Building Construction Overview

Scale Model of Udvar-Hazy Center © 1998 Smithsonian Institution SI # 99-15319 79K JPEG

Building Construction In April 2001, the contract to build the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center was awarded to Hensel Phelps Construction Co., an employee-owned company with headquarters in Greeley, Colo. Construction of phase 1 was complete in December 2003.

Interesting facts:

• 30,000 cubic yards of excavation
• 40,000 cubic yards of concrete
• 6500 tons of steel
• 122 42-inch-diameter caissons
• 87,000 sq. feet of masonry
• 800,000 sq. feet of roofing
• 209,000 sq. feet of metal panel
• 10 elevators
• 18 sets of stairs
• 64,000 linear feet (12 miles) of Walker duct (used for communications and electrical cable)
• 7,100 gallons of white paint

At the peak of the contract, there were about 600 men and women working on site to build the center. Almost 80 contractors and vendors contributed to construction of the building.
see the complete list of contractors and vendors