Cable Manufacturing Plant

Baker Hughes

Transformation of an abandoned Cold War-era industrial workshop and office building into a state-of-the-art cable manufacturing plant and office suite to serve the eastern hemisphere.

Location: Tyumen, Russia

Delivery Method: Traditional

Construction Type: Renovation

Challenge

Because the client could not afford to wait two to three years to develop a greenfield site, we had to find an existing building to repurpose, while meeting the following criteria:

1. Located near rail transportation since products would be shipped across the entire eastern hemisphere.

2. Access to an educated workforce trained in the oil and gas industry.

3. The ability to support the weight of 35-ton forklifts moving 25 tons of raw materials and finished goods across the factory floor for an in-line manufacturing process 300 meters long (almost three football fields).

Solution

We investigated 15 different sites across Russia, identifying four that fit the criteria. The client ultimately selected a former military factory in Tyumen, Russia. Tyumen is a key transportation hub along the Trans-Siberian Railway, home of University of Tyumen and home for many companies active in the global oil and gas industry. After significant testing and evaluation, our engineers deemed the original building structure capable of supporting the heavy load requirements of the manufacturing process. The development team agreed, “the building had good bones.” Construction involved dismantling armored plates that covered 295,000 SF of the structural floor and installation of a topping slab to unify and level the floor, making it suitable for the client’s heavy manufacturing needs.