Army Reserve Center – Arlington Heights

Blinderman Construction completed a design-build project for a 1000-member Army Reserve Training Center in Arlington Heights, IL, comprising three structures: a 2-story, 70,000 SF ARC Training Building, a 1-story, 5,000 SF Organizational Maintenance Shop (OMS), and a 1-story, 5,000 SF Unheated Storage Building and Organizational Parking (UHS).

The project also involved 150,000 SF of paved parking areas, 53,000 SF of paved roadways, and associated site utilities and improvements across an 18-acre site.

The Training Center building features a reinforced concrete weapons vault, unit storage area, classrooms, exercise room, locker rooms, assembly hall, and offices. To address poor soil conditions, the building was constructed on a shallow foundation system over compacted aggregate piers. The exterior building envelope consists of structural precast wall panels, windows, exterior doors, and a roof compliant with anti-terrorism and force protection requirements.

Sustainable and energy-efficient features were incorporated, including energy-efficient lighting, automated building HVAC/lighting system controls, and a fire suppression sprinkling system. Blinderman self-performed rough carpentry, temporary construction, general trades, and installation of finish carpentry, millwork, doors, frames, and hardware. They also took over the demolition of an existing structure, saving the Army Corps time and money.

The Training Building and OMS were constructed with load-bearing, architecturally-finished precast concrete building envelopes on reinforced concrete foundations and concrete floor slabs. These precast panels met all AT/FP blast rating requirements and provided a highly durable, low-maintenance finish.

Through value engineering, Blinderman recommended and installed compacted aggregate piers beneath the foundations to improve soil-bearing capacity and reduce settlement risk, saving the Army Corps approximately $800,000. All excavated soils were reused on site to save on haul-off and disposal fees.