Project Summary
Our hydro/power customer needed to replace aging generating units at their Iron Mountain, MI hydroelectric facility with a modern, higher-capacity powerhouse — a $64 million project that combined heavy civil construction, precision turbine installation, and complex waterfront work on an active energy site.
Key Challenges: Replacing a Powerhouse While Managing Rock, Water & Live Infrastructure
The project required far more than swapping out equipment. The existing generating units had to be decommissioned and replaced with a new 9-megawatt powerhouse housing two 4.5-megawatt turbines — while simultaneously constructing a new three-bay radial gated spillway adjacent to an active waterway. The site demanded 37,000 cubic yards of rock excavation and 15,000 cubic yards of concrete poured in a challenging waterfront environment. Seven cofferdam cells, each up to 30 feet in diameter, required 360 tons of sheet pile to construct. The project spanned 10 trades including demolition, pile driving, millwrighting, and boilermaking, requiring tight sequencing across disciplines.
Solution
CR Meyer delivered the full project scope — rock excavation, cofferdam construction, concrete placement, turbine installation, and spillway construction — as an integrated general contractor. The cellular sheet pile cofferdam structures served a dual purpose: temporary construction protection and permanent closure dam. Integrated project operations between the owner, engineer, and CR Meyer, combined with a value-based engineering and procurement approach, kept the project on budget and on schedule.
Keys to Success
Integrated project delivery: Close collaboration between owner, engineer, and contractor from the outset allowed for value-based engineering decisions and effective risk management — critical on a $64 million waterfront civil project with no tolerance for surprises.
Cofferdam as permanent infrastructure: By designing the cellular sheet pile cofferdam to serve as both temporary construction protection and a permanent closure dam, the team eliminated redundant work and reduced overall project risk.
10-trade coordination: Demolition, pile driving, millwrighting, boilermaking, concrete, and more — CR Meyer coordinated all 10 trades under one project management structure, ensuring no gaps between scopes on a technically demanding site.
Project Stats
- Project value: $64 million
- New 9 MW powerhouse with 2 x 4.5 MW turbines
- 37,000 CY of rock excavation
- 15,000 CY of concrete
- 700 tons of rebar
- 360 tons of sheet pile for 7 cofferdam cells (up to 30' diameter)
- New three-bay radial gated spillway
- 10 trades self-performed