Jeff Hall
Part 2 — A Case Study
How Sustainability and Partnership Powered a Major Expansion
For those who follow BE&K Building Group’s blogs, you may have read the one I authored in January 2024 on Decarbonization. This blog presents a case study showcasing how those principles were recently put into practice.
BE&K is currently partnering with Novo Nordisk to construct a new cutting-edge multi-product pharmaceutical manufacturing facility adjacent to their existing operations in Clayton, North Carolina. The ambitious project involves the construction of multiple buildings providing more than 1.4 million sf — making it one of the largest life sciences investments in North Carolina’s history, totaling more than $4 billion.
BE&K is directly performing a significant portion of the work as Design-Builder and Construction Manager and is serving as the Agency Construction Manager for the remainder of the work, providing oversight for developing a facility that spans approximately 56 acres. The final state-of-the-art facility will be instrumental in manufacturing Novo Nordisk’s innovative treatments for obesity and other chronic diseases.
Circular for Zero (Circular Sustainability)
The facility’s design and construction align with Circular for Zero, Novo Nordisk’s global sustainability strategy to achieve zero environmental impact across its operations, supply chain, and products. Their goal is to promote a circular mindset by utilizing renewable energy in their operations, collaborating with suppliers who proactively implement circular manufacturing, sourcing, and procurement, and designing eco-friendly products that reduce waste. For this major expansion, prioritizing Circular for Zero concepts involved a focused approach to implementing the most sustainable solutions possible, including, but not limited to, sourcing materials, reclaiming stormwater, installing electric boilers, and building with the facility’s end-of-life use in mind.
From the earliest planning stages, Novo Nordisk prioritized lowering the facility’s embodied carbon, a key component of decarbonization efforts. One of the sustainability targets for the project’s global warming potential (GWP) over a 50-year period was to limit CO2 emissions to 12.0 kg, in line with Novo Nordisk’s Circular for Zero goals. When initial design calculations for embodied carbon came in at over 13.0 kg, it was clear that a solution was in order.
The Partnerships That Produced a Solution
As the Construction Manager for the initial scope, BE&K brought the right design-assist trade partners and suppliers to the table early to help make Novo Nordisk’s goal a reality — enabling smarter planning decisions, fewer design changes, and better project alignment. Key design-assist partners assisted with evaluating material choices, structural efficiencies, and environmental product declarations.
For the structural steel scope, the team quickly realized that Grade 50 Steel, commonly used in commercial construction environments, would not achieve Novo Nordisk’s goals. Through additional sustainable analysis and research, the project team reached out to Nucor for its Grade 65 Steel solution to reduce the project’s overall tonnage and embodied carbon. Coordination among BE&K, the structural engineer, the steel erector, and Nucor was frequent and transparent. Engineers ran comparative models to check tonnage tradeoffs and to confirm where Grade 65 Steel could replace normal-grade sections without sacrificing structural performance. Using Grade 65 Steel for major trusses and columns became a key enabler for lowering the project’s GWP.
Nucor’s reliability in production, recycling ethos, and alignment with the project’s carbon reduction mindset made them a true partner in the process. Their willingness to share environmental data, support design decisions, and integrate with the project’s sustainability goals was essential.
Looking Ahead: Sustainability by Design, Partnership by Choice
The Novo Nordisk Fill-Finish Expansion project showcases what happens when sustainability is treated as a driving force rather than a checkbox or an afterthought and when collaboration is prioritized from Day One. Together, Novo Nordisk, BE&K, Nucor, and the project’s design and trade partners are delivering a facility that will meet the client’s rigorous performance needs while pushing the envelope on embodied carbon reduction.
As the construction industry increasingly emphasizes climate responsibility, we believe the model of early partner integration, combined with rigorous materials evaluation and coordinated execution, will become essential. At BE&K, we are committed to leading in this space by selecting business partners who share our vision, embedding sustainability throughout every project phase, and continuously improving how we build for tomorrow.
From sustainable materials to seamless project execution, BE&K brings expertise and collaboration to every build. Contact Jeff Hall at jeff.hall@bekbg.com to learn more about BE&K’s decarbonization strategies for your next project. To further explore how Nucor’s steel contributed to reducing the carbon footprint on this major expansion, view their case study here.