Engineering Resource Associates - Our Blog

Weber-Waverly Park Construction in Rolling Meadows

3/31/2020

Construction activities for a water main installation project in Rolling Meadows resumed earlier this month in the Weber-Waverly Park area. Approximately 5,100 feet of water main was installed as part of Phase 1 in 2019 with the remaining 2,700 feet being installed this year. ERA is providing daily field oversight during construction and assisting the City with resident notifications. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2020 in advance of the City’s street resurfacing project within the same area.

COVID-19 Update

3/26/2020

The Gunter’s Chain

3/16/2020

Many property owners, engineers, planners, and developers have probably noticed some commonly odd measurements that often appear when measuring land and may have asked some of the following questions. Why is it common for a street right-of-way to measure 66 feet in width? Why are alleys commonly 16.5 feet wide? Why do we use acres to measure land area?

The Gunter’s Chain is a device that was first introduced in 1620 and was used to survey not only the British Empire, but also the wilderness and early American settlements. The Gunter’s Chain measures 66 feet in length and consists of 100 links usually marked off into groups of 10 by brass rings or tags. Though this device has become obsolete, it’s use has left an imprint on our nation’s history and how property has been measured and divided. The chain, the link, and the rod have all became statutory units of measurement that were made convenient by the Gunter’s Chain.

1 chain = 66 feet
1 link = 0.66 feet or 7.92 inches
1 rod = ¼ chain or 16.5 feet
1 furlong = 10 chains or 660 feet
1 mile = 80 chains or 5,280 feet
1 acre = 10 square chains or 43,560 square feet

Quarterly Leadership Training With True North

3/11/2020

True North Consultants, Inc. and Engineering Resource Associates (ERA) partnered to provide employees with an opportunity to help develop leadership skills. The annual program of quarterly classes allows progressive skill building in communication, giving and receiving feedback, conflict management, and performance management. The goal of these classes is to coach so that the information is passed on to all employees and create a culture of learning and professional development. The first class was on effective communication. The communication process, perception and viewpoints, the difference between hearing and listening, and effective technique in asking questions were the discussion topics.

Harvest Wind Ridge Farm in Douglas County, IL

1/20/2020

ERA provided design assistance and recommendations for the development of the Harvest Wind Ridge Farm in Douglas County, IL. Existing bridge and culvert crossings were analyzed to provide safe routes for hauling the necessary materials and equipment for construction of the 48 wind turbines. The 600’ tall turbines, the largest of their kind in North America, will provide enough clean energy to power approximately 70,000 homes.

ERA Holiday Toy Drive

12/20/2019

In the spirit of the holiday and giving back, ERA employees collected donations for Toys for Tots that were contributed to the APWA Chicago Metro Chapter collection efforts this year!

Drones at ERA

11/20/2019

ERA has drones! These unmanned aerial vehicles can rapidly acquire data previously inaccessible by traditional methods and in a fraction of the time. Drones provide quality results quickly and safely, and we are excited to utilize them in many of our engineering projects.

Naperville Metra Station ADA Improvement Project

11/4/2019

Construction is underway to complete ADA improvements at the Naperville Metra Station. ERA teamed with Kluber on this exciting project for the City of Naperville. This project will include replacing the doors on the north and south sides of the station, as well as the station walkway and adjacent sidewalk on the south side of the building. These enhancements will improve the function of the station and enhance safety for train station users.

ERA Wishes Marketing Specialist, Carol Ksiazek, a Great Retirement

10/30/2019

ERA wishes marketing specialist, Carol Ksiazek, a wonderful retirement at the end of November. Thank you for serving our company for the past seven years--you will be missed!

ERA Attends WAFSCM Conference 2019

10/25/2019

ERA attended it's 2nd WAFSCM Conference earlier this week! We are excited about the new and exciting opportunities we are starting to explore in the Wisconsin territory! Hopefully if you were in attendance you got to play our new Duck Pull Game at our booth!