WINNER - PAVING/FLATWORK COMMERCIAL AIRPORT
DTWR FedEx Distribution Facility
Location: DTW, Romulus, MI
Concrete Contractor: Ajax Paving Industries, Inc.
Concrete Contractor: Angelo Iafrate Construction Company
Concrete Supplier: Superior Materials/Votorantim Cimentos
Prime Contractor: Christman/Brinker
Design Engineer: Kimley-Horn of Michigan, Inc.
Design Engineer: PM Consultants
Project Owner: Hillwood Development, LP/FedEx
QC Consultant: CT Consultants - A Verdantas Company
The WCAA FedEx Distribution Facility at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) in Romulus, Michigan, marks a significant industrial development by a joint venture between Hillwood Enterprises LP and the Sterling Group. With a budget of $423 million, the project includes the construction of a 250,000-square-foot consolidated building for FedEx, designed to enhance operational efficiency in response to capacity constraints and a mandated taxiway realignment by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The new facility consolidated three existing FedEx operations: a 71,000-square-foot inbound package sorting and maintenance facility, an 81,000-square-foot outbound package sorting facility, and a 56,000-square-foot heavyweight freight sorting facility. This consolidation is part of FedEx's strategy to address growing capacity needs and improve logistics, resulting in a 30-year lease valued at $1.1 billion. The facility will sustain 580 jobs, with an average wage of $25 per hour.
Ajax and Iafrate completed the paving phase of the project, which involved placing over 114,000 cubic yards of concrete, including 108,411 square yards of 21-inch concrete, 21,016 square yards of 14-inch concrete, and 18,985 square yards of 10-inch concrete—all supplied by Ajax’s portable batch plant. Superior Materials supplied the 8-inch concrete.
The paving was carried out with precision using various Gomaco pavers. The 21-inch slabs were paved in two lanes at 40 feet wide, ensuring adherence to strict quality control measures, including monitoring the concrete mix, slump, evaporation rates, and other specified requirements. The paving operation was extremely efficient, completed in just 35 days.
For the 10-inch concrete pavements, Iafrate employed a fully automated Wirtgen SP 64 slipform concrete paver, and for the 8-inch pavements, a combination of Wirtgen pavers and laser screeds were used. The total paving operation for the 10-inch and 8-inch slabs was completed in 61 days.
The WCAA FedEx Distribution Facility is a vital infrastructure development at DTW, boosting operational efficiency and economic growth in the region. The project enhances FedEx's logistical capacity while contributing to local job retention and creation.