New Torpedo Magazine Contracted for Construction Aboard New London

By Lisa Cachin
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
Friday, March 18, 2011

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic awarded a $4.1 million contract March 15, to LaRosa Building Group of Meriden, Conn., for construction of an earth-covered "Type-C" magazine for MK-48 torpedoes aboard Naval Submarine Base (NAVSUBASE) New London, Groton, Conn.

The scope of the project includes a paved access road and apron area, to allow easier delivery and off-loading of torpedoes to the magazine. The magazine itself will be constructed of steel reinforced concrete with steel blast resistant magazine doors.

"The new magazine will be a great contributing factor to mission support," said Roger Schalge, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic project manager of the Northeast Integrated Products team. "It will provide additional storage space and improved accessibility than the existing magazine."

The new type C magazine will allow ordnance trucks to pull up in front of the magazine, where the ordnance can be offloaded via forklift directly into the magazine without the need of removing it from its safe shipping containers. Additionally, this new magazine will be outfitted with an interior, overhead ordnance lifting system - a unique upgrade from the traditional type C design.

Schalge said the new magazine will be a tremendous efficiency improvement over the older steel arch, earth covered magazines it replaces. He said the smaller magazines did not allow for forklift access, and required lifting slings and overhead manual chain hoists.

"They often made ordnance movement a time consuming, labor-intensive job," said Schalge.

Construction on the project will also include site preparation; pile foundation; lightning protection; and electrical distribution, including a new transformer, a new emergency generator, and area and security lighting. The existing Keyport Magazines will be demolished.

Low Impact Design (LID) considerations like using permeable pavement for the apron and access road will reduce storm water runoff and keep water from accumulating. The storm water runoff will be monitored for quality and quantity, making sure the runoff that reaches storm drains is as free of pollutants as possible.

The contract is the second task order for a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple award design-build, design-bid-build construction contract for general building type projects on work to be performed within the NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Northeast area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed in February 2013.