SSOE Leads MEP and Structural Design Efforts for National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City Manufacturing Operations

SSOE Group has been selected, as part of a multi-disciplined design team, to lead all design efforts for MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) and structural systems for a new campus to house the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) manufacturing operations in Kansas City, Missouri. The facility will manufacture non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons.

SSOE is providing MEP design efforts for multiple buildings situated on the 186-acre campus including structural and mechanical design for the central utility plant, which includes a chilled water system, cooling tower system, hot water boiler system, and a compressed air system. The scope also includes electrical design of medium and low voltage power, lighting, auxiliary, grounding, and out building systems. SSOE’s efforts, along with the other design consultants, will enable the client to transform an outdated complex into a 21st century Nuclear Security Enterprise, saving the Government an estimated $100 million per year.

SSOE was chosen for this project because of its considerable expertise serving major government clients such as the EPA, the VA, US Army Corps of Engineers, etc. as well as its extensive design experience with large industrial and manufacturing facilities. SSOE has consistently been ranked as one of the top designers of automotive and manufacturing facilities in the country—most recently performing design and construction management for VW’s Chattanooga Assembly facility. “We are proud to offer our expertise to a project of this magnitude.” says SSOE’s Ron Guiliani, PE, PMP, Project Principal. SSOE has assigned a large multi-discipline team, which includes forty full-time staff members who will be committed to this project for 15 months. “We’re not only contributing manpower to this project, we have made the investment to develop our entire design using REVIT 2011 3D/BIM computer design software, keeping in line with our corporation goal to design all of our projects using 3D/BIM intelligent software. This technology ultimately adds value to the client and to this project,” says Guiliani.

In an effort to reduce environmental waste, maintenance, and energy costs, SSOE will incorporate sustainable design principles to qualify the project for LEED Gold certification. ENR Magazine recently ranked SSOE 2nd in its list of green manufacturing and industrial design firms, and they have more than $1 billion dollars worth of LEED designated facilities under construction.

The campus will include nearly 1.5 million SF of manufacturing, laboratory, office, and warehouse space and will be developed using an integrated project delivery approach utilizing phased design and phased construction. The campus, valued at nearly $673 million, will replace the NNSA’s current 3.2 million SF plant and is slated to be completed in 2014.