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Design Chicago Train Track Reinforcement with Concrete Blocks

Project Name

Harvey, IL Metra Station #99

Customer Name
The Metra

Design / Specifying Engineer
Rubinos and Mesia Engineers

Block Manufacturer
Redi-Rock NWI

Wall Installer
Herlihy Constructors

Project Location
Harvey, Illinois

Year Built
2008

Project Scope

The Metra commuter train line connects the Chicago suburbs with downtown Chicago. In suburban Harvey, Illinois, the station sits above the roadway and required a retaining wall to reinforce the tracks.

According to Redi-Rock of NWI, an existing crib wall was crumbling and needed to be replaced. The city of Harvey wanted to improve the look of its downtown area and chose Redi-Rock retaining walls to provide a solution for their crumbling wall.

Due to the massive size of each Redi-Rock block, the wall did not require reinforcement which allowed the Redi-Rock wall to be built within four to six feet in front of the existing wall without having to disturb the existing wall. The wall design called for Redi-Rock 41 in. series blocks in the first through third courses of the project, then two rows of 60 in. blocks in the fourth and fifth rows. The remainder of the wall was completed with 41 in. series blocks.

The wall included a total of 618 blocks and had two 90 degree corners. Completed in the spring of 2008, the Harvey Metra project encompasses a total of 618 limestone texture Redi-Rock blocks.

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