SME supported the Samsung SDI and General Motors electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in New Carlisle, Indiana, a $3.5 billion advanced manufacturing development planned for approximately 700 acres. The facility is designed for an annual battery production capacity of 27 to 36 GWh. The proposed development included two high-bay manufacturing buildings, ancillary structures, an electrical substation, a fire pump tank, pavements, utilities, and stormwater infrastructure. The two primary plant buildings were planned with footprints of approximately 450,000 and 1.3 million square feet.

Survey

SME began supporting the project during pre-development with topographic and existing-conditions surveying across approximately 700 acres. Aerial photography, LiDAR, and conventional ground surveying were used to develop base mapping and control for site planning, grading, infrastructure layout, and design coordination. As construction advanced, SME established civil site control and high-accuracy building control to support layout and coordination across the project. Services included a GPS-based control network, high-accuracy building control, anchor bolt surveys, 3D laser scanning, column plumbness surveys, and structural verification tied to the established project control network.

Construction Materials Services

SME’s proposed Construction Materials Services scope supported site development and vertical construction activities, including engineered fill, utility trench backfill, building pads, pavement subgrades, aggregate base placement, and cement-stabilized subgrades. The scope also included field density testing and concrete and asphalt testing for pavements, curbs, sidewalks, and other civil improvements. For building construction, the proposed CMS scope included reviewing foundation bearing conditions and reinforcing steel placement, testing concrete for foundations and slabs, and performing floor flatness and floor levelness testing. Additional services included periodic review of structural steel and precast concrete connections, steel fabrication quality-control processes, spray-applied fireproofing, protective coatings, and roofing installation.