Description:
Acciona, the world’s largest wind power developer, built it’s first US wind turbine production plant in West Branch, Iowa. The plant will produce approximately 250 wind turbines in 2008, and that number is expected to rise over the next few years. The state of Iowa ranks third in wind power output in the US, behind Texas and California.
Butler Heavy Structures provided the structural steel design and fabrication for this facility that covers over 100,000 sq. ft. with four separate crane aisles. The high bay supports a 190-ton top-running crane with two 45-ton single leg gantry cranes below, while the other three bays each support a 45-ton top-running crane. The framing system is a combination of typical PEMB elements consisting of built-up columns and rafters, cold-formed secondaries, heavy conventional elements, and wide flange crane girders and crane columns.
The building is clad with Butler’s MR-24® standing seam roof system and Butlerib® II wall system. To provide natural lighting for the workers, the building contains 156 insulated Lite*Panl® translucent roof panels and a band of translucent wall panels down each sidewall. A suspended catwalk runs the length of the high bay, allowing the customer to tour the plant without interrupting production.
HS167 ACCIONA PRO... (128.8 kb)