BNSF Alliance Intermodal Facility Expansion: A large-scale improvement at a critical system facility

摘要

In the fall of 2013, BNSF Railway began planning a major expansion of Alliance Intermodal Facility in Haslet, TX in anticipation of a substantial increase in intermodal traffic over several successive years. The scope of the expansion would ultimately include $60 million in improvements which nearly doubled the production track capacity, added 60 acres of new pavement, and moved approximately one million cubic yards of earth. The project included a unique set of challenges, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting, the involvement of several BNSF Railway business units and engineering design disciplines, and coordination and phasing of construction within an active major facility which required the close interaction of engineers, BNSF project managers and operations personnel, and construction managers throughout the duration of the project. This paper will focus on the planning, permitting, design, and construction approach of a major capital expansion project within an active and critical intermodal facility on the BNSF system. Key points in the process included: A) regular, fluid coordination of project requirements with design progress, B) coordination of completed design with construction personnel, and C) coordination and phasing of construction activities with the facility operations personnel. Ensuring effective interaction between all stakeholders in each phase of the project was crucial to the project's success, and this paper will provide a case study of the design and construction of a large-scale intermodal project and the importance of this coordination throughout the process to optimize productivity of both construction and terminal operations.