Hallet Dock Duluth, MN

Project Description: Hallett Dock is a multi-modal, accommodating shipping and receiving by rail, truck and ship. Several divisions of Krech Ojard coordinated their services to complete this project: KO’s Civil group performed site surveying & site design, our Structural group designed the new rail car dump facility, our Mechanical group designed the rail car dump and conveyor systems, our Rail group designed the track system and logistics and North Shore Track Services, an affiliation of KO's, installed new railroad lines.

A unique feature on this project is the rail car dump and conveying system designed by KO’s Materials Handling dept. These systems had to be able to handle diverse materials, weighing from 40#/cubic foot up to 140#/cubic. The dump system features cascading vibratory feeders and vibratory car shakers, both of which utilize variable frequency drives, as well as a car hoe to loosen frozen materials from the rail cars.

The location of the rail dump facility provided a unique challenge for our structural engineers: the underground facility is adjacent to a wetland area, twenty feet below the water level. The installation of fifty foot sheet piles formed a coffer dam, allowing the site to be safely excavated. One hundred vertical piles were driven into the silt below, utilizing the friction of the soil against the surface of the piles to anchor the facility into place. The new structure features a dust collection system that collects and solidifies airborne particles and returns them to the conveying system, reducing both product loss and air pollution.