BASF Automotive Coatings Plant
Caojing, China
Award of Merit
Owner BASF Shanghai Coatings Co.
Lead Design Firm and EPC Contractor Fluor
MEP Nanjing Nanhua Construction Co.
Expansion of this coatings plant in Shanghai province—an investment that chemical maker BASF estimated at $163.7 million in a 2017 announcement—delivered to the German owner and its local partner a facility that includes new production lines, a solvent recovery unit and other infrastructure. Parallel construction to ongoing 24/7 operations allowed efficient use of craft workers, about 1,200 at peak, and maintenance of a silicon-free environment to ensure coatings quality. Led by Fluor, the team achieved 3.6 million work hours without a lost-time or recordable incident, despite extreme weather and use of electromagnetic radiation to test more than 11,000 welds. The project’s 0.39% weld-reject ratio is well below the 1.25% considered a good industry standard, says the project team. A strong safety culture included more than 45,000 safety observations and rainwater sample-testing to prevent contamination. A fast-tracked 15-month schedule enabled project completion on time and 10% under budget.
