AOS: Revitalizing Chicago’s South Side
(Continued)
The rail terminal at AOS. It includes an air filtration system that siphons off all odors during the rail transfer process.
As we toured the facility we were impressed by the orderliness. Our impression of asphalt being a messy business was immediately dispelled as we could not find a single trace of the actual product anywhere on the 53 acre site. In fact, AOS took the extraordinary step of installing a major air filtration system that siphons off all odors during the rail transfer process and directs odors through filter banks. This process, which is not required by any regulations, speaks to the high standards of operational performance that AOS has set for itself at its state of art terminal.
Arriving at the rail siding we were shown the Titan rail transfer engine that can jockey up to 8 full loaded tanker cars during loading and unloading processes. The device can also deploy its own tires so the engine can be driven on the roadway to and from maintenance servicing.
As we walked the site we discussed some of the problems encountered during the construction phase of the terminal. According to Joe, the foundation of the old Wisconsin steel mill were so hardened that it took the largest concrete crackers weeks to break the foundations. In fact, using a 29-ton weight dropped from forty feet was not enough to break one of the footings. Despite the earth shattering weight, one footing simply refused to crack and forced the company to redraw original plans omitting one additional storage tank that was planned.
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