About This Project

Rating: SPiRiT Gold

Systems Software Engineering Annex Phase I

The award winning Systems Software Engineering Annex Phase I

The Project

The System Software Engineering Annex – named the Project of the Year by ABC – provides office space and laboratory facilities for the development of defense-related software and training that support the United States Army. The facility boasts 56,634 square feet of office and laboratory space for engineering and administration, 3,390 square feet of training area, a 2,015-square-foot videoconference room, and a 14,781-square-foot high bay designed for a future overhead crane. The total area under roof is 76,821 square feet.

A Unique Challenge

Entering the construction phase, the team’s quick response abilities were tested when 36 World War II-era mortars were unearthed in several locations around the project site, a former mortar practice range impact area. During that time in Redstone Arsenal’s history, the facility was responsible for the manufacture of mustard gas and other chemical agent munitions. In the first instances of a find at the job site, a government team from Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland was deployed to complete chemical agent detection processes with a robot. Because the job site had to be shut down for several days and the area evacuated during each occurrence, arrangements were made to bring in both civilian and government teams to remain on site, keeping downtime to a minimum.

Quality & Safety Priorities

The phrase “Safety is job one” has never been more fitting than on this project. This job was riddled with unique safety issues from exposing mortars to protecting and informing the owners’ employees of hazards in the area. Every employee of Fite Building Company and its project partners took safety seriously and personally. This is evident in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ awarding this project two Quarterly Superior Safety Awards at the local level and two Quarterly Safety Awards at the district level. The project also has been nominated twice for the Annual Safety Award at the district level. At the subcontractor level, the project was awarded four separate local safety awards.

Project Summary

The building design incorporated structural steel framing for the primary structure with a brick veneer and force-protected aluminum storefront windows and entrances. The attached high bay is primarily a pre-engineered metal building that bears on the common wall between the structures. Insulated metal wall panels were used for the metal building cladding as well as on the main structure’s back and end walls.

Elements of the Project

• Existing bio-pond and storm pond pumping and removal
• Constructing new building pad (up to 28’ of fill in some areas)
• Upgrading all site underground utilities (gas, water, sewage) and communication networks
• Rerouting existing traffic to allow full use of existing campus
• Constructing new access road able to handle loads of military equipment
• Construction of two-story structure with office, conference room, classrooms, high-security labs, and high security vaults
• Construction of a high-bay building with under slab, interconnecting duct bank running from the secure labs
• Construction of a connecting corridor from the new structure to the existing buildings
• Construction of all mechanical systems and allowance for additional future phases
• Construction of a new bio-pond with allowances for future expansion
• Construction of exterior hardstand area designed for tracked vehicle traffic
• Coordination with contractor for the munitions center to enable the multiple-layer scanning of entire site for unexploded ordinance and its safe removal
• Coordinated delivery and installation of owner-supplied furnishings
• Construction of all the special high security, interior electrical, communication and computer systems that were job specific for this type of secure design facility
• Construction of all windows and doors in accordance with new government anti-terrorism standards for explosion resistance
• Project construction and design constantly coordinated with multiple government agencies and reviewing committees

“Your firm proved to truly define excellent leadership, experience and management to successfully complete a semi-complex design-build contract with a new design-build team. The management of your subcontractors was unprecedented and proved to your overall success on this project.”

John R. Crutcher
Project Engineer, Mobile District Corps of Engineers

“From our perspective, this project would not have been a success if it were not for the experience and knowledge of the entire Fite Building Company Team. When issues arrived, it was the goal of your team to address them and quickly come up with a solution to ensure that the project kept moving forward without delays and this effort has attributed to a successful completion of the project in budget and on time.”

Carter Lewis
Facilities Manager, Software Engineering Directorate, Aviation & Missile Research, Development & Engineering Center