Novo Nordisk Diabetes API Production Facility

This $2 billion facility produces pharmaceutical ingredients for diabetes medicines, providing modern treatment to people with diabetes in the U.S. and around the world. This facility, the single largest life sciences facility investment in North Carolina history measures over 800,000 square feet under roof and has a footprint of 85 acres. Structures include a Central Utilities Building (CUB), warehouse, labs, and offices, along with manufacturing plants to include the following process activities: fermentation, recovery, and purification. Upon completion, the facility is expected to provide approximately 700 jobs to the community.

Fluor provided engineering design, procurement, construction, and construction management services for the project. S&ME was originally contracted with Fluor to provide third-party materials testing and Special Inspections services to the project. Shortly into that contract, Fluor requested S&ME to also provide geotechnical engineering services to support their design teams in Greenville, South Carolina, and Gliwice, Poland. With S&ME’s local presence and knowledge of the area’s geology combined with their engagement in the ongoing construction, they became a critical connection between the design team and the construction team during this fast-tracked design/build project.

At the time of S&ME’s initial engagement, the design called for all of the structures and slabs to be supported on a combination of deep foundations and ground improvement elements. Previous geotechnical recommendations were established before the start of the final design phase of the project. Upon review of site conditions and design documents, S&ME recognized a value engineering opportunity related to foundation and slab support. S&ME along with Fluor initiated an evaluation into surcharge alternatives that would at a minimum allow for slabs and mats to be supported on-grade and also eliminate deep foundations for column support. A total of eight structures were evaluated.

S&ME performed field exploration, laboratory testing, and geotechnical evaluations to develop a surcharge program designed to meet the project’s design requirements (including limiting settlements of all structural components of 1-inch total settlement and ½ inch differential settlement) along with meeting the project’s tight construction schedule requirements.

Using an extensive surcharge field-monitoring program that incorporated vibrating wire piezometers and borehole magnet extensometers, S&ME was able to evaluate surcharge idle periods, removing all surcharges ahead of schedule.

In the end, S&ME developed and implemented a surcharge program that resulted in the elimination of 4,600 piles, saving the project over $14 million in construction costs. The surcharge program beat the project schedule with measured structure and slab settlements below the strict design requirements.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina announced their Engineering Excellence Awards for 2019, selecting the S&ME Surcharge Program at the new Novo Nordisk Diabetes Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (DAPI) Project in Clayton, North Carolina as the Grand Conceptor winner in the Studies, Research, and Consulting Engineering Services Category.