Jet Engine Test Facility Construction

Middletown, Connecticut

Services: General Contracting, Site Development, Concrete Construction, Structural Engineering, MEP Engineering
Clients Served: Industrial

Loureiro was retained by Pratt & Whitney (P&W) to relocate and provide a new 30,000 square foot building to house two existing engine testing rigs. Due to time constraints, P&W selected Loureiro to complete the work under a design/build contract. The goal was to relocate and house a 17 foot diameter Horizontal Containment Rig (HCR) capable of holding and containing a full size jet engine operating at full throttle while a component of the engine is purposefully destroyed with a foreign object. The new building also housed an 18 in diameter cannon that was used to fire objects at various components of the jet engines to study their impacts and affects. Loureiro utilized in-house design engineers and in-house construction forces to complete the project.

Highlights

  • Disconnection of mechanical and electrical services prior to removal of test equipment from the Willgoos facility
  • Structural design of the steel frame building; foundations for the building, bridge crane and test equipment; and floor slab
  • Heating, ventilating, power, lighting, and communications design
  • Fire protection design
  • Construction of the foundation, new building and equipment support structure
  • Removal, rigging and transportation of the HCR, 18 in diameter cannon and other test equipment
  • Removal, modifications and reinstallation of a 15-ton Bridge Crane