Design Plan for Rehabilitation of the Damen Silos
Team Members Heading link
- George Lucaciu
- Adam Palacio
- Ismael Salas
Advisors: Dr. Mohsen Issa; Kaylee Knorr
Project Description Heading link
Chicago is a beautiful city with seemingly inexhaustible opportunities that promote daily exponential growth. While that fares well for the communities and businesses, it is wreaking havoc on the city’s infrastructures. The State of Illinois received a grade of C- on its 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Report Card, indicating that much of its infrastructure lies between the categories of “Mediocre: Requires Attention” and “Poor: At Risk.” While the city’s population thrives, the infrastructures are crippled by the increase in demand. Structural deficiencies, such as section loss and formation of cracks on critical structural members, create multiple safety hazards and significantly decrease overall service life.
Previously proposed solutions for these problems are unappealing because the financial burden of demolition and reconstruction ultimately outweighs the end product benefits. As upcoming engineers and leaders, we must adapt to the problems encountered. Our team proposes a unique solution to structurally rehabilitate the Damen Silos.
The Silos, designed and built by The John S. Metcalf Company in 1906 to support Chicago’s grain trade, ceased operations due to an explosive accident in 1977. Located at the corner of South Damen Ave and West 29th Street, The Damen Silos currently serve as an urban adventure for those brave enough to bypass security.
For our solution, we intend to structurally rehabilitate the Damen Silos with additional floor space to accommodate recreational, professional, and housing opportunities. Existing structural faults are to be mitigated while we choose stronger material for new structural members to compensate for existing conditions. We plan to offset the financial burden of reconstruction with use of environmentally friendly concepts, such as recycling the building material from nearby decrepit structures, while minimizing demolition. Additionally, the location is close to Chicago’s downtown, appealing to many housing and professional companies interested to use the space.