Maintenance Shops and Service Bays in Wyoming

Mine shops do not close for weather. The Black Thunder mine in Campbell County produced 62,180,000 short tons in 2022, more than 25 percent of Wyoming's coal, and the haul trucks, loaders and dozers that moved it needed a place to be fixed on the worst day of the year. A shop that is too short, too cold or too crowded costs an operation money every hour a machine sits waiting for a bay.

We build maintenance shops and service bays for mines, trona operations, gas field contractors, power plants, refineries, construction fleets and plant maintenance departments. The building is usually simple on the outside. Inside, it has to carry a bridge crane, take a machine that is heavy enough to crack an ordinary slab, drain oil and water, stay warm and let a mechanic work under a truck without being rained on by condensation.

The design problem is clearance and capacity. Door heights, crane hook heights, bay widths and floor loads are set by the largest machine the owner will ever park inside. We ask about that machine first, then about the next one the owner might buy.

From Pad to Parts Room

A typical heavy shop includes a structural steel or metal building with tall, wide doors, a thickened and reinforced slab, bridge crane runways, drains with oil separation, lighting, ventilation and exhaust capture. We add welding bays, wash bays, tire bays, lube rooms, fluid storage with containment, a parts room and offices for supervisors and planners.

Outside, we build pads for equipment, aprons that handle heavy tracked and wheeled loads, and fuel and wash areas. Foundations for large machine tools or presses get their own design. Our work on equipment pads and foundations follows the same discipline, with embeds and anchor bolts set to template.

Snow, Cold and Altitude

Pinedale averages about 76 inches of winter snowfall and sits at 7,182 feet, near the Pinedale Anticline and the Jonah Field. The BLM manages the Jonah Field in the Green River Basin, with estimated reserves of 10.5 trillion cubic feet. A shop in a gas field has to handle deep snow, drifting at doors and equipment that runs at all hours. Roof design, snow guards and door placement matter more than they would in a gentler place.

Cold also affects the slab, the doors and the people. Heat distribution in a tall bay is tricky because warm air rises. We use radiant tube heaters, in-floor heat or high-volume low-speed fans, depending on the work. Doors are insulated and sealed, and openings are placed away from prevailing wind where we can.

Heavy Machines and Tight Spaces

Heavy shops have heavy hazards: crane picks over people, machines on jacks, hot work near fuel and fluids, noise and confined spaces. During construction we separate crews from the owner's shop traffic, bar access to crane runways and lock out powered equipment. The first pick of a crane beam gets its own written plan.

After turnover, safety is built into the building. We install guards at crane stops, mark floor zones, provide eyewash and spill stations, and arrange lighting so operators can see under machines. Owners can then train to the building instead of working around it.

Build the Shop Around the Work Flow

We talk to the maintenance planner before we sketch anything. How do machines enter the shop? How long do they stay? What gets rebuilt in house and what goes out? From those answers we lay out bays, cranes and parts storage so that a machine moves through the shop like a part on a line. Wash goes first, then inspection, then repair, then test.

We also consider what the owner cannot afford to lose. If one crane failing stops the whole shop, a second crane or a shared runway is worth a look. If power loss would freeze fluids, backup heat is worth a look. We raise the questions in preconstruction so owners decide with the numbers in front of them.

Related Work

Maintenance shops often come with a mezzanine for parts and offices, a yard for staging and a fleet parking area. Our automotive and fleet facilities page covers the vehicle side, and the warehouse page covers supply buildings that sit next to a shop.

Where a shop supports plant operations, such as a refinery or power station, we coordinate with the owner's turnaround and outage plans so work does not collide with the plant's own schedule.

Wyoming's Heavy Industrial Base

Four trona mines operate in Sweetwater County according to the State Inspector of Mines' 2025 report, and trona employment was 2,296 workers in 2025. Those operations run large underground and surface fleets with shops to match. Wright and its neighbors host coal fleets of a different scale, and the gas fields around Pinedale rely on service companies that need shops close to the wells.

Owners in metals and heavy industry and in the power sector carry a long list of maintenance needs. Plants change fuels, mines close or open, and equipment gets replaced. A shop built with room to adapt will outlast the use it was built for.

Tell us the largest machine

Tell us the largest machine, how many bays you want and what the weather does to your site. We will draw the shop around your work flow, price it and give you a schedule. If the shop is part of a bigger plan, our team can bring the site, utilities and foundations into one contract.

Common Questions

How tall and wide should shop doors be?

Size them for the tallest and widest machine you expect to service, plus working clearance. A door that fits today's truck may not fit tomorrow's loader. We ask for equipment dimensions and plan for a larger machine than you own now, since changing a door opening later is expensive.

Do I need a bridge crane?

Not always. A bridge crane makes sense when you lift heavy components regularly, such as engines, axles or gear cases. Smaller shops may use jib cranes, mobile cranes or lifts. We compare options by cost, clearance and use, and design the structure to carry whatever crane the owner chooses.

What kind of floor does a heavy shop need?

A thick, reinforced slab on a compacted base, with joints placed to handle loads and a hardener or coating against oil and abrasion. Wheel loads from heavy equipment can be extreme. The structural engineer sets the design values based on the machines, and we place and cure the slab carefully.

How do you keep a shop warm with tall doors opening all day?

With a mix of insulated doors, air curtains or fast doors, zoned heat and good building tightness. Radiant heat warms people and equipment directly. We work with the owner to select a system based on how the shop operates, how often doors open and what fuel is available.