Customer and internal rail projects help to move people and products efficiently
Steel wheels on steel rails remain one of the most efficient ways to move people and products from one place to another. At Votorantim Cimentos North America, we’re not only engaged in cutting-edge rail projects in partnership with our construction customers, but we’re also taking full advantage of rail transport to maximize efficiency within our own operations.
Expanding mass transit for millions in Toronto
In Canada, the Toronto Transit Commission is currently overseeing a massive expansion of the city’s subway, light rail, bus and streetcar networks. Now nearing completion is the C$3.1-billion Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension Project (TYSSE), which provides a critical 8.6-km, six-stop rail addition crossing from the City of Toronto into the regional Municipality of York and the city of Vaughan.
Canada Building Materials (CBM)supplied several unique concrete mixes for three of the six stations along the new rail line, working closely with EllisDon Construction, Walsh Canada and Carillion Canada.
“We’ve provided some very sophisticated low-heat and self-consolidating concrete mixes for this project,” says Steve Gobbatto, Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager for CBM.
Total concrete volume for all three stations exceeded 175,000m³ since work started in 2012. Most materials were produced and delivered from the Maple ready-mix plant in Vaughan.
Although most work on the extension is complete, final testing and commissioning of the power, communications systems, ventilation and safety aspects will take up most of 2017. “All of the 101 things it takes to run the railway safely have to be tested individually,” according to TYSSE acting Chief Operating Officer Mike Palmer.
The line is expected to open for full operation in December 2017. Local residents will get a sneak peek at the Downsview Park and York University stations, made possible with CBM’s Concrete Solutions, during Toronto’s annual Doors Open architectural celebration on May 27.
Completing the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history
CBM is also supplying concrete for the new C$5.3-billion Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line that will run through the heart of Toronto along Eglinton Avenue between Mount Dennis (Weston Road) and Kennedy Station.
Tunneling is complete, and CBM is starting to ship the first of more than 200,000m³ of ready-mix concrete for eight surface and four underground stations in a 5-km stretch near CBM’s Leaside plant. CBM is working with Crosslinx Transit Solutions, a design-build-finance consortium of EllisDon, SNC-Lavalin, Aecon and ACS-Dragados.
The largest component of the project is the Yonge Street interchange with the subway line. “We have 45,000 cubic metres of concrete in that section alone,” reports Gobbatto.
Ottawa light rail project nears completion
In Ottawa, the first phase of a planned C$3-billion east-west expansion of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit, known as the Confederation Line, is wrapping up. The entire project will eventually add 36 km of rail with 22 new stations to the existing north-south Trillium Line network.
CBM supplied concrete for the first phase of the project, a 12.5-km section being built by the Rideau Transit Group, a public-private partnership that includes SNC-Lavalin, ACS-Dragados and EllisDon as principals.
This section features ten above-ground stations and three underground stations within a new 2.5-km tunnel beneath the downtown core. In all, the job required 50,000m³ of CBM concrete for ten of the stations, an access tunnel and the maintenance facility at Belfast Yards. With major construction completed, final touches and testing will continue through the end of 2017. This part of the line is expected to open in early 2018. Stage Two is expected to begin construction next year.
Prairie Material supplies aggregates and concrete for high-speed rail
In Illinois, the long-awaited high speed rail line between Chicago and St. Louis is nearing completion, with the entire track expected to be open to 110 mile-per-hour speeds by September 2017, shrinking passenger travel times along the route to 4 ½ hours.
Since the US $1.9-billion project launched in 2010, the Union Pacific Railroad- which owns the right of way south of Joliet, Illinois and operates freight service through the corridor – has refurbished 262 miles of track, building second rails and sidings that will allow Amtrak Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains to move past freight traffic at speeds up to 110 mph.
Since 2015, Prairie’s Pontiac Aggregates Yard supplied more than 45,000 US tons of RR-1 and 130,000 tons of CM0-6 aggregate for Halverson Construction of Springfield. Halverson crews are completing three new sidings in the 55-mile Tier IV project zone between Chenoa and Lincoln, Illinois, which runs through Logan, McLean and Livingston counties.
The 1″x 3″ RR-1 stone, was placed at depths of one to four feet as needed to remediate poor soil conditions in the track bed. “This form of aggregate is especially effective at filling deeper holes and offers excellent interlocking characteristics, providing greater stability and resistance to extreme compression cycles from high-speed rail traffic,” says Bill Powers, Sales Representative for Prairie Aggregates.
The CM-06 stone serves as the compacted base for the rails and adjacent access road, placed at depths of 12 to 20 inches, depending on grade. It provides a smoother top to seal surfaces, prevent vegetation growth, aid in drainage and resist the long-term effects of runoff and freeze-thaw cycles.
Track construction is just one aspect of this massive, multi-year project, and Prairie Material’s ready-mix operations in Central Illinois have provided more than 15,000 cubic yards of ready-mix concrete for job sites in the Tier IV corridor.
“To date, we’ve delivered about 3,800 yards for Halverson Construction, including 600 yards of integrally colored mix for barrier walls near cities and towns,” says John Drew, Prairie operations and sales manager in Bloomington-Normal.
The eight-foot walls, tinted a light brown with pigments furnished by Solomon Colors, serve as an attractive sound barrier for nearby homes and businesses, Drew says.
Prairie is also the ready-mix supplier for crews rebuilding all grade-level crossings in the zone. Two more contractors have used 5,000 yards of Prairie concrete to install steel fencing and lay foundations for precast barrier walls near population centers.
In Central Ohio, a third rail line guarantees access to cement and slag supplies
Rail projects increase efficiency in our own operations as well. The St Marys Cement terminal in Marysville, Ohio, located about 25 miles northwest of Columbus, is dependent on the efficient movement of rail cars to keep its three silos well stocked with Type I cement and slag.
Cement is shipped via rail cars from the St Marys Cement plant in Bowmanville, Ontario, while slag supplies arrive by rail from Detroit. The two cement silos each hold 1,900 US tons and the slag silo holds approximately 1,800 tons.
In March, crews in Marysville finished construction of a third rail spur to help keep pace with increasing customer demand and to smooth out overall rail operations.
“Previously, with only two tracks in the yard, we were totally dependent on the railroad’s schedule for picking up empty rail cars that we would place up the line on Track One,” says Caleb Black, Terminal Manager at Marysville. “If for some reason they missed a switch, we could lose a full day of unloading waiting for the track to clear and more cars to be placed.”
The facility was also limited to unloading eight to nine rail cars a day, just enough to keep the operation going. The third spur allows workers to continuously shuffle empty and full cars from Tracks Two and Three even when the lead track is full. “With the new track, we can push to unload 12 to 13 cars a day, or roughly 1,500 tons,” says Black. “It also gives us the ability to expand rail car unloading in the future, if needed,” he adds.
The Marysville rail terminal services many of the local ready-mix producers in the greater Columbus area. And, as one of only three slag providers in Ohio, the terminal draws customers from all over the state and Eastern Indiana.
From a customer perspective, the new setup provides more peace of mind that materials deliveries will arrive in a timely way. With the capacity to hold more than 3,000 tons on the tracks when the silos are full, there is virtually no worry about product shortages.
Self-service cement setup is a favorite with materials drivers
The Marysville terminal is also the first of our North American cement facilities to install a fully automated self-loading system for customers. The operation provides increased flexibility for drivers who need to work outside the standard operating hours of 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. “With the new setup, customers can load up pretty much whenever the demand requires it,” says Black.
“Loading a typical bulk tanker takes about four to five minutes and self-loading takes just a few minutes longer, about seven to eight minutes for the whole process,” he says. “With self-serve, drivers are engaged in the loading process, so it’s kind of a nice change of pace in their day. They like the fact that there’s less waiting and it gives them a sense of control.”
Terminals in Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee have also added self-loading service. Votorantim Cimentos cement operations is looking at expanding the service to other terminals across North America.
All of us at Votorantim Cimentos North America are dedicated to helping you accomplish more, with products that will endure and stand the test of time. Let us know how we can help with the challenges of your next construction project — whether it involves buildings, bridges, roads or railways.
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