Project Profile
TRAIN STATION TRACK CLEARING
2,600 FEET OF TRAIN TRACKS
LOCATION: PHILADELPHIA
DATES: JAN - MARCH 2024
Background & Situation
The 30th Street Train Station in Philadelphia is undergoing a multi-year, $550M renovation. The 90-year-old historic landmark is one of the busiest transit hubs in the USA. It serves more than 3 million passengers a year. Comprehensive renovations include the interior, exterior, terminal, and the surrounding district. Much needed upgrades are modernizing the systems throughout the buildings and rail terminal including the train tracks that run underneath the station. In the process of reconstructing the eleven train tracks, the original wooden rail ties that lie under the metal tracks are being deconstructed and replaced with new cement ties. PPM Site Services provided the labor to safely remove the debris from the deconstruction.
The original wooden railroad ties have become decayed and rotten over time. This could lead to the tracks being unstable. The ties, cast in cement slabs, were removed by station crews. As the cement slabs were broken down, the resulting mixture of cement and liquid contained lime. Proper removal is a safety and environmental issue, with strict protocols and processes mandated by the client, OSHA, and federal guidelines. PPM Site Services was brought in to remove the cement and debris from the final two tracks.
Scope
Prior to beginning the work, PPM Site Services met with the clients to review the site, tasks, and safety protocols. PPM crews are HAZMAT trained First Responders armed with the latest resources and technology. To clear the debris on the two tracks, two 14-person crews were deployed for day and night shifts over seven weeks. In addition to the laborers, PPM Site Services supplied the foreman, supervisors, vehicles, and PPE.
For complex, environmental remediation projects such as this, there are multiple certifications and protocols required. Federal guidelines are required for each laborer, including 40-hour training, OSHA physical exams, drug tests, and documentation. Before being permitted on the site, each team member completed a training course. As done for all of their clients, PPM Site Services handled all the back-end administration, training, and paperwork.
Approximately 1300 feet along each track was cordoned off with temporary walls. Station crews were at the site with 36-inch saw blades used to cut the cement. As PPM crews worked on the tracks, trains were operating as scheduled 14 feet away. Cement pieces were cut out, flushed and moved. Pails were filled up from the track and hauled up to the platform. The pails were poured into a hopper then moved for disposal. After PPM finished, the track was rebuilt with new railroad ties. On site, PPM Supervisors were in constant communication with the clients and crews with daily progress reports and situation updates. Medical, drug tests, safety protocols and reporting were handled by PPM Site Services. Required safety protocols and Job Safety Analysis requirements were fulfilled without exception.
Challenges
Construction sites of this scope are inherently dangerous and dynamic environments. Train station and construction crews were on site from multiple companies operating large vehicles and hazardous construction equipment. As the PPM crews worked day and night, train operations continued as normal on the adjacent track. Working outside on the exposed tracks underneath the Philadelphia station in January and February was challenging for the crews to maintain the required pace during 11-hour shifts. Changes in scheduled work and the dynamics of working around an active construction site added another layer of complexity.
The work itself was physically taxing. Large blocks of cement were being broken down into a liquid cement that contained lime, that could irritate and burn skin and eyes. The cement blocks contained rebar, a steel reinforcing rod, embedded in the concrete slabs. Rods protruding from the concrete had to be cut into smaller sizes and moved into a hopper before going to a disposal site. Hundreds of five-gallon pails of cement were cleared and removed safely.
Outcomes & Results
Uniquely suited with equipment, fleets, supervisors and trained crews, PPM Site Services met the deadline of clearing the two tracks and removing the cement and residual debris. They completed a critical step in the renovation project of the historic 30th Street Philadelphia Train Station. With rapid response, a comprehensive solution was deployed to fulfill the job requirements without safety incidents, delays or OSHA reportable injuries.
Securing and supervising the crews for a successful outcome was due to PPM Site Services decades of experience. They specialize in delivering rapid and effective project staffing for a wide range of environmental, emergency and hazardous clean up and response.
Regardless of the challenges, the seven-week deadline was met.