civilsmith | Civil Smith LLC

Plastic Resin by Rail – North Carolina

by civilsmith | Jan 13, 2023 | Industrial

Weldon, North Carolina
JBB Packaging selected this existing rail-served facility for their new plastic film product manufacturing facility. Halifax County EDC secured grant funding from NCRR and NCDOT to fund the rail infrastructure upgrades and new track construction. As many as 8 covered hoppers of inbound plastic resin of varying types and grades are required for the various products that JBB produces. The existing facility required significant renovations and expansion to the building as well as rehabilitation of existing track and the construction of two new rail spurs.

CivilSmith, PLLC worked closely with JBB Packaging, Halifax County EDC, and CSX Railroad to develop detailed plans and track construction specifications for the rehabilitation of existing track and the construction of two spurs with a turnout to provide reliable rail service to this facility. CivilSmith specified high-quality materials and construction requirements for this project to provide JBB Packaging with a low maintenance rail solution as well as making the most responsible and effective use of grant funding.

CivilSmith developed bidding and contract documents for this grant-funded project and provided bid phase services for this publicly bid project. CivilSmith also provided construction phase services to include construction observations with reports, contract administration services, and final closeout documentation.

Track Construction: STX Corporation

Interactive Aerial Imagery (Google Earth)

Project Photo Gallery

Before Rehabilitation and New Construction

After Rehabiliation and New Construction

Completed and Operational

Cement Terminal Expansion – Georgia

by civilsmith | Jan 9, 2023 | Industrial

Buford, Georgia
With the higher demand for cement in the northeast Georgia region, Cemex contracted with CivilSmith, LLC to provide rail design services to assist them with their plans to expand their existing rail to truck transload facility. The existing facility included two spur tracks with a very short tail track past the unloading pit. This expansion would created additional rail car storage space as well as much more flexible rail car switching capabilities.

CivilSmith, LLC worked closely with Cemex and Norfolk Southern to develop preliminary plans and operating ideas to maximize the capacity for both parties. Detailed plans, NS review and approval, and track construction specifications followed for the construction of a new spur track, tail track, and three turnouts. The CivilSmith team included services by others for surveying, geotechnical, and land disturbance permitting.

CivilSmith assisted Cemex with bidding out the project to multiple rail contractors to include job showing, RFI phase, and bid review and bid tabulation. CivilSmith also provided construction phase services to include construction observations with reports and a final punch list for all track roadbed grading and track construction phases.

Track Construction: Trac-Work, Inc.

Interactive Aerial Imagery (Google Earth)

Project Photo Gallery

Before Expansion

After Expansion

Completed and Operational

Industrial Park Rail Expansion – North Carolina

by civilsmith | Jan 5, 2023 | Industrial

Aerial Imagery (Google Earth)

Martin County, North Carolina
Martin County’s efforts to market the Martin Regional Business Park and their existing speculative buidling required developing conceptual rail plans to demonstrate the viability of rail service to the far end of this existing rail-served industrial park. CivilSmith, PLLC teamed up with Creative Rail Solutions, LLC to provide a wide range of services to include conceptual design, cost estimating for establishing amount of grant funding, detailed rail design, track roadbed grading design, permitting, track construction specifications, bidding and contract documents, contract administration, and construction observation services. With an active prospect looking at the site, CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions provided assistance to Martin County in their efforts to locate Weitron in the park’s existing building while planning for future industrial park rail access. From the early stages of the site selection process to the lead track and spurs being placed in service, the CivilSmith/Creative Rail Solutions team worked through many details and challenges during mulitple phases of this project.

CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions coordinated with Martin County, Weitron, NCRR, and CSX throughout the entire duration of the project to develop rail designs that met the rail operational and capacity needs for existing, new, and future industrial rail users. This project was grant-funded and as such required development of bidding and contract documents that met the requirements of both Martin County and the funding agencies. CivilSmith provided all civil/site grading, drainage, and E&SC design and associated permitting.

CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions developed detailed track plans and track specifications that included modifications of existing track, relocation of an existing active industrial turnout, the construction of industrial lead track, connection track and spur track to serve this new industry. Careful consideration was given to providing a design that would provide future rail access to multiple parcels within the park. Specifications included the use of larger rail sections and the option of taking advantage of the potential cost savings by choosing to specify steel ties and steel tie turnout sets as teh base bid for all new construction.

Project Highlights:

4 Industrial Turnouts
5,000+ Track Feet of Lead and Connection Tracks
NARSTCO Steel Tie & Turnout Construction

Track Construction: Amtrac Railroad Contractors of Maryland

Existing Industrial Park Lead-Before Construction

Existing Speculative Building - Before Construction

Track Roadbed Grading & Drainage Phase

Lead Track Construction - During Track Assembly

Steel Tie Track Construction for All New Tracks

New Lead Track Diverging from Original Rail Configuration

New Lead Track Designed for Future Turnouts to Serve Future Industrial Rail Users

Lead Track Constructed with new 136# Rail and Steel Ties by NARSTCO

Steel Tie Turnouts for New Connection Track

New Industrial Park Rail Infrasture Ready for Current, New, and Future Industrial Rail Users

New Industrial Park User, Weitron, Operational and Receiving Inbound Rail Cars

Nokian Tyres – Tennessee

by civilsmith | Jan 3, 2023 | Industrial

Dayton, Tennessee
Nokian Tyres expanded into the US tire market by locating on a large greenfield site in Rhea County, Tennessee which is served by Norfolk Southern Railway. This new plant receives inbound raw materials by rail and will have an option of shipping out finished products by rail as well.

CivilSmith joined the Barge Design Solutions’ engineering team again to handle all aspects of the rail design and permitting through NS. CivilSmith coordinated with Barge’s survey team and civil/site designer, NS’s Industrial Development and Engineering departments, and contractors throughout the duration of the project. CivilSmith provided rail design and track specification services for the lead track and the facility tracks within Nokian’s facility. The lead track portion of the project was grant-funded and CivilSmith assisted Barge during the bidding and construction phases. The rail design and specifications for tracks infrastructure within the plant were included in bridge documents for the general contractor’s use.

Bidding phase services were provided to assist Barge and the City of Dayton during a public bidding process. Construction phase services were provided by CivilSmith to assist Barge and the City in reviewing material submittals and to inspect track construction on a weekly basis. documents used by the general contractor.

Civil/Site Design: Barge Design Solutions

Track Construction: Queen City Railroad Construction

Interactive Aerial Imagery (Google Earth)

Project Photo Gallery

Before Construction

New Service Tracks Being Constructed within Plant Facility

New Lead Track Along NS's Busy Mainline Corridor

New Lead Tack Passing Through Greenfield Site to Nokian Tyres Facility

After Construction

Metals Production Facility – North Carolina

by civilsmith | Jan 1, 2023 | Uncategorized

Rutherford County, North Carolina

Horsehead Corporation’s (now American Zinc Recycling) selection of a greenfield site in rural Rutherford County, North Carolina was driven in part by the fact that the site had very good access to CSX’s mainline corridor. The site did present its challenges as the topography of the site as well as the proximity of a long mainline curve along the site required some creative solutions to providing access to this heavy manufacturing facility that would produce 150,000 tons of zinc per year. CivilSmith, LLC teamed up with Creative Rail Solutions, LLC to provide a wide range of services to include preliminary design, the Preliminary Engineering Report for grant funding, detailed rail design, rough track roadbed grading design, track construction specifications, bidding and contract documents, and construction observation services.

CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions coordinated with numerous other design team members, Horsehead Corporation, NCDOT, and CSX throughout the entire duration of the project to develop rail designs that met the rail capacity needs of this heavy industrial process while meeting the strict design requirements of CSX. This project was partially grant-funded and as such required meticulous development of bidding and contract documents that met the requirements of both Rutherford County and NCDOT.

Project Highlights: