HBK Engineering was engaged to identify and design the relocation for Commonwealth Edison, AT&T and multiple fiber optic bandwidth providers' facility conflicts within Lower Wacker Drive and Congress (I-290 Expressway) Loop Interchange in preparation for the Wacker Drive Viaduct / Congress Interchange Reconstruction project in Chicago, IL. HBK calculated conflicts between existing facilities versus proposed viaduct grade beams, water mains, sewers, gas lines and other planned structures. HBK designed ten distribution duct bank relocation designs for over 3600 linear feet of 28-duct package, including design for three new ComEd manholes, five existing manhole tie-ins, two existing ComEd manhole modifications and one manhole re-build, lowering the existing manhole 2.5 feet. The project also involved two vault-to-manhole roof modifications, two vault roof replacements, multiple traffic plan designs, thirteen utility support systems, and one freight tunnel shaft and chamber modification involving rebuilding the access chamber and lowering the shaft roof 2.5 feet. During the project, HBK designed a network center, two transformer installations and three switch gear installations. Additionally, HBK designed 14,000 linear feet of directional boring design below the existing bridge grade beams for the underground placement of fiber optic conduit and cable including the design of joint use telecommunications vaults.
HBK was responsible for all cable pulling tension calculations, duct and joint designs, cable training designs, and material request generation. In addition to design phase activities, HBK provided construction support, working in the field with the relocation construction contractors and owner throughout the process, facilitating both construction activities and line outage coordination.
