This 855,000-sq-ft Amazon distribution center, located on 71 acres near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was finished in February after 10 months of work. Crews formed the building’s shell with 196 concrete tilt-wall panels—the heaviest panel weighing 250,000 lb—and also installed 9,600 steel beams and 65 dock doors. Inside, four mezzanines hold consumer products that move along a system of conveyors before being packaged and shipped through the docks.

Although Amazon builds many nearly identical facilities every year, regional variations do occur. The heat in Las Vegas affected this project’s unique specifications, including concerns about thermal expansion and resequencing fire sprinkler installation because it was too hot—160° F—at the deck level. Since the robots Amazon utilizes in the facility are very picky about the surface they drive on, the heat could not be allowed to negatively affect the setting and placing processes for the floor. Flatness specifications were tight, a typical requirement in automated spaces, but with additional specifications such as the coefficient of friction, gloss readings and roughness.

To meet project expectations, the construction team relied on technology, including BIM 360 Field to monitor and track the work of subcontractors. Clash detection and 3D modeling software coordinated the scope of work among all major trades well ahead of time. The Layton team also implemented Domo software and dashboards to collect daily, weekly and monthly installation numbers from subcontractors to help maintain the schedule.

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