SunCoke Energy
- Installed 17,400 linear feet of crane rail
- Welded into place 4,400 No. 175 rail clips
- Met all accelerated schedule deadlines
RailWorks crews constructed five crane rail systems in a new coke-manufacturing plant operated by Gateway Energy and Coke Company.
RailWorks served as subcontractor to Kokosing Construction Company, installing 17,400 linear feet of crane rail as part of the construction of a new Gateway Energy and Coke plant supporting the US Steel manufacturing facility in Granite City, Ill. Crews built five rail systems to carry tripper cars, quench cars and other machinery used along the plant’s conveyor system for transferring coke from one processing phase to the next. Besides installing rail and welding 4,400 No. 175 rail clips, the crew met accelerated schedule deadlines through diligent coordination with the prime and subcontractors in a highly congested construction site.
Equipment traveling on the rail installed by RailWorks serves 120 heat-recovery ovens that have the capacity to provide 650,000 tons of coke annually for U.S. Steel’s neighboring Granite City Works facility. In addition to producing metallurgical coke, the ovens generate energy; their waste steam is captured and converted to electricity also used at Granite City Works.
The Railworks crews had to modify their standard railroad construction methods, and specialized materials were required to meet the job’s unique construction specifications. For example, shortened and lengthened gauge rods were necessary to accommodate the unique gauge of the tracks.
