What our Client Needed
CF Industries in Donaldsonville, LA, is a global leader in the manufacturing of nitrogen and ammonia. They wanted to increase their production by expanding their ammonia manufacturing and storage facilities.
What Stueve Designed and Built
The CF Industries team chose Stueve to construct their new buildings after visiting several projects that Stueve designed and built.
“We built a new manufacturing facility and a storage facility that handles 100,000 tons of product,” says Reynold Franklin, CEO of Stueve Construction. “While we have built many storage facilities, this was the first time we constructed a manufacturing facility. They ended up doubling production and are now the dominant player in this country because of the expansion of the facility.”
The project was not without its challenges, chief of which were a tight timeline and poor soil conditions.
Franklin says they planned for the tough site conditions and used auger cast piles for the project.
“Our engineers know how to adjust to conditions,” Franklin says. “We use the safest, longest-lasting solution necessary for the project, but we always keep cost in mind. If the site is easier to work with, we can use less costly solutions.”
Despite the size and challenges, Stueve completed the whole project within the required timeline.
“We went from design to finish in a year,” Franklin says. “The entire facility is fully automated and designed with backup generators.”
All product from this facility is shipped by rail or barges, and the new storage facility accommodates that. Product from the manufacturing plant is loaded directly into the storage facility as it is being made. It can then be loaded out at 200 tons per hour.
Specs at a Glance
Dry Fertilizer Storage Addition: 90,500 T
Bins: 800’ X 140’
Alley Way: 800’ x 50’
