With an extensive history of providing high-quality parts and services to the North American market, it became critical for Mitsubishi Power Systems America (MPSA) to expand their facilities. MPSA needed to increase production of key gas turbine parts, provide complete steam turbine services and assemble advanced, fuel-efficient gas turbines.
The Austin Company was selected by the joint venture of H.J. High Construction (Orlando, FL) and our sister company, Batson-Cook (Atlanta, GA), for work with MPSA near Savannah, Georgia. While Austin provided architectural design, interior design and engineering services, H.J. High and Batson-Cook provided construction services for the Savannah Machinery Works Premier Service and Manufacturing Center for the Energy Industry. The 116-acre, ISO-certified facility would become the comprehensive service and repair center for gas turbines, steam turbines and generator rotors.
This heavy industrial facility serves as MPSA’s next step in providing world-class power generation services and products for the gas and steam market. The design-build project consisted of more than 440,000 SF and was completed in phases:
| Manufacturing Building – Bays 1 and 2 | 137,500 SF |
| Manufacturing Building – Bays 3 | 75,600 SF |
| Manufacturing Building – Bays 4 | 76.300 SF |
| Manufacturing Building – Bays 5 | 72,000 SF |
| Office Building | 31,700 SF |
| Balance Bunker – Turbine Balancing/Testing Facility | 20,000 SF |
| Office/Conference Center | 17,000 SF |
| Guardhouse, Kitchen, Maintenance Building | 10,000 SF |
| TOTAL | 440,100 SF |
The Balance Bunker was the most complex of all the projects. Austin’s design and engineering work included an 8,000 horsepower electric motor to turn the rotors during balancing. In addition, 6-foot thick Bunker walls were designed to protect the surrounding area from rotor elements that may come loose during testing. The walls were also heavily reinforced inside and out with rebar and steel plates.
