Keeping the Network Moving: Delivering Critical Power Infrastructure Without Interrupting FedEx Operations

Challenge

As one of FedEx’s active logistics hubs, uninterrupted operations are non-negotiable. Aircraft schedules, package sorting, and ground transportation run 24/7, and even a brief outage or access disruption could ripple across the company’s network.

Within this live environment, Flintco was tasked with delivering a new 40-megawatt generator facility and electrical substation while maintaining full operations. The scope included installing more than a mile of underground duct bank 3 to 10 feet below grade through drive lanes, parking areas, and high-traffic zones dense with active utilities. Constructed on a brownfield site with unsuitable subsurface soils, the generator building required ram aggregate piers installed in extremely tight quarters alongside concrete-encased duct banks and deep utilities.

Solution

Flintco structured the project around one guiding principle: FedEx operations would not be interrupted. Underground duct bank installation was divided into 300-foot sections—the maximum area FedEx could release at one time. Each segment required temporary relocation of trucks and equipment and rerouting of traffic to maintain an uninterrupted logistics flow. The team submitted daily work plans and maintained two-week look-ahead schedules to coordinate construction activities around peak operational periods. To protect existing infrastructure, Flintco combined FedEx as-built documentation with ground-penetrating radar, hydrovac excavation, and hand digging to verify utility locations before installation.

Beneath the generator building, 1,900 ram aggregate piers were installed in extremely close proximity to concrete-encased duct banks and deep utilities. Flintco led intensive 3D coordination among electrical, geotechnical, structural, and plumbing teams to model all systems and resolve conflicts in advance—minimizing field adjustments and eliminating risks to live operations.

In addition to building the new 40 MW generator plant and navigating underground utilities, the team successfully managed major infrastructure crossings, including two 10-foot cuts beneath Democrat Road, a primary FedEx thoroughfare. These crossings required four separate lane-closure phases, each carefully coordinated with the City of Memphis through tightly controlled permits. Work was conducted during daytime hours to avoid peak nighttime traffic, and every phase was sequenced to minimize disruption.

Result

Throughout construction, FedEx operations continued without interruption. Planned electrical outages were carefully scheduled, reviewed, and executed in strict accordance with lockout/tagout procedures and methods of procedure approved by the owner, engineer, and installation teams. Upfront modeling and coordination were instrumental in preventing rework, delays, and additional costs. The team achieved zero unplanned outages to FedEx facilities—keeping a mission-critical logistics hub fully operational while delivering critical power infrastructure.