For many construction projects, the finished building is the payoff. At Rolls-Royce’s Indiana operations, where the company produces engines and power systems for aircraft, defense and energy, the real measure of success was whether the company could rebuild its manufacturing and testing infrastructure without stopping the work already taking place inside.
Warren White, who directs defense operations for Rolls-Royce, called the decade-long, $1 billion effort to transform the company’s advanced manufacturing and test facilities in Indianapolis an “incredible journey.”
“The vision was nothing less than revolutionary. We set out to completely reimagine our legacy defense manufacturing footprint and build a highly efficient, world-class advanced manufacturing and test campus,” said White. “Our goal was to develop a competitive, sustainable, and highly secure operational footprint. This ensures our Indianapolis operations stand as a premier, ultra-modern hub capable of powering the U.S. military's most critical strategic assets for the next half-century, delivering the performance and reliability our service members depend on when protecting our nation.”
To accomplish that, meticulous planning and carefully choreographed construction had to be a priority for a campus that still had to keep producing.
Phasing the Work
The effort to modernize aging structures and legacy equipment began with planning discussions in 2015 and was carried out in two major phases. The first phase, from 2018 to 2021, focused on modernizing the manufacturing and assembly areas. The company then turned its attention to its test infrastructure. The scope was substantial, with over 1.7 million square feet of existing material demolished and 1.6 million square feet of building space renovated. Another 160,000 square feet was newly constructed.
The work was carried out inside an active aerospace and defense manufacturing campus, where engines were still being built, tested and delivered. For F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co., the project required careful planning for infrastructure dating back decades, a new building going up next to an operating manufacturing facility and aging, poorly documented utilities beneath the site.
“One of the project’s biggest logistical challenges was developing and executing a carefully coordinated sequence to replace and reroute these underground utilities — including stormwater, sanitary, electrical, and fire protection systems — while preparing the site for the new building’s foundation,” said Ryan Hendershot, Senior Project Manager for F.A. Wilhelm Construction.
Dan Peddicord, President of Pepper Construction, said throughout the reinvestment and modernization project, there was a constant need for problem-solving and quick decision-making on a jobsite within a busy, operational manufacturing campus.
“The campus dates to the 1940s, and with limited records on underground and above-ground utility locations, our team regularly encountered unexpected conditions that required real-time problem-solving and transparent communication. Moreover, complex coordination of planned utility shutdowns across the campus was required to avoid any misstep that could ripple directly into production,” he said.
Peddicord noted that the Indianapolis modernization covered roughly 1 million square feet of active campus space over five years without affecting Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing schedules.
Construction and design crews also considered export-control requirements for defense manufacturing. That affected how information was shared with vendors and subcontractors. Hazardous materials and gases, including jet fuel and nitrogen, required additional safety planning, while the sensitivity of aerospace manufacturing equipment called for added consideration. Hendershot said Wilhelm had to maintain a foreign object debris (FOD)-controlled environment. Specialized tools, temporary enclosures and restricted access helped prevent construction activity from affecting manufacturing.
“Coordination occurred daily – and, during critical construction activities, sometimes hourly — to ensure the work progressed safely while minimizing disruption to ongoing production,” he said.
Precision Matters
White noted the company used a micro-phasing strategy to move production lines and support functions while maintaining deliveries. Construction teams also used vibration-dampening structures and environmental barriers to protect precision machining equipment from nearby demolition.
One example was the tie-in of a cooling water system. Hendershot said months of planning went into the procurement, fabrication, field construction and coordination with operations. The shutdown and tie-in had to fit within a narrow window to minimize disruption.
“The work was completed over the planned weekend, and by Monday morning, Rolls-Royce manufacturing was back in full production without interruption or impact,” Hendershot said.
Pepper’s phasing approach also focused on using planned utility shutdowns.
“Since the utility shutdowns were mapped out months in advance, and rather than treating each scope of work independently, we coordinated multiple work streams to converge on the same windows,” he said. “Any scope with the potential to disrupt manufacturing was deliberately sequenced to align with the shutdown dates.”
Planning, coordination and the actual construction work required a substantial workforce. F.A. Wilhelm’s portion of the work involved nearly 205,000 labor hours and over 30 subcontractors, with 90-105 craft professionals on site each day during the peak construction period. Pepper brought together about 3,000 workers and 200-300 trade partners over the five years. In West Lafayette, about 500 workers and 37 trade contractors worked together to deliver a High-Altitude Testing Facility and Test Utility Building.
White said the completed state-of-the-art campus positions the company to win and execute major military contracts for the next 50 years.
“Walking through those doors, I’m most proud of our phenomenal people and our unyielding commitment to safety throughout this journey,” said White. “We successfully completed a total, top-to-bottom modernization of our facilities with an exemplary safety record, all while continuing to deliver flawlessly for our U.S. warfighters.”
