The CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Elwood includes an 1,100-acre industrial park adjacent to the 770-acre BNSF Logistics Park Chicago, one of the busiest intermodal sites in the Midwest. Manhard provided engineering and water resource services for this unique development. The stormwater management system includes 17 basins and several miles of storm sewer to manage onsite and offsite stormwater in an effective manner.
Manhard natural resources staff used dynamic modeling techniques to optimize the design of the stormwater management system for a wide variety of storm frequencies and duration. EPA-SWMM was used along with other software to analyze the efficiency of various design configurations in order to develop the most cost effective solution tailored to specific site developments. One challenging development included two facilities with a combined roof drainage area of over 3 million square feet, some of the largest distribution warehouses in North America.
A tailored permitting approach was used to coordinate the complex components with the reviewing agencies while minimizing review time. Aggressive BMP/VCBMP designs and naturalized landscaping were incorporated into the site with agency input. This holistic, creative wetland mitigation and conservation design plan enabled Manhard to assist in attaining permits under a very tight timeline.