When The Boeing Company needed to expand its extensive aircraft assembly facility in order to produce the 777, Boeing’s value jetliner, the company once again called on The Austin Company to tackle the project. The original facility was designed, engineered and constructed by Austin in 1966 and was already the largest building by volume in the world.

The 777 expansion project required an intricate underground system of utility tunnels and trenches. Austin dug 6,500 feet of tunnels that accommodate utility mains and are designed for emergency evacuation, and 11,500 feet of trenches to facilitate utility installation. The expansion also included adding eight cranes to the plant’s existing overhead crane system. The cranes, each capable of lifting 40 tons, are used to handle components and subassemblies, and to move airplane parts from one assembly position to another.