One of the firms in charge of the project and construction of the skyscrapers of the 432 of Park Avenue, in New York (USA), demanded by a series of cracks in the structure, the study was recently awarded the study in Chile of the train that seeks to connect Valparaíso with Santiago.
Specifically, it is WSP, which in an Ineco consortium, presented “the best offer to award the development of the integral study of the Valparaíso-Santiago train project,” according to the Ministry of Public Works itself (MOP).
The WSP firm, one of the main engineering consulting companies worldwide, occupies “since 2021 the first position in the list of the 225 main International design companies of Engineering News-Record (ENR)”, highlights the government portfolio.
“The company has more than 60,000 expert professionals and is present at 600 offices in more than 50 countries,” he adds.
“The other company that integrates this consortium is the Spanish ineco, leader in the field of consulting and engineering of transport globally,” he says.
In this regard, he details that “the activities of the company cover strategic transport sectors such as rail, aeronautical, urban transport, roads and ports, offering comprehensive and high technological solutions in more than 50 countries.”
“Ineco is part of the Ministry of Transportation, Mobility and Urban Agenda of Spain, acting as its own means and technical service of the State,” he adds.
However, WSP is one of the firms demanded by the Board of Directors of the luxurious residential building located in the “Row of the billionaires” (Billionaires’ Row in English) of New York.
Demand against the WSP firm for luxurious skyscrapers with cracks in New York
It is a skyscraper of 427 meters high, opened in 2015 and that at the time was the highest residential tower in the world, but now presents cracks on its facade that would endanger its habitability, the document warns.
According to an article by The New York Times, the demand accuses that Cim Group and other promoters of 432 Park Avenue – among which WSP is – did not report or alert buyers or municipal inspectors about the risk and severity of the cracks in the structure and that “acts as a fundamental component of the structural support of the building”.
In the judicial action Silvian Marcus of WSP appears, structural engineer of the building, as one of the defendants.
The demand indicates that it would have written to the project developers to “stop the dump” until a mixture of “valid” white concrete, according to the aforementioned medium.
Another project that WSP was awarded in Chile in the past (between 2020-2021) is the Alameda-Melipilla approach train.
As described on its website, for that study it provided design services, architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental studies, NATM and TBM tunnelization, construction methods, in addition to programming and cost estimate.
The Valparaíso-Santiago train project
As for the Valparaíso-Santiago train project, the general director of MOP concessions, Juan Manuel Sánchez, explained that after the award of the comprehensive study by the WSP-INECO consortium, it will be in 2026 when called a tender.
“It will effectively be a reality in the medium term, allowing to improve connectivity between the regions of Valparaíso and Metropolitana, through an optimized route that takes advantage of the existing infrastructure and considers new strategic works,” he explained.
He also stressed that this integral study is complemented by the consulting that develops the IDB. “We have been working with the multilateral agency and its team of advisors in the development of a series of reports in strategic matters of the project and tasks focused on social and demand evaluation,” he added.
“It should be noted that the integral study seeks to analyze and define key aspects for the bidding bases of the railway project, including engineering, demand and social evaluation, expropriations, citizen participation, environmental impact, business model and risks, in addition to the legal framework that will regulate its implementation, among other aspects,” he said.
As reported by the MOP, the train project in a first stage includes a budget of mm USD $ 1,320 for the section between Quinta Normal – El Salto, allowing the reactivation of the passenger rail service with a gradual approach, which responds to the consolidation of demand and integration with the national rail system.
