and construction industry. HBK was recognized due to our advances in underground infrastructure, specifically on the innovation in electronic utility mapping used throughout the Central Business District Mapping Initiative.

City of Chicago Residential Street Lighting Program
The City of Chicago’s Bureau of Electricity (BOE), within the Department of Streets and Sanitation, selected HBK to perform an annual survey of all of the new street light installation throughout the city, and produce record drawings.

Each year, approximately one to two blocks are selected in each ward (50 wards total) for street light replacement. These record drawings are used by BOE for the City’s Office of Underground Coordination utility search procedure. The survey data is collected on the Illinois East State Plane Coordinate System, which allows it to be integrated into the City’s GIS system.

City of Chicago Water Main Improvement Program
In 2002, HBK was awarded one of the City of Chicago’s multi-year contracts for the Department of Water Management’s Water Main Replacement Programs. In May 2004, HBK was assigned the first task-order in connection with this contract. Working in conjunction with Chicago Water Partners, HBK performed approximately 3 miles, or 15,840 linear feet of topographical survey, utility atlas drafting and completed base drawings for twelve (12) separate water main replacement projects located in twelve (12) different wards throughout the City of Chicago.

The project turnaround time was limited to eight weeks from the notice to proceed and HBK was successful in delivering all of the completed project base drawings within the specified timeframe. Due to the success of the initial locations, HBK was awarded an additional six (6) Ward locations to completed within a three (3) week timeframe. In 2005, HBK performed approximately 2 miles of survey and basemap development work in 9 different locations throughout the City of Chicago. In 2006, a HBK performed approximately 5 miles of survey and basemap development work in 18 different locations throughout the City of Chicago.

ComEd Grenshaw Substation 138kV Civil Site DesignGrenshaw_Substation.pdf (77 K)

ComEd Plano West Substation 345kV Civil Site Design
Plano_Substation.pdf (80 K)

ComEd West Loop 345kV Chicago Optimization Project
Completed in summer of 2008, the West Loop 345kV Chicago Optimization Program was the single largest transmission upgrade ever undertaken by Commonwealth Edison.

The West Loop Program was constructed to handle the increasing load demand and future capacity requirements of downtown Chicago and near north neighborhoods.  The program included the construction of the new West Loop Substation, comprised of a 138kV AIS Bus and a 345kV GIS Bus, three miles of underground 138kV transmission connecting two substations on the near north side, and five miles of underground 345kV transmission connecting to two major substations on the near south side.  Both the 138kV and 345kV transmission lines necessitated crossings of the Chicago River via one engineered tunnel on the 138kV side and four Jack and Bore casing pipe installations on the 345kV side.  Construction of the West Loop 345kV program took approximately five years from planning to completion

West_Loop_Transmission.pdf (78K)

CTA Brown Line Station Expansion Projects
HBK Engineering was contracted to provide utility identification and relocation engineering services at nine (9) CTA Brown Line Station Expansion Projects. To safely expand each of the CTA stations, which included existing track foundation removals, foundation installations, and earth retention system installations, all existing underground utilities and infrastructure needed to be located.

All utility information collected during the excavation process was used by HBK to develop final record drawings that met Quality Level A designation. In total, 330 test holes were performed to locate both underground facilities and existing CTA track foundations for each of the stations. 

Lake Shore Drive West / Sheridan Road Bypass 36” Feeder Main
HBK Engineering performed the route development, topographic survey, and basemap generation of the 5 mile route along the Lake Shore Drive West / Sheridan Road corridor.  Additionally, HBK was responsible for the design, construction layout, and execution of soil bores along the project route.  Based on a comprehensive environmental analysis of the project, potential areas of concern were identified.  Deliverables included the generation of a Plat of Easement across property owned by the Chicago Park District.

O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 1 Canopy and Terminal 2 Escalator Projects
HBK was contracted to perform consulting services in the development of AutoCAD base drawings that met Quality Level A designation for the collect and depiction of existing surface and subsurface utility data. To safely construct the canopy and baggage claim escalators for O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 1 & 2, all existing surface and subsurface infrastructure needed to be located. A critical subsurface utility that was required to be located was a 24-inch sewer (28 feet deep) in which the proposed canopy foundation system would be installed two feet away.

Plymouth Court Load Relief Project
HBK was contracted to perform consulting services in connection with the Phase 2 design and Phase 3 construction support and permitting for ComEd. The original scope involved the development of AutoCAD base drawings with a Quality Level B designation for the design for a new ComEd underground conduit system proposed within the project limits and the Wabash Avenue duct repair.

HBK was later requested to perform engineering consulting services in connection with the proposed manhole #85 expansion project which required that twenty-five (25) test holes be performed to support the new manhole design and installation at Jackson and Clark Streets, thus upgrading the AutoCAD final record drawings to a Quality Level A designation as defined within the "American Society of Civil Engineers" Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data."

Roosevelt Collection Development For Centrum Properties
HBK was contracted to perform consulting services in connection with the redevelopment of approximately 7.5 acres of land in Chicago's Central Business District. This required a Quality Level A designation in the locating of existing utilities within Taylor Street between Wells Street and a Metra Railroad easement, and the locating of existing underground freight tunnel system within the project area. In order for the Developer to continue development of the site, an existing 30 inch gas main, MCI telecommunication duct package, and freight tunnel needed to be located.

All utility information collected during the excavation procedures were used by HBK to develop final record drawings that met the Quality Level A designation. In total, eight (8) open-cut test holes were performed to locate the 30-inch active gas main, five (5) vacuum-excavated test holes were performed to locate the MCI package, and 37 geo-probes were performed to locate the existing freight tunnel to allow the development to proceed.

University of Chicago West Combined Utility Plant
HBK was contracted to perform engineering consulting services in connection with the University of Chicago's West Combined Utility Plant and South Campus Chiller Plant. The original scope involved the development of AutoCAD base drawings with a Quality Level B designation for the project design team to assist in the selection of the new utilities proposed running lines within the project limits and the preparation of final design drawings.

As a result of research performed in the Level D & D process, HBK was later contracted to upgrade and develop AutoCAD record drawings to a Quality Level A designation for several locations within the project limits. A total of eleven (11) test holes (via vacuum excavation) were needed to locate an existing steam tunnel and various underground utility facilities.

All utility and underground infrastructure information collected during the process was used by HBK to develop final record drawings that met Quality Level A designation allowing the University to build their West Combined Utility Plant and Campus Chiller Plant facilities as proposed.

University of Illinois at Chicago East Athletic Center Project (800 S. Halsted Street )
HBK was contracted to perform engineering consulting services in connection with locating the Chicago Deep Water Tunnel within the limits of the UIC East Athletic Center Project.

In order for UIC to design and construct the foundation system for the proposed Athletic Center, an existing 100-year old and abandoned deep water tunnel needed to be located. Due to the depth of the tunnel, an exploratory probing procedure was used.

All information collected during the probing procedure was used by HBK to develop a final record drawing that met the Quality Level A designation. In total, forty (40) probes were performed to locate the 7 foot diameter abandoned Cross Town Deep Water Tunnel.

300 N. LaSalle Street for Hines Development
HBK was retained to assist with the S.U.E. investigation of existing utilities located within the LaSalle Street and Carroll Street right-of-ways due to inconsistencies noted during the application of existing underground utility atlases provided by others, and the unexpected hit to an existing ComEd distribution line by a drill rig during a soil boring exploratory procedure.

In order to understand the impact of the project on existing and proposed underground facilities, HBK was requested to bring existing composite base drawings, survey data, etc. to a Quality Level A designation in accordance with the ASCE standard. As a result, twenty-one (21) test holes (via vacuum excavation) were needed to locate sanitary and city sewers/water, AT&T, CTA, ComEd, Peoples Gas, Verizon and Comcast underground facilities.

Additionally, HBK was requested to locate the freight tunnel under private property and to design tunnel abandonment procedures/drawings.

6 East Lake Street Development (201 N. State) for ECD Company
HBK was contracted to provide utility drawings that met Quality Level A designation as defined with the ASCE guideline for collection and depiction of existing subsurface utility data. Prior to the construction of a 28-story hotel development at the northeast corner of State Street and Lake Street, multiple Coomonwealth Edison electrical duct packaged needed to be located along E. Haddock Place from State Street to Wabash.

See below for other recent successes:

Electric Utility Industry
Construction Industry
Municipalities
GIS Engineering
Subsurface Utility Engineering (S.U.E.)