What Our Client Needed
Alter Logistics, Inc. operates terminals that serve barge, truck, and rail transportation areas. It handles a wide range of products, including salt, grain products, fertilizers, general cargo, lumber, steel, scrap and pig iron. In addition to barge loading and unloading (with rail and truck transfer), Alter Logistics provides storage and warehousing, commodity packaging and screening, as well as barge freight brokerage services. The 58-year-old company is based in Bettendorf, IA, with terminals in Rock Island, IL, Davenport, IA, and St. Paul, MN.
Alter Logistics wanted a new river facility that would allow them to take advantage of shipping by both barge and rail. They chose a site on the Mississippi River that had access to both, but it was not without its challenges. The location near the river offered barge access, but it came with poor soil conditions that required special engineering.
What Stueve Designed & Built
The existing building on the site was removed, and the new building was constructed on an auger cast pile foundation due to the poor soil conditions. The building was designed with an alleyway on both sides to allow rail load out on one side and truck load out on.
“Receiving and load-out speed were especially important for this facility,” says Russ Buscher, construction manager for Stueve.
“It has a receiving speed of 400 tons per hour, and a load-out speed to rail and truck of 400 tons per hour.”
Eight 5,100-ton bins for macro nutrients were constructed, bringing the total capacity to 40,000 tons.
Specs at a Glance
Total Storage Capacity: 40,000 T
Bin Area: 368’ X 120’
Macro Bins: 8 l Micro Bins: 0
Alleyway: 184’ X 40’ (+) 230’ X 40’
Enclosed Load-Out: 48’ X 110’ (+) 22’ X 100’
Elevated Control Room w/Bump Out Area: 26’ X 14’
Rail Receiving: 400 Tons/Hour
