When Boeing kicked off its high-profile expansion program for the Dreamliner program in 2009, it represented the largest single capital investment in South Carolina’s history — a record previously tied to BMW’s historic decision to bring its luxury car assembly to the state in 1992.

Final Assembly Building (FAB)

A LEED Gold facility, the Final Assembly Building has 1.2 million sf of usable space, and a building footprint of 614 feet wide by 1,037 feet long — about the size of about 12 football fields. More than 18,000 tons of structural steel were used. The (11) 614’ roof trusses weigh 441 tons each. This called for design, detailing, fabrication and erection of a structural steel package totaling more than 20,000 tons of steel, joists, metal deck and Smartbeams®. Boeing cites this facility as having the largest clear span of any building in the company’s inventory — 464 feet between support columns.

The Production Floor final assembly and delivery operation is supported by fully operational administrative, personnel support, mechanical, and shop spaces located on five mezzanine levels running the long building dimension of each side. Plant operations are fed by compressed air, chilled water, fire protection, domestic water, natural gas, data, and electrical services from the new Central Utilities Building.

Other Components of the Mega-Project:

Infrastructure and Buildings In addition to the Final Assembly Building — a mega-project in itself — the complete work scope for the Boeing South Carolina 787 expansion included reconstructed retention ponds with a causeway for a new campus entrance; the relocation of the entire airport access road on the south side of the property into a new four lane connector; a truck inspection building; a LEED Gold Welcome Center facility at the campus entrance; a new site Cafeteria building (also LEED Gold), and remodeling of the existing one; a large addition to the existing Central Utilities Building; an entire flight and fuel line for the ground service of the planes; and a LEED Gold Delivery Center where South Carolinabuilt 787s are delivered to customers from around the world. Boeing South Carolina is only the third site in

  • Owner:The Boeing Company
  • Location:North Charleston, South Carolina
  • Project Type:Design-Build, General Contracting