Ames Construction expanded a CSX intermodal facility in Fairburn, Georgia, in a project that required a high level of collaboration and partnering with the project owner and designer, scheduling and proper phasing, and careful coordination to mitigate impacts to the facility.

In a first for CSX, the company awarded Ames a preconstruction services contract using the CMAR (Construction Management-At-Risk) delivery method. This collaborative approach allowed Ames to work closely with CSX and its chosen design team to conduct constructability reviews, cost estimates, schedule evaluations, and value engineering in the early stages of the project. The CMAR also helped Ames meet an aggressive, schedule-critical completion date by overlapping the phases of design and construction with early start packages.

Working around ongoing facility operations throughout construction, Ames crews reconfigured terminal infrastructure, performing excavation and installing pipe, track, electrical and communication systems. All work was completed with short-term incremental track closures, allowing the project owner to maintain container throughput in the fully functioning facility.

Ames’ “safety first” culture is reflected in the safety statistics for this project, which logged 157,000 work hours and zero recordable injuries. In addition, the project was honored with a 2020 Top Projects Award from RT&S (Railway Track & Structures magazine) in the Class I: New Construction (Rail) category.