CDM completed an industrial wastewater system upgrade for Kansas City Southern Railway's (KCS) Port Arthur, Texas rail yard—the first of six design-build projects the firm has completed for KCS.
This alternative-delivery project advances the capabilities of the existing industrial wastewater collection and treatment system by connecting existing fiberglass collection track pans with a system that routes drainage via gravity lines to a new grit chamber and three-chamber oil/water separator. Oil, fuel, and water is now pumped to a new waste oil storage tank. The treated water is discharged by gravity from the separator to a series of three existing retention ponds.
Since the subsurface site conditions were unclear at the project's outset, CDM considered the rail yard a prime alternative-delivery opportunity. By incorporating performance-based design concepts and relying on our own experienced field construction team, CDM was able to resolve many design and construction details in the field through real-time collaboration with the project design team. Throughout the project, CDM encountered a variety of conditions, including unknown underground utilities, old building foundations, and clogged drain lines. Despite these challenges—and four storms that flooded the Gulf Coast work site—very few change orders were requested, thanks to the design-build format.
CLIENT: Kansas City Southern Railway
LOCATION: Port Arthur, Texas