Ford Motor Company is transforming its 320-acre World Headquarters, Dearborn Development Center, and Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn, MI, into a high-tech, efficient, forward-thinking campus. The 10-year project encompasses demolition of aged infrastructure and construction of new buildings and site features. The site features include roadways, parking lots, site lighting, landscaping, traffic signalization and mobility systems, utility tunnels with steam and condensate lines, electrical, natural gas, fire protection, hydronic piping, domestic water, communications, storm sewer and ponds, wetland protection, and sanitary and combined sewer. Wade Trim is leading civil-site and underground engineering efforts.
At the program’s outset, Wade Trim established the existing condition for campus infrastructure, including surface features, buildings, and underground utilities. Subsurface Utility Engineering Levels A and B, sewer video inspections and condition assessments, geotechnical investigations, and analysis were completed. In addition, Radio-Frequency Identification marker balls were placed along underground utilities to enhance future locating accuracy and safety. The data collected was used to develop and maintain a comprehensive Infraworks/Navisworks 3D model of the entire campus. This model has been maintained, expanded, and used for asset management by site Maintenance and Operations. It has also been a time and cost-saving tool for design and construction.
Ford’s Master Plan and the 3D model were used by the project team to complete comprehensive infrastructure Basis of Design reports for the campus. Utility conditions, demands and capacities were assessed, and a plan was prepared to accommodate future demand due to new building construction and tenant activities. Hydraulic models were developed for all pressure utilities, stormwater, and combined sewer to plan for combined sewer separation and stormwater treatment using green infrastructure solutions.
Fine-grained communication and coordination with Ford and contractors have been imperative to meet deadlines and achieve Ford’s vision and goals. Since the beginning, Wade Trim has maintained a steady roster of staff, recognizing the importance of consistency and expertise during the decade-long project. We have worked closely with Ford’s Construction Manager to plan, sequence, and issue over 100 work packages for bidding and construction. We will continue to provide construction observation services on-site, directly coordinating with Ford’s Construction Manager for construction, scheduling, and site logistics. This includes permitting and agency reviews, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control, and Stormwater Operator documentation and reporting.
Significant milestones achieved include completion of a ring road, separation of thousands of feet of combined sewer, implementation of a robust stormwater program effectively reducing runoff from the Research and Engineering Center, establishment of utility corridors, and transformation of the campus center into a park featuring natural stormwater management. This revitalization will serve as a cornerstone for the site experience of Ford’s next generation.
