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  • Drainage Solution in the Works for Pasadena Chemical Plant

    Drainage Solution in the Works for Pasadena Chemical Plant

    TGB Group will coordinate efforts with the plant and Union Pacific Railroad

    TGB Group is working with the owners of a Pasadena chemical plant to design and construct a drainage solution for their property. Actually located just outside Pasadena, this project requires coordination with both the Union Pacific Railroad, which serves the chemical plant with railcars, and the chemical plant itself. Another critical requirement for the project is that it be finished by early October 2018, which means both the design and construction will have to be completed inside a three-month span.

    To remedy the Pasadena chemical plant’s drainage issues, TGB Group designed an underground pipe solution that would travel beneath and on both sides of two Union Pacific railroad tracks. The pipe is a 24-inch smooth steel pipe that will extend 75-feet. This will allow the pipe to meet or exceed design specifications and requirements pertaining to drainage output and the weight of the two railroads and any trains that pass over it. The drainage pipe will discharge rain and process water into a tributary located east of the rail track, ensuring that drainage will not be inhibited.

    Steps required to gain project approval

    Tasks TGB Group must undertake in order to gain approval for this Pasadena chemical plant project include:

    1. Field survey and reports
    2. Comprehensive drainage study
    3. Creation of the drainage design
    4. Submission of documents to the Union Pacific Railroad

    At this time, we have finished with the design and now are waiting for Union Pacific to give the go-ahead to start construction and related work.

    To learn more about our involvement in this Pasadena chemical plant project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • Industrial Park Expansion Makes News in Big Spring

    Industrial Park Expansion Makes News in Big Spring

    TGB Group provided engineering design and construction management for the project

    TGB Group is in the news again – this time in Big Spring, Texas, where the company is providing design and construction management services for a major rail industrial park expansion.

    The project, launched by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation (BSEDC), is big news in this city of approximately 27,000. A July 9, 2018 article on NewsWest9.com based in Midland, Texas, pointed out that the “[railroad] track is the road to expansion for the City of Big Spring.”

    The McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park expansion will involve laying an additional 8,000 feet of track and extending the main line track to allow access to properties near the park.

    In a video and accompanying news article, BSEDC Executive Director Terry Wegman said, “This is a continuation of almost six miles of track that we’ve done over the last several years to accommodate existing business and help attract new business to the airport.”

    Video of Big Spring Railroad Project

    Services TGB has been responsible for during the expansion at the former WWII airfield include topographic survey and construction staking; complete engineering design; preparation of necessary forms to obtain FAA, air park and railroad approvals; and construction administration. You can read more about this project in an article we wrote in October of last year.

    TGB President Mike Murphy, who is overseeing his company’s work on the project, told NewsWest9, “The idea is to bring more customers to Big Spring and make them feel comfortable that we have everybody in the room they need to build their project.”

    This is just one of many TGB projects focused on enhancing the economic climate in cities throughout Texas and in nearby states.

  • TGB Reps Attend Texas Economic Development Council Conference

    TGB Reps Attend Texas Economic Development Council Conference

    The Mid-Year Event in Galveston Was a Huge Success

    Representatives from TGB Group attended the Texas Economic Development Council conference last week at the Moody Gardens Hotel Conference Center in Galveston, Texas.

    Before the conference started on Wednesday, June 13, TGB sponsored the annual golf tournament at the Moody Gardens Golf Club. We had a great time with five groups of golfers attending.

    Paddle Boat
    Sunset cruise and bingo trip aboard the Moody Gardens paddle boat.

    In addition to sponsoring the golf tournament, we also supported the TEDC PAC (Political Action Committee) while networking with other TEDC members on the Moody Gardens paddle boat sunset cruise and bingo trip. There were about 100 members on the cruise, and everyone enjoyed the awesome experience, as is the norm at any event connected to a Texas Economic Development Council conference.

    TEDC PAC efforts 

    The Political Action Committee serves as the political arm of the council, the professional association for economic developers within the state of Texas. Created in 1997, the TEDC PAC supports the interests of 850-plus economic developers doing work in Texas. A subcommittee of the TEDC Legislative Committee with representation from across Texas governs TEDC PAC activities.

    The bipartisan committee collects and distributes funds to Texas political candidates and those already in office who wish to build and sustain a robust, competitive environment for economic development activities throughout the state. Contributions are made through collaborative decision-making, with plenty of opportunity for TEDC leadership and members to offer their input. TEDC PAC members can participate in fundraisers and help relay contributions to local representatives.

    You can check out a recap of our involvement in the TEDC conference last February in San Antonio, Texas.

    We look forward to attending the next Texas Economic Development Council conference in Fort Worth, Texas, in October 2018!

  • News on Our Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard Project

    News on Our Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard Project

    Where we are in this multifaceted project

    TGB Group has completed surveying and engineering work for the Big Spring Mahon-Wrinkle Industrial Park Transload Yard, a project that began earlier in the year.

    We are currently working on the construction of the transload yard with Big Spring Economic Development Corporation. Railworks Track Systems and DIFFCO, LLC were the selected rail and civil contractors for the project for which TGB Group is providing construction management services. So far, we have completed the ditching and surfacing and are beginning to fill the ditches with riprap. TGB team member Logan Ortiz P.E. is performing construction observation duties for the project. He is on-site at the industrial park every week, ensuring that the contractors build everything according to client-approved engineering documents.

    Riprap

    Riprap is essentially chunks of rock approximately one to two feet in diameter that are used to prevent erosion. Rocks typically used as riprap include granite, limestone and sometimes concrete. Riprap is particularly important to fill ditches near railroad yards to prevent water from eventually eroding the dirt beneath the track. If erosion is allowed to happen, a void will develop within the dirt under the track. As trains pass over this void, the railroad track will bend and “pump” into the dirt. The only way to fix this void is to have a railroad contractor come and fill in the void, which is an expensive and time-consuming process.

    Drone Footage

    Jake Cooper, TGB’s business development manager, took some drone footage of the construction in the transload yard. The first video is footage for the entire project from the south end, to the north end.

    This second video is closer footage from about the middle, to the north end.

    To learn more about our work with the Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • Design Work to Commence for Diesel Terminal in West Texas

    Design Work to Commence for Diesel Terminal in West Texas

    TGB Group is providing plans for 50,000 feet of track for the facility

    We’re in the process of launching a design project for a new diesel terminal in west Texas.  Diesel fuel is used in a variety of applications in our region including power for vehicles and machinery as well as in the expanding oil fracking industry.  Our client wants to be prepared for the considerable growth expected in this industry, and the plans we create will help them do just that.

    The diesel terminal in west Texas will have a storage capacity of up to 160,000 barrels of diesel fuel, which will be delivered via railroad.  In order for the facility to accommodate this high demand, we’re overseeing the design and construction of more than 50,000 feet of railroad track.

    When the track is in place, two loaded unit trains with approximately 100 railcars each will be able to access the facility concurrently.  The railcars will empty into one of several 40,000-barrel storage tanks, after which trucks will load the diesel and transport it out to the oil fields.

    How diesel is used in fracking

    Fracking fluid, commonly referred to as frac fluid, is a mixture of specific chemicals including diesel fuel used to increase the amount of hydrocarbons that can be extracted during drilling operations.  In addition to keeping the well from becoming corroded, frac fuel serves as a lubricant during the extraction process and helps to prevent machinery clogs and the growth of bacteria in and around the drilling site.

    The specific chemical mixture of frac fluid will vary from well to well.  Great care must be taken when working around this fluid as some of the compounds used in it can pose health risks.

    To learn more about our design work for this diesel terminal in west Texas, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • TGB Group to Design Transload Facility

    TGB Group to Design Transload Facility

    Wolf Basin Logistics

    Project for Wolf Basin Logistics in Big Spring, Texas, Is Underway

    TGB Group has finalized a contract with Alor Trucking of Big Spring, Texas, to design and develop a new transload facility in that city. The facility will employ a rail-to-truck transloading process that will be used primarily for the transport of barite, pipe and diesel fuel. TGB engineers are currently working through the design phase of the transload facility. As with many other projects we undertake, this one will require a very quick turnaround to allow construction to begin in 2018.

    Scope of the transload facility project

    Wolf Basin Logistics in 2017 purchased the 17-acre site, which will be dedicated to the new transload facility. When the project is finished, the company will have the capacity to transload up to 53 railcars on eight separate tracks. Plans also call for a warehouse adjacent to the transloading facility. The warehouse will encompass approximately 37,000 square feet and have its own rail spur capable of unloading from boxcars into the building.

    Services TGB Group will provide

    Survey

    • Provide topographic and boundary survey of lots.
    • Site/civil design for the new rail car transload including site grading, dimension plan, pavements, rail layout, truck scale design (includes truck-turning movements), stormwater drainage.
    • Design review with Big Spring Railroad and the City of Big Spring for approval.

    Bidding and contractor selection

    • Prepare bid documents and solicit pricing for construction from qualified site and rail contractors for the proposed rail car transload development.
    • Tabulation of bids and recommendation to client on contractor selection.

    Stormwater pollution prevention plan

    • Prepare the erosion control plan and SWPPP in accordance with TCEQ for the proposed rail car transload facility site development.
    • Prepare Notice of Intent for client signature.

    Construction Administration

    • Review shop drawings and submittals; answer contractor questions regarding site work during construction.
    • Provide onsite construction observer during key phases of construction to ensure construction is being completed as planned.

    Other work in Big Spring

    Earlier this year, TGB Group was hired by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation to design and manage the construction of a large project at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring. This project, which was approved for construction in March 2018, included numerous elements within an industrial park rail expansion for the Big Spring Railroad.

    To learn more about this transloading facility design project in Big Spring, Texas, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (866) 217-7794

  • Industrial Park Rail Expansion in Big Spring, Texas

    Industrial park rail expansion scheduled at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    Industrial Park Rail Expansion in Big Spring, Texas

    TGB Group will provide design plans and construction management at this historic airpark

    TGB Group has been retained by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation to design and manage construction of an industrial park rail expansion for the Big Spring Railroad at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    The project at this city-owned, public-use airfield and industrial park will include the laying of more than 8,000 feet of track to allow for the expansion of storage and switching capacity of the Big Spring Rail System.  Plans also call for extending the main line track so that properties adjacent to the park can be accessed.

    Key services TGB is providing for the industrial park rail expansion include:

    • Topographic survey and construction staking
    • Complete engineering design
    • Preparation of necessary forms to obtain FAA, air park and railroad approvals
    • Construction administration
    industrial park rail expansion
    Industrial park rail expansion scheduled at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    A former WWII airfield

    Operated as Big Spring Army Airfield by the U.S. Army during World War II, the Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport occupies about 2,200 acres of land and features two runways and a 4,000-square-foot air terminal.  Primary activities at the airport include recreational flying, agricultural spraying, corporate aviation and flight instruction.  The facility manages the Hangar 25 Air Museum, hosts various air shows and was the location of the 2007 Hang Gliding World Championships.

    Bidding, contractor selection and our new drone

    After our design plans are completed and approved, the TGB team will provide bidding and contractor selection services for the project.  We will also engage in comprehensive management of construction activities to ensure that all specifications are adhered to and that the project is completed according to time schedules.

    Assisting us in construction management will be our new Phantom 4 drone that will provide high-definition photos and video of work activities during various building phases and at the completion of the project.  The addition of this drone to our arsenal of tools allows us to bring unmatched accuracy of visual data to all survey activities.

    Construction for the project is slated to begin March 1 and last approximately four months.

    To learn more about the industrial park rail expansion at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park or to get further specs on this project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • Jacksboro, Texas, Industrial Park Project

    Jacksboro, Texas, Industrial Park Project

    TGB undertakes masterplan for 177-acre park

    In the summer of 2017, TGB Group was hired by the Jacksboro Economic Development Corporation (JEDC) to create a conceptual masterplan for a 177-acre industrial park project.  The corporation’s goal is to attract businesses to the city, thereby increasing tax revenues and employment.

    Our masterplan was approved the corporation’s board of directors and its executive director.  We were then retained by the JEDC and tasked with providing surveying, platting and design services to the city for the first phase of the business park.

    The initial design will include a new entry for the park, the beginnings of two roads within the park, site grading, dimension planning and stormwater drainage design.

    We’ll soon begin preliminary design of two additional roads within the park and complete preliminary drainage calculations and routes.  After these project elements are completed, TGB Group will prepare bid documents for solicitation from qualified contractors and manage the bidding process for the JEDC.

    We expect all design work for the industrial park project to be completed by December 2017 and for first-phase bidding and construction activities to commence in the first quarter of 2018.

    Potential uses

    The industrial park will be suitable for a variety of business needs such as light industrial, manufacturing and office complexes.  With a population of approximately 4,500, Jacksboro looks to tourism, recreation and land development projects to promote new and expanded opportunities for business and to foster the creation and retention of new jobs.  Jacksboro is located about 90 miles north-west of Dallas in Jack County.

    The JEDC, operating since 2003, provides economic development support to projects, like the industrial park currently underway, that comply with the city’s Development Corporation Action of 1979.

    To learn more about the industrial park project in Jacksboro, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603
    Lynda Pack, executive director, JEDC: lyndapack@jacksboroedc.com

  • Railroad-Served Fertilizer Distribution center

    Railroad-Served Fertilizer Distribution center

    Location: North Texas

    TGB Group was hired by Crop Production Service, LLC (CPS) and Texas North Western Railway (TXNW) to provide the civil design for a new 27-acre industrial site for a fertilizer distribution center in the railway’s new Panhandle Logistics Park. The design would include a 17,500-square-foot dry fertilizer storage building, a 12,500-square-foot liquid/chemical storage building, and a 22,000-square-foot seed packaging warehouse building. Designs also were needed for an application building, a maintenance building and an office building.

    Drainage, access and other project specs

    The site called for a layout to connect to the Texas Northwestern Railway, a short line railroad located in the Texas Panhandle. The site design included grading and drainage for three storage tanks with capacities from 300,000 gallons to one million gallons and room for additional tanks. Also needed were two industrial entrances off a county road, a commercial truck scale and fencing for the entire property.

    TGB’s duties included developing plans for site grading, stormwater detention and erosion control in accord with CPS and TXNW requirements and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. We also created designs for containment and more than 3,300 feet of railroad track for up to 12 cars at a time.

    Special considerations had to be made for coordination with the short line railroad to ensure that the new spur met its standards. Railroad operations and proper drainage were maintained at all times throughout the project. To ensure that the work would be completed on-time and on-budget, our team coordinated site development activities with multiple contractors that provided various key services for the project.

    Completion and approval

    Our design was completed in the summer of 2017, after which the developer and short line railroad reviewed and approved our site plan. The project was designed to local standards; the rail design met American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association guidelines and standards. The developer required a fast-track design schedule for the project, and all timelines were met or exceeded in order to start construction that summer.

    If you’d like to know more about TGB Group’s involvement in this project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603
    Clayton Kendall, TNW Corporation, ckendall@tnw-rr.com