Canadian National Intermodal

The Canadian National Intermodal Yard in Markham, Illinois, was upgraded and expanded.  The site’s expansion required the detention of an additional 33,541 cubic feet of stormwater.  Installing an above-ground basin would waste valuable yard space. The underground area available was also limited and was located where heavily loaded trucks passed over it as they entered and exited the facility.  The construction time frame was also very tight to minimize disrupting the activities of the existing intermodal facility.  Looking to the future, the owner knew the underground basin needed to be easy to maintain and allow for the ability to expand the detention footprint in the future.

The StormTrap® SingleTrap system was ultimately selected for its structural performance, quick constructability, open accessibility, modular expandability, and ability to minimize the project footprint. The owner was pleased when the 78 precast concrete StormTrap modules were installed in one day minimizing any disruption to the intermodal operations of the facility.  Now installed, the open configuration allows walk-through accessibility for periodic cleaning and sediment removal which is a critical aspect to maintain any underground structural BMP.

Following backfill and paving operations, the area where the system was installed was immediately reopened to repetitive heavy truck traffic. Costs were minimized and performance was maximized with the StormTrap design, meeting all project goals and challenges.