Chicago, IL
Damen & Lake
Scope/Solutions
The Damen Green Line project consists of a new Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) station at the intersection of Damen Avenue and Lake Street in Chicago, Illinois. This new station will service the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, residents and businesses in the Near West and West Town neighborhoods, and United Center patrons. SGH served as the structural engineer for the new station design and modifications to the existing elevated track structure.
The new station provides access from the ground level on Lake Street to the elevated tracks. Highlights of the structure include:
- A new station house, pedestrian bridge, and elevator tower
- Trackway improvements, replacement foundations and columns, and traction power system upgrades
- Replacement of the rail bridge adjacent to the project
- Fracture critical member and connection designs
- Custom truss frames constructed with tubular hollow structural sections and designed for cold weather service
- Steel castings
- Phased installation ensuring continuity of train operations
- Structures designed to meet AISC, AREMA, and AASHTO requirements
The station is installed on an existing section of the Lake Street Green Line and required upgrades to interface with the new station structure. The structural modifications to the wrought iron trackway structures required:
- Assessing the condition of existing structures to identify damage, distress, or corrosion
- Reviewing inspection/assessment documents for the track superstructure
- Evaluating the existing structure’s performance
- Establishing and validating section properties and material properties for design