HBK Engineering, LLC (HBK) has worked in and around the Natural Gas Utility industry since its founding. HBK performs various engineering and construction support services for Peoples Gas (PGL) and Nicor, the natural gas utilities for the City of Chicago and Northern Illinois. In 2010, HBK became established as a strategic partner in PGL’s Natural Gas Main Replacement Program, providing engineering and construction inspection services for transmission and distribution main projects across the City of Chicago. In 2013, Nicor selected HBK as one of three firms designated Engineer of Choice for contract distribution engineering. Recently HBK has begun performing work with PECO in Pennsylvania. under a 4-year Engineer of Choice program as well as are working on multiple projects for TECO which could involve as much as 500 miles of installation replacement design. Additionally, we have been selected for a 3-year term agreement and have been working with PGW in Philadelphia and CPS Energy in San Antonio on gas design projects. We have continued to build our design team with individuals possessing extensive experience in the design, construction, and operation of gas utility infrastructure. HBK has successfully leveraged this experience to deliver designs and professional services emphasizing safety, constructability, and cost savings.

In addition, HBK provided the inspection and field coordination services for the Peoples Gas (PGL) Main Replacement Program (MRP) from 2011 to 2016.  Our team of technical specialists and subject-matter experts provided PGL with an unsurpassed level of knowledge and experience, helping to realize successful outcomes for the MRP and that experience has translated back into the approach HBK takes to design of gas infrastructure. These projects have included open cut trench, directional drills, casing pipes, pre-cast manholes, cast-in-place manholes, permitting, traffic control, utility coordination, contractor means and methods, construction support, surveying and substation tie-in work. HBK has also provided engineering services on over 400 gas infrastructure projects. These projects include nearly 400 distribution projects and 40 transmission projects including main replacements, public improvement, pressure improvement, new business and regulator station infrastructure. The distribution projects total over 400 miles and range in pipe sizes from 2” to 24” steel and 2” to 18” plastic. The transmission projects total over 20 miles and range in pipe sizes from 16” to 36” steel.

HBK Provides Gas Distribution and Transmission project design support to gas utility projects where required as follows:

  • Initial Site Walk-down
  • Underground structure assessments
  • Site Topographic Survey
  • Existing easement research and new easement acquisition
  • Mechanical system design, analysis and upgrades
  • System modeling utilizing software platforms, for example ANSYS
  • Gas design in Client GIS System Software Platforms and CAD Drawings
  • Utilization of Client Software Platforms for ordering of materials and construction cost estimating
  • AutoCAD Drawings for new or revised infrastructure
  • Civil Pipeline plan & profile drawings, manholes / vaults and underground infrastructure designs
  • Permit acquisition – State, County, Township, Municipality, etc.
  • Municipal / customer outreach and coordination
  • Post-Design Walk-downs
  • Pipeline installation Inspection services (pipeline pressure tests, fusion welds, steel welds etc.)
  • Record survey performance and data incorporation in Client Systems and CAD Drawings
Gas Service

HBK has also provided engineering services on over 500 gas infrastructure projects. These projects include nearly 500 distribution projects and 40 transmission projects including main replacements, public improvement, pressure improvement, new business and regulator station infrastructure.

These projects have included open cut trench, directional drills, casing pipes, pre-cast manholes, cast-in-place manholes, permitting, traffic control, utility coordination, contractor means and methods, construction support, surveying and substation tie-in work. The following is a brief list of how these projects compiled:

Gas Distribution

Gas Stations and Vaults Designs

Valving Projects

  • Design for the replacement of three, 10” Check Valves
  • Design for valve house regulator replacements

Remote Pressure Transmitters (RPTs)

  • Full system engineering designs for RPTs at eighteen different locations.
  • Gate station upgrades
  • Design for new electric service and new backup generator system.

HP/MP Regulator Vault Remediation Program

  • Twenty-two, 6” HP/MP Regulator Vault upgrades
  • Seven, 6” HP/MP Regulator Vaults installations

Metering Station Design

  • 360 MMSFCD station upgrade

 

Gas Installation Construction Inspection & Support


Inspection

  • Pipe Fusion Inspection,Welding Inspection, Restoration Inspection and 3rd Party Quality Audit services.

Settlement Monitoring

  • More than 40 trenchless installations including inclinometers and utility settlement indicators.

Survey

  • Provided ROW, Construction Staking and Record survey for installation of:
    • 33,200’ of 36” Steel
    • 66,080’ of 24” Steel
  • Provided Record survey for installation of more than 194,800’ of various sizes of plastic and steel distribution pipe.