Titanium Metals (TIMET) Ravenswood Facility | Millwood, West Virginia

Formwork Solutions Accelerate Construction of TIMET’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Plant

Millwood, West Virginia

Building a Foundation for Clean Energy Manufacturing

The Titanium Metals (TIMET) Ravenswood facility in Millwood, West Virginia, represents a specialized manufacturing infrastructure. The project features five buildings housing titanium melting furnaces, with strategically placed 9-foot (2.7 m) diameter blast pipes designed to direct a blast away from the building if it were to occur. What makes this project particularly noteworthy is its environmental commitment—the entire facility will be powered by a massive adjacent solar installation developed in partnership with Berkshire Hathaway, creating a showcase for green energy powering industrial manufacturing.

Michels Construction Partners with EFCO for High-Performance Solutions

Michels Construction, Inc. selected EFCO’s formwork systems for this complex project based on EFCO’s proven ability to deliver both efficiency and safety for challenging industrial structures. The 72-foot-tall building featured concrete foundations reaching 48’-6” in height and extended up to 109 feet in length, demanding formwork solutions that could maximize productivity while maintaining the highest safety standards. EFCO’s combination of PLATE GIRDER® wall forms and Guided Rail System® (GRS) platforms provided the versatility needed to handle the project’s demanding specifications, including numerous large openings and specialized structural requirements for the substantial concrete foundation work.

GRS Platforms: Maximizing Safety and Productivity

The centerpiece of EFCO’s solution was its Guided Rail System (GRS) platforms, which delivered remarkable efficiency benefits. These substantial platforms—34 feet (10.4 m) long by 7 feet (2.1 m) wide—were fully assembled at ground level with all safety railings, toe boards, and pre-installed sheeting. This ground-based preparation made the time-consuming process of assembling work platforms at height safer. Once assembled, each complete GRS platform could be lifted in a single crane pick and positioned gangs up to 34′ (10.4 m) long on the structure’s walls.

Michels Construction advocated for prebuilding on the ground to front-load the carpenters’ work. They were able to build up four GRS gangs per day, including fully sheeting them in plywood, covering approximately 900 square feet (84 square meters) of decking. This ground-level prefabrication strategy dramatically improved productivity while enhancing worker safety.

The 7-foot (2.1 m) wide platforms provided ample working space for crews to tie rebar safely and perform other critical tasks without compromising safety or productivity. This approach accelerated the construction schedule and significantly enhanced worker safety by minimizing time spent working at dangerous heights without proper fall protection, demonstrating how innovative design can improve safety and efficiency.

Meeting Unique Design Challenges with Versatile Systems

The TIMET buildings presented several complex design challenges that EFCO’s systems were uniquely qualified to address. Each building contained multiple “cells” for the titanium furnaces, with numerous large openings, including the massive 9-foot (2.7 m)-diameter blast pipe penetrations. EFCO’s engineering team developed detailed layouts that allowed these penetrations while maintaining structural Integrity during concrete placement.

Integrating PLATE GIRDER® wall forms with the Guided Rail System (GRS) platforms created a comprehensive system that could adapt to the project’s varying requirements. The PLATE GIRDER® formwork provided the strength needed for the tall walls, while the GRS platforms allowed work to progress safely and efficiently across multiple elevations.

Once the system was in place, the Michels Construction team achieved remarkable cycling efficiency, completing the inside GRS frames in just one day—a total of eight gangs representing 1,800 square feet (168 square meters) of deck and 312 linear feet (95 m) of wall forms. This systemized approach eliminated the need for custom solutions at each stage, streamlining the construction process and helping Michels Construction maintain its rigorous schedule requirements.

Why Michels Construction Chose EFCO

Michels Construction selected EFCO for this challenging project because their comprehensive approach delivered the Lowest in-Place Concrete Cost (LIPCC) through intelligent system design. While initially considering less robust platform options to reduce equipment costs, Michels ultimately recognized that EFCO’s GRS system would provide superior overall value through dramatic labor savings, enhanced safety, and accelerated scheduling, further demonstrating LIPCC. By pre-assembling complete platforms at ground level and moving them into position in single crane picks, the construction team dramatically reduced the time and manpower required compared to conventional methods.

The cornerstone of EFCO’s consulting philosophy, prioritizing overall project success rather than merely equipment sales, fostered a partnership with remarkable outcomes. By combining Innovative engineering, manufacturing Quality, and exceptional on-site Super Service, EFCO enabled Michels Construction to convert a complex industrial challenge into a streamlined, secure concrete construction process.