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Turbo Prop Test Cell

Turbo Prop Test Cell New River, NC

Southern Virginia

Project Owner: Department of the Navy 6506 Hampton Blvd Norfolk, VA 23508

Project Location: North Carolina

Contract Amount: $12,400,000

Project Description:

This was a design-build project involving the construction of a test facility for testing out-of-frame turbo shaft engines. The facility included four different enclosures for testing four different engine types. Our design team partner was STV Incorporated.

The project required ancillary space for control rooms, tool rooms, offices, toilets, engine prep room, and equipment rooms. Exterior construction included a covered area for storage, and additional space for engine preparation. The test cells required structural isolation from the ancillary facilities to minimize noise and vibration, and to control exhaust.

The construction method featured pile foundation, slab on grade, reinforced concrete roof, reinforced masonry walls, standing seam metal roof, sound suppressive design features, and air intake and exhaust stacks.

Some of the built-in equipment included test support items including engine air, electric and hydraulic start capabilities, fuel supply system, instrumentation, four 1-ton monorail cranes, 400 Hz power, lubrication skid containment, and control and communication system. Fire protection included a wet pipe automatic sprinkler system in the administrative areas, and special engine water spray extinguishing system supplemented by operator controlled spurt system.

Some special features included sound reduction doors, soundproofing of walls, bullet resistant view windows, dynamometer exhaust, lightening grid protection.