Chicago Tube and Iron

Carlson was selected to design and build Chicago Tube & Iron’s 560,000-square-foot corporate headquarters. This two-story facility includes 38,000 square feet of Class A office space for corporate, IT, training, and administrative functions. Constructed with precast concrete, masonry, glass, and steel, its dynamic architecture integrates CT&I’s products, reflecting the company’s identity. 

The IT department, managing network connectivity for 35 global locations, required adaptable infrastructure. A dedicated, fire-rated UPS system supports operations, backed by a 4,000-amp electrical service and an 850 KW dual-fuel generator, ensuring continuity for mission-critical functions, including corporate offices, production areas, and crane bays servicing laser machines. 

The office space features a high-efficiency 4-pipe VAV HVAC system with DDC controls, tailored to user needs. The production area optimizes energy efficiency with LED lighting and motion sensors. An energy study by the University of Illinois School of Green Building guided efficient lighting and laser-cutting equipment usage. 

Spanning eight crane bays (each 65 feet wide by 950 feet long, with 38-foot clear heights), the facility houses 26 overhead cranes, 13 jib cranes, 96 welding stations, and advanced steel processing equipment. Precision in constructing the 850-foot crane runways ensured a strict .25-inch tolerance, verified by Carlson’s CQC team. 

Site development encompassed 120 acres, including a 1.5-mile, five-lane collector road (built under a separate contract with the Village of Romeoville), wet/dry utility installation, mass excavation, 14 acres of heavy-duty concrete pavement, asphalt surfaces, wetland restoration, stormwater management, and extensive landscaping.