Specialty

This project included replacement over 1000 intercoms and 12 head end units within the 8-story intake, housing, and courts facility.  The project included programming and integration of the new intercom and noise level monitoring system into the existing Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Program Logic Controller (PLC) system while maintaining full facility operations with minimal disturbances.  The results provided the facility with an up to date security electronics detention monitoring system, allowed the facility to maintain the health, safety, and monitoring of all individuals (housed, staff, & civilians), and provided a rugged, reliable, and flexible system with minimal maintenance and ease of integration.

This project supplied required infrastructure modifications to support Upgraded Early Warning Radar within the PAVE PAWS facilities at both Beale Air Force Base and Cape Cod Air Force Station locations. These modifications accommodated the installation and testing of upgraded facility equipment without degrading mission readiness of existing legacy equipment and permitted the switch with the new legacy equipment within a 2-minute time frame. The project consisted of renovating, remodeling, and reconstructing existing office and storage space within the facility to provide for the required computer rooms, offices, training room, and other spaces needed. It allowed for duplicate mission operations on the new equipment along with training facilities, while maintaining open storage security requirements. Existing unclassified storage areas received electrical, mechanical, and security system upgrades as required to become open space storage offices. Existing office space was converted to computer rack rooms with additional transformers and Radio Frequency (RF) filters installed to provide filtered power to those spaces. Radio Frequency shield penetrations were required to facilitate cable runs with pre and post testing of the RF shielding systems to ensure no degradation of the protection systems occurred. Work at this facility required close coordination with not only the project team of electrical, mechanical and specialty subcontractors but also facility personnel and mission controllers. Daily and weekly coordination meetings were required. The project site is a Protection Level 1 security and required escorts for all work performed. North Star was responsible for all aspects of the project including project management, quality control, site safety, submittal review, and scheduling to assure project was completed on time and within budget.

Lighting

The intent of this project was to repair the exterior perimeter lighting at PAVE PAWS, Beale AFB by replacing the poles, lighting fixtures, and associated conductors to make a fully functional, ATFP compliant lighting system. Throughout the duration of the project, North Star worked relentlessly to mitigate downtime to the highly secured facility’s daily operations as well as providing a fully functional lighting system at the end of each day. North Star flourished working under pressure exceeding all project requirements on time, on budget while providing a safe working environment. According to Mr. Ron Hernandez, Civil Engineering Manager for PAVE PAWS, “the PAVE PAWS Perimeter Lighting project has been by far the smoothest project this site has ever had.”

Security

This project consisted of renovations to the facility’s existing high security system. The improvements North Star completed included demolishing the existing camera poles and foundations, installing new camera poles and foundations, trenching to and from the new camera poles, electrical pull boxes and buildings, trenching 6,000 LF around the perimeter of the facility, other miscellaneous concrete demolishing and installing and upgrading the existing perimeter fence’s security system. The project was completed under stringent security conditions which required flexible working times and conditions. A considerable amount of the encountered soil was bedrock but we were still able to get the work done on time and budget.