High Bay Research Facility opens at University of Wyoming

University of Wyoming Hosts Grand Opening Festivities
University of Wyoming Reveals New High Bay Laboratory Space

September 12, 2017-Laramie, WY —  Just in time for classes to begin, the University of Wyoming celebrated its new $68 million High Bay Research Facility with Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, university staff and a crowd donned in the University’s Wyoming Brown and Wyoming Gold.

Named for its two-and-a-half story “high bay” laboratory, the 90,000 square foot space is complete with a crane where researchers can modify space configurations based on their research needs.  Planners created the layout to increase the long-term use of the building so researchers could modify the space according to requirements, and oversized doors were installed to allow researchers to move large samples for evaluation.

High Bay Research FacilityEncore Electric partnered with Haselden Construction on this facility, whose unprecedented design and construction creates space for specialized oil and gas industry research and contains labs for structures, geomechanical work and oil recovery.

“It was challenging, as there is no other facility in the world like it,” said Zach Mikash, Encore Electric account manager.  “It took an enormous amount of coordination between Encore Electric, the University of Wyoming and Haselden Construction.  We needed to comply with standards of the University and be able to service the students, while creating a facility that had never been built before.”

Encore provided the power for the revolutionary equipment in the High Bay Research Facility which will be used to study porous media and increase efficencies in the oil extraction industry.

“We were about 25% of the way into the project, and electrical rooms were laid out,” Preconstruction Manager Justin Clarke said.  “At that time, the client determined a need to increase the size of the electrical service to accommodate ovens and other equipment for the laboratories. We worked together with the Haselden and the University to address the new needs and continue the project forward.  I was really pleased with the professionalism and action of the team to keep this project on track.”

“This was a unique project with a very elaborate electrical system that really came together in the end,” said Northern Business Unit Director Andy Gordon. “I am very proud of what our team was able to accomplish, working through many complex design changes on a first of a kind building, they were able to complete the project on time and turn over a high quality product for the University of Wyoming.”

It took 18 months to build the High Bay Research laboratory.

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Building photos courtesy of Haselden Construction.

 
 
 
 

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