Form Energy selected the former Weirton Steel Mill site in West Virginia for its first high-volume battery manufacturing facility. It was an ambitious ground-up redevelopment that aligned with Independence Excavating’s (IX’s) strengths in collaborative planning, schedule-driven execution, and navigating complex site challenges.

IX’s initial contract included installation of erosion and sediment controls and preparation of the 420,000 SF Form Factory 1 (FF1) building pad using a combination of onsite concrete, imported fill, and aggregate. As anticipated on a former steel mill site, test drilling for foundation piles uncovered numerous subsurface obstructions. IX was tasked with systematically excavating over 145 locations including buried concrete foundations, utility vaults, and steel slabs up to 20’ deep. Drawing on our experience with complex industrial sites, IX completed the work while staying ahead of the piling subcontractor and ensuring uninterrupted progress.

IX’s strong performance, competitive pricing, and collaborative partnership with Form Energy led to the award of several follow-on packages, including FF1 Site Grading, the FF1 Utility Package, and construction of the Industrial Access Road connecting Main Street to the facility.

While FF1 construction was underway, Form Energy initiated plans for the Form Factory Expansion (FFE), adding 273,000 SF of manufacturing space. Within a month of completing and demobilizing from the FF1 site, IX was called back to begin FFE obstruction removal and continued work under additional civil packages awarded based on our proven reliability and results. Highlights of IX’s total scope included:

• 222,000 CY of imported material placed

• 170,000 CY of cut-to-fill earthwork

• 30,000 LF of wet utility installation

• 5,900 LF of dry utility installation

• 2,200 LF of retaining walls demolished

• 11,500 SF of new retaining walls installed

• 5,000 LF of new roadway constructed

• Demolition of 68,200 SF former mill structure

• 3,336 tons of scrap sorted and hauled offsite

Through weekly planning meetings with Form Energy and the design team, IX enabled real-time issue resolution and value engineering opportunities. Notably, IX proposed design modifications to the retaining walls and pond outlet storm system that resulted in $2 million in cost savings while improving constructability and accelerating the schedule.