​Construction recently completed on ERA’s building reinforcement design for the addition of a 30’x40’ bi-fold hangar door at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in partnership with the University of Illinois. The TESS building houses a three-dimensional “shake table” that tests the ability of systems, facilities, and equipment to survive under realistic conditions of shock, vibration, and earthquake ground motion. The much larger door opening allows engineers to assess the seismic vulnerabilities of a wide variety of configurations that were previously not possible due to access limitations.

​ERA staff recently completed design plans and specifications for a roadway reconstruction and water main improvement project along Western Avenue in the Village of Northbrook. Extensive coordination was required with the Village, School District 30 and other stakeholders to develop detailed construction staging and maintenance of traffic plans to minimize potential impacts to Wescott School while school is in session and maximize the work being completed while school is out for the summer.
 
An open house was held the evening of March 20, 2018 at Wescott School to relay information to members of the public that may be impacted by construction. ERA prepared several exhibits to promote active discussions with residents, including a 30-foot long scaled map of the project area depicting the proposed improvements.

In celebration of World Water Day, ERA invites you to take an informational survey on your everyday water usage that we helped put together for Engineers in Action (EIA).

ERA has experience creating public surveys and providing an in-depth statistical analysis of the results. Public surveys can be a great way to engage the public and solicit input into various projects throughout communities. Check out our other public survey projects here. 
 
Be sure to check out the EIA water calculator we created to see how much water you use in a single day!

​Special thanks to all of the surveyors out there and especially our very own ERA survey staff during National Surveyors Week!

​ERA staff have worked closely with the Geneva Park District to inspect and identify areas to rehabilitate the Island Park Bridge that crosses over the Fox River.  The bridge currently supports two BNSF rail lines and the trail pedestrian bridge.  The purpose of the bridge inspection was to document the existing condition of the concrete abutments, piers and overall condition of the pedestrian bridge before the construction of the third rail line.
 
ERA also performs bridge inspection services for other communities including Carol Stream, Warrenville, Kankakee County, and Champaign.

​The Fox River Grove Public Works Facility was awarded the American Public Works Association (APWA) Fox Valley Branch Project of the Year for Structures Less than $5 Million at the 2018 Awards ceremony held earlier this week. ERA is honored to have been a part of such an amazing team of village staff, engineers, architects, and contractors that helped make this project a reality. Congratulations to all individuals on the project for the well-deserved win!

ERA's President, Jon Green, was named Associate of the Year at the 2017 Northern Illinois Home Builders Association (NIHBA) holiday party this past month. He has been active in this association for 10 years now and is also looking forward to being sworn in on the board of directors for 2018. NIHBA is a local association of professionals dedicated to promoting the home building industry.
Congratulations Jon!

​ERA is thankful for the amount of growth we have experienced over the last year. Our Warrenville office added several new faces in multiple departments, including stormwater, environmental, transportation, land surveying, and site development. We are thankful for these new team members and can't wait to see how they continue to help us grow as a company!