As one of the most experienced deep foundation specialty contractors in North America, we catch up with Bill Shea, COO, about Morris-Shea’s recent developments.
ADVANCED DEEP FOUNDATION TEAM AND EQUIPMENT
The US construction industry has evolved to meet the demand for greater manufacturing capabilities and renewable energy applications.
This is realized in new construction starts for significant transportation and manufacturing infrastructure projects, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, electric vehicle (EV) plants, and rolled aluminum mills.
It is in these sectors that Morris-Shea shines, having completed deep foundation operations for six LNG projects in the Gulf Coast, as well as a Ford electric vehicle (EV) plant and a massive aluminum manufacturing facility.
Bill Shea, COO, believes its recent successes are a direct result of the company’s ambitious evolution from a regional player to the fourth largest deep foundation contractor in North America.
“We’ve propelled our whole operation into the future with an ongoing employee training program, innovative project engineering, and state-of-the-art construction equipment. Morris-Shea has searched worldwide for the most advanced specialty deep foundation equipment,” offers Shea.
The contractor has more than doubled its operational capacity over the last decade, enabling it to reach new heights in the installation of deep foundation systems across the energy, manufacturing, commercial, and industrial markets.
“Our successes are not only about the projects we complete, but they are also about the people behind them. As we grow, so do the opportunities for personal and professional achievements among our team,” Shea says.
For generations, the Morris-Shea team has helped to build the backbone of the US’s infrastructure. Today, the company continues to strengthen this foundation with innovation and engineering prowess. Nationwide, communities depend on the contractor’s expertise as a leader in deep foundation construction.
Great structures, whether they are buildings or factories, begin with a vision and solid foundation. Therefore, Morris-Shea’s focus is on developing foundation solutions and maintaining the highest quality standards.
In addition, the country’s top companies across various industries trust Morris-Shea to provide a crucial foundation that supports their dreams.
LNG LIQUEFICATION TERMINALS
Morris-Shea has the necessary manpower, equipment, and experience to maintain the engineering integrity and construction processes necessary for multiple projects.
The concurrent installation of nearly 66,000 DeWaal piles at new LNG terminals in Corpus Christi, Texas and Plaquemines Parish (Plaquemines), Louisiana, required numerous highly-skilled crews of deep foundation professionals.
Operations in Plaquemines comprised 12 rigs drilling around the clock, involving 300 on-site employees installing approximately 33,000 piles to depths of more than 120 feet (ft).
The experience needed for the project grew from years of DeWaal pile installation at LNG liquefaction facilities near Freeport, Texas; Sabine Pass, Gulf of Mexico; and Cameron Parish and Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana.
Today, the Morris-Shea DeWaal Pile System provides critical foundations for advanced LNG terminals operating throughout the southern US.
At the Plaquemines LNG terminal project, the company amassed over one million man-hours without a single reported safety incident.
FORD EV PLANT
In 2024, Morris-Shea completed the installation of DeWaal piles, rigid inclusions, and foundation shoring at Ford’s expansive new production facility near Stanton, Tennessee.
Nearly 10,000 DeWaal piles were drilled in sites throughout Ford’s EV manufacturing complex. Three major pits were excavated and the bases were fitted with mud slabs, followed by the installation of concrete slabs. Two of the pits began as sheet pile cofferdams and the third utilized wood lagging for earth retention shoring.
Morris-Shea collaborated with the facility’s engineers to optimize an alternate design to the original specification for drilled shafts. DeWaal piles provided a value-engineered solution that improved production performance while maintaining load capacity.
ALUMINIUM MILL
Morris-Shea is nearing the completion of deep foundation continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, soil mix walls, sheet pile cofferdams, and drilled shafts at a massive aluminum manufacturing plant under construction in Bay Minette, Alabama.
The contractor utilized a rig-mounted vibro hammer, Kemsolid KSI soil mixer, Fundex F5600 and F3500, Liebherr, and Bauer BG 45 drill rigs for the project.
Morris-Shea installed drilled shafts in the caster pit, setting four 103-inch diameter steel casings in pre-drilled shafts to a depth of 106ft. Internal casings were added and reinforced with rebar and concrete between the two steel pipes to accommodate a piston-like action.
Going forward, large hydraulic cylinders will be mounted inside the inner casings for the purpose of pushing the castings out of the caster pits.
THE MOST ADVANCED DRILLING EQUIPMENT
Morris-Shea’s Fundex F5600 is the largest sole-purpose foundation drill rig in use in North America. The contractor maintains two of these purpose-built, fixed-mast rigs in its extensive fleet of advanced deep foundation installation equipment.
The Fundex F5600, for example, can be purposed to perform multiple foundation techniques but is primarily used by the company to install the DeWaal Pile System. The drill rig was also recently employed for critical energy facility construction and major residential high-rise projects.
Additionally, Morris-Shea has purchased six portable, compact, track-mounted drill rigs designed for the installation of geothermal closed-loop heating and cooling systems.
All of the company’s heavy equipment is linked to its Automated Monitoring System, which records all parameters during drilling operations and then produces a comprehensive log for each borehole.
“We are proud to support this generation of Morris-Shea team members, laying deep foundations for a brighter tomorrow”
Bill Shea, COO, Morris-Shea
SUPPORTING A BRIGHT FUTURE
Morris-Shea achieved the Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) STEP Diamond Award for a second consecutive year in recognition of its outstanding safety performance.
“This award demonstrates how strongly we believe in our culture of safety,” Shea says.
“Our company is committed to safeguarding the well-being of every Morris-Shea team member. Workplace safety is our ongoing priority; it’s an initiative that strives to deliver us home safely at the end of each workday.”
Meanwhile, Morris-Shea’s geotechnical team constructs foundations for many of the world’s largest energy, manufacturing, industrial, and commercial projects. The contractor is currently installing deep foundations under some of North America’s most exciting construction operations.
“We are proud to support this generation of Morris-Shea team members, laying deep foundations for a brighter tomorrow. The work we do today builds a strong future for both the company and our families, driving health and prosperity for our whole team,” Shea concludes.
Since 1992, Morris-Shea has installed hundreds of thousands of deep foundation piles throughout the US, Caribbean, and South America, and will continue to excel into the future.
MORRIS-SHEA PARTNER
