Gold Hard Hat Award

Outstanding Industrial/Manufacturing Project

The Vestas Blade Facility in Windsor marks the first North American manufacturing facility for Denmark-based Vestas. The $42.7-million project began with a fast-track, 10-and-a-half-month schedule until the customer asked for an earlier turnover so it could begin manufacturing sooner. The project team accelerated its schedule by six weeks to allow Vestas to begin producing its blades, with a five-phase turnover of the 230,000-sq-ft facility.  Ground was broken in June 2007, with the first phase turned over just eight months later.

The project team devised a plan to provide temporary HVAC systems and power generators as well as fire-watch procedures to meet life-safety requirements for accelerated construction and occupancy.

Mortenson was awarded the project in April 2007 and the first TCO was received on Jan. 25 to enable Vestas to begin manufacturing. The company produced its first blade on Feb. 1. Final occupancy by Vestas occurred on May 15.

The project, completed under a design-build delivery, was built on an 80-acre site where 6,200 ft of railroad track are in place to directly transport the 120-ft-long, 8.2-ton blades. The buildings include offices, blade mold-form areas, blade paint booths and cranes to lift and transport the blades.

Mortenson utilized virtual design and construction to coordinate building elements in 3D, including the MEP systems, structure, acoustic wall and ceiling panels within the manufacturing plant. This allowed the acoustician to visualize and optimize the acoustic panel locations to minimize labor and materials costs.

The facility will produce more than 1,200 blades per year and provide over 450 jobs to Northern Colorado.

Vestas Blade Facility
Windsor

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