The Barton Malow Co.’s recent work on Michigan State University’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams project is just the latest in a long list of projects the company has done on behalf of MSU.
The Southfield-based company has been providing pre-construction and construction management services for FRIB since December of 2010.
Barton Malow has been a partner with MSU for many years, working on projects that have totaled more than $250 million, including the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, the addition to Wells Hall, and the Skandalaris Football Center.
“The FRIB project provides Barton Malow with the opportunity to continue our strong partnership with MSU, while also continuing our mission to build with the American spirit – people, projects and communities,” said Barton Malow Chairman Ben Maibach III. “We are honored to be part of the team bringing this landmark project to reality.”
Companies like Barton Malow’s involvement in FRIB translates into jobs. For example, at the peak of civil construction, more than 200 tradespeople will be working on site. As many as 3,000 workers will eventually be needed to complete the civil construction, which will house the accelerator and technical equipment.
In addition, more than 40 Michigan-based companies will hold contracts for portions of work on FRIB. And, Michigan-made products are being used to build the facility, including 40,000 cubic yards of concrete and 2,700 tons of steel fabricated in Lansing.
FRIB will be a new national user facility for nuclear science, providing intense beams of rare isotopes to better enable scientists to make discoveries about the properties of these isotopes. This will allow researchers to gain deeper understanding into key scientific questions including the origins of stars and the universe. Isotopes discovered may have important applications for medicine, national security, metallurgy and other uses.
The facility also will be critical to preparing the next generation of scientists. MSU’s nuclear physics doctoral program was named the nation’s best by U.S. News and World Report last year, and the prospects of FRIB continuing the NSCL’s reputation as the world’s top rare isotope facility is helping the university continue to attract world-class students and scientists.
For more information about Barton Malow, visit www.bartonmalow.com. For information on the FRIB project, visit www.frib.msu.edu.