Project Overview:

Pratt & Whitney is building a new manufacturing center in Asheville, North Carolina, to produce jet engines for commercial and military jets.

 Ideal Contracting self-performed the structural and miscellaneous steel erection for Dave Steel, a subcontractor to Walbridge.

 The new 1-story facility, which consists of 12,000 tons of steel, is approximately 1,000,000-square-feet and contains 100,000-square-feet of mezzanines. The building has (25) 100’ bays comprised of 100’ joists. The joists were spliced on site, set up in modular sections of two, assembled on the ground, and then erected.

 The miscellaneous steel package consisted of the installation of twelve stairs, additional mezzanines, and roof rail.

 The project site is located near the French Broad River 2,100 feet above sea level in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The narrow access road, which spanned four miles, proposed logistical challenges for the team. Walbridge, the general contractor, established checkpoints and placed guards at the top and foot of the mountain to communicate material deliveries which helped not to impede traffic. Coordination between all teams was critical in keeping the schedule on track.