April 10, 2017 – Anitra Schulte, Strategy.Ink –
Engineer Jeff Bucholc Brought Onboard to Lead Department, Expand Client Offerings
CHICAGO – Engineering veteran Jeff Bucholc joins Chicago rail and transit firm Quandel Consultants to lead and develop the company’s new structures department.
Principal and Chief Structural Engineer Jeff Bucholc, P.E., S.E., brings more than 23 years of structural engineering experience to Quandel Consultants, LLC, which provides engineering solutions for the railroad and rail transit industry. Quandel’s capabilities include program management, engineering, planning, operations analysis, and construction management, and now, structural engineering.
Bucholc is well known across the Midwest and beyond for his bridge and structures design, engineering and project management expertise. He will support Quandel in structures business development, as well as program management and execution.
“Quandel is very excited to enter the structures arena with Jeff Bucholc at the helm, to offer new and existing clients expanded services and to grow and diversify our business,” said Charlie Quandel, CEO of Quandel Consultants. “Jeff has worked across Chicago, and across the country, developing cost-effective solutions to complex bridge and structures challenges. His vast experience and long-standing industry relationships will be tremendous assets to our firm.”
Bucholc specializes in the inspection, design, construction and rehabilitation of railroad, highway, local road and airport bridges and tunnels. An IDOT-approved program manager, Bucholc leads teams on initiatives of all types – from complex multi-year plans to small programs. His expertise includes the preparation of contract plans, specifications and cost estimates, as well as the execution of condition assessments, reports and feasibility studies.
Education & Employers
A registered structural engineer (Illinois, Alaska) and professional engineer (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin), Bucholc received a bachelor’s of science degree and master’s of science degree from Southern Illinois University, where he also taught Engineering Statics and Construction Material Science. Over the course of his career, Bucholc has completed numerous courses in bridge safety inspection and roadway worker safety, and he is a member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).
Prior to joining Quandel Consultants, Bucholc was Senior Manager of Railroad, Transit and Aviation Structures at AECOM and their legacy companies including URS, Dames & Moore, BRW, Hazelet & Erdal and Midwest Consulting Engineers.
Railroad & Moveable Bridge
Bucholc brings vast railroad bridge expertise to Quandel Consultants. As lead structural engineer, Bucholc oversaw the design, rehabilitation and replacement of several bridges for the Belt Railway Company of Chicago. As a part of IDOT’s US-6 reconstruction project, he led the design of Canadian National bridges and retaining walls with the project limits. In task and project management roles, and as lead structural engineer, Bucholc completed railroad and moveable bridge projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Louisiana, New York, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, working alongside transportation authorities, departments of transportations, and passenger and freight railroads to complete project work.
Railroad bridge inspection is another expertise of Bucholc, who oversees the inspections of the 80 bridges of the Belt Railway Company of Chicago annually. He has led the inspections, load ratings and repairs of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway Bridges from Skagway, Alaska, to Carcross, Yukon Territory, Canada. In addition, he led inspections for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, Chicago Short Line Railroad, and River Terminal Railroad in Cleveland, Ohio, among others. Bucholc has completed moveable bridge projects in Mississippi, Wisconsin and New York, and studies in Florida and Washington, D.C., with tasks including inspection, evaluation, construction, rehabilitation and replacement.
Highway & Local Roads Bridge
Bucholc has served as lead structural engineer and project manager of a wide range of highway bridge projects. He managed the Indiana Toll Road Concession Company’s annual inspection program from 2013 to 2016; Chicago Skyway’s annual inspection program, from 2002 to 2012, and oversaw the annual maintenance program and bridge portion of the mandatory capital improvement program for the Skyway. Bucholc led design for the widening and reconstruction of several Tri-State Tollway, I-294 bridges, 127th Street over the I355 South Extension, and many other construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and intersection improvement projects across Chicagoland.
In local roads initiatives, Bucholc acted as manager for bridge projects in Deerfield, Naperville, Bolingbrook, and Wood Dale, Ill., and as design engineer for bridge projects in Rolling Meadows, Joliet, Glencoe, Kane County and Monee, Ill. He liaised with railroad and civic entities to execute road projects over Metra and freight railroad tracks, the Chicago River, small waterways and pedestrian bridges, as well as a bike path underpass.
Aviation & Additional Expertise
As senior structural engineer and task manager, Bucholc led several projects within the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP), including the Airport Transit System’s bi-ennial bridge inspection, condition assessment, extension and new stations. Bucholc led the design of the Mt. Prospect Road, South Access Road and Post Office Road tunnels, providing extensive construction support, as well as the design of the junction chambers for 144” reinforced concrete pipe of storm sewer system E.
Bucholc contributed to designs for numerous bicycle path/pedestrian bridge and retaining wall projects in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Prospect Heights Park District, McHenry County Conservation District, Cities of Rolling Meadows and Wood Dale, and the Villages of Libertyville and Woodridge.
About Quandel Consultants, LLC
Quandel Consultants, LLC, has provided engineering solutions for the railroad and rail transit industry for four decades. Services provided by Quandel Consultants include program management, engineering, planning, operations analysis and construction management. Quandel Consultants has completed work for Departments of Transportation across the U.S., including Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Chicago-based Quandel Consultants has offices in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, Mich., St. Paul, Minn., and Cleveland, Ohio.
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