Spurred by increasing demand for the H-47 Chinook heavy-lift military helicopter – which is widely used by the U.S. Army for operations overseas – The Boeing Company developed a vision for a converted H-47 “focused factory” that would increase the efficiency of Chinook production. As construction manager and owner’s representative, STV was responsible for 14 major capital renovation projects, transforming an 85-year-old industrial helicopter production complex into a LEED®-certified state-of-the-art facility.
Comprehensive, fast-track scheduling and carefully orchestrated phasing prevented any disruptions to the vital 24-hour, seven-day, continuous assembly operations as production rates were increasing.
The program’s innovative approach involved ongoing daily interaction and cooperation among designers, contractors, service providers, Boeing shift management and key production personnel at all levels to meet critical milestones. Phased renovation sequences designed into the construction schedules allowed extensive rehabilitation activities to be accomplished while aircraft assembly was underway. This effort was honored as a “Best of the Best” by Engineering News-Record and as a Best Mega Project Award from the Construction Management Association of America.
