As the United States accelerates investment in hypersonic weapons systems, directed energy technologies, and next-generation aerospace research, the demand for advanced testing environments continues to grow. Yet facilities capable of supporting this level of research remain rare, particularly within university settings.
Designed to bridge the divide between laboratory-scale experimentation and large national testing ranges, the BAM Range provides researchers with a fully enclosed environment for evaluating hypersonic vehicle performance, high-energy laser propagation, and hypervelocity material impacts under tightly controlled atmospheric conditions.
The completed project is now considered one of the nation’s most advanced enclosed hypersonic and directed-energy research facilities, positioning Texas A&M as a major contributor to aerospace and defense innovation.
“We set out to build the BAM as a very large-scale facility to help supplement our current capabilities as a country,” said Dr. Nathan Tichenor, Chief Research Officer & Director of Hypersonic Facilities for BCDC.
For Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, delivering the facility required an unconventional approach to sequencing, structural coordination, and systems integration while maintaining exacting tolerances throughout construction.
A Research Facility Built Around Scientific Infrastructure
Phase I of the BAM Range includes a 42,600-square-foot, single-story structure centered around a half-kilometer-long Aero-Optics and Hypersonic Ballistics Testing Range contained entirely within the building envelope.
Supporting systems include a 2-Stage Light Gas Gun and Blast Tank, advanced vacuum and atmospheric simulation systems, materials testing laboratories, Recovery Tube Soft-Catch systems, and dedicated control and support spaces.
Unlike conventional research facilities, many of the project’s primary components function more like industrial-scale scientific infrastructure than standard building systems. Construction sequencing and structural coordination had to revolve around the operational requirements of the testing equipment itself.
The project also included utility extensions, parking, walkways, and landscape improvements integrated into the broader RELLIS Campus infrastructure.
“What truly makes the facility unique is that the gun shoots into a fully enclosed range.” — Dr. Nathan Tichenor
Precision and Quality Across Half a Kilometer
One of the project’s greatest technical challenges involved installation and alignment of the half-kilometer-long, 2.4-meter-diameter testing range.
The system required extremely tight tolerances across its full length to ensure accurate laser propagation and hypersonic testing conditions. Even minimal deviations in alignment could compromise research accuracy and operational performance.
To maintain precision, the construction team implemented a phased alignment strategy supported by continuous laser verification, structural tolerance monitoring, and custom survey controls along the full length of the range.
Beyond Bartlett Cocke’s standard quality control procedures, the Blast Tank was hydrostatically tested in accordance with ASME standards, while all field welds were visually inspected by a Certified Weld Inspector (CWI). Additionally, 15% of the total weld length underwent nondestructive testing using magnetic particle or liquid penetrant examination methods.
Advanced laser technology verified guiderail alignment to ten-thousandths of an inch across the half-kilometer facility. The team also developed custom leak-testing procedures to validate vacuum performance throughout the range tube and performed in-house process automation commissioning to verify equipment, sensors, controls, and overall system functionality prior to startup.
Managing Extreme Forces
The facility’s 2-Stage Light Gas Gun and Blast Tank introduced another layer of engineering complexity.
These systems generate substantial dynamic forces during operation, requiring reinforced foundations, specialized anchoring systems, and structural assemblies engineered to absorb and dissipate high-energy loads safely.
To protect adjacent instrumentation and maintain testing accuracy, vibration isolation systems were incorporated throughout the facility. Structural embeds, custom steel supports, and precision anchor assemblies had to be installed before major equipment deliveries occurred.
Large components were then positioned using engineered lift plans and staged crane operations designed specifically for the confined structural environment of the building.
Building Airtight Research Environments
Beyond structural precision, the BAM Range required tightly controlled atmospheric and vacuum conditions to support laser propagation studies and hypersonic testing scenarios.
Traditional enclosure systems were insufficient for the facility’s performance requirements. The project team worked closely with equipment vendors and design consultants to develop enhanced sealing procedures, including specialized gasketing systems, precision interface detailing, custom mechanical connections, and progressive pressure testing protocols.
Maintaining airtight conditions across large-scale testing chambers required extraordinary coordination among structural, mechanical, and specialty trades. Rather than relying solely on final commissioning verification, the team implemented phased testing procedures throughout construction.
“This allows us to effectively do a flight test on the ground at a really large scale.” — Dr. Nathan Tichenor
A Systems-First Construction Strategy
The scale and complexity of the facility’s scientific infrastructure required a nontraditional construction sequencing approach.
Major testing systems, vacuum piping, and support infrastructure were installed before portions of the surrounding architectural and structural systems were fully enclosed. This “systems-first” strategy allowed the project team to maintain access for alignment, integration, and verification activities that would have been significantly more difficult later in construction.
Advanced 3D modeling and clash detection played a central role in project execution, allowing the team to identify conflicts early, refine installation tolerances, and plan equipment access routes before field installation began.
Delivering a Long-Term Research Asset
The completed BAM Range reflects an exceptional level of technical execution, craftsmanship, and interdisciplinary coordination.
Inside the building, the half-kilometer testing range extends through the facility in a highly organized configuration supported by integrated structural and mechanical systems designed for operational performance and long-term maintainability.
More importantly, the BAM Range positions The Texas A&M University System as a national leader in aerospace, defense, and hypersonic research.
“What initially began as a collaboration with the U.S. Army has now expanded into collaboration with multiple government agencies, as well as other defense and space industries. Together, through the use of Texas A&M University System resources like the BAM Range, we are focused on accelerating the development of critical technologies our warfighters need, when they need it,” said Dr. Tichenor.
For Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, the project demonstrates how disciplined planning, advanced coordination, and precision execution can successfully deliver some of the most technically demanding research infrastructure being constructed today.
As Texas continues expanding its role in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense innovation, facilities like BAM will help shape the future of scientific discovery and national security research for decades to come.
About Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is one of Texas’ leading commercial construction firms, serving clients across higher education, K-12 education, civic & government, commercial, industrial & manufacturing, and healthcare markets. Since 1959, Bartlett Cocke has partnered with communities throughout Texas to build spaces that support growth, innovation, and long-term impact. With offices in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, which includes Bryan-College Station, the employee-owned company is known for its collaborative approach, strong safety culture, and commitment to delivering quality projects that strengthen the communities they serve. Bartlett Cocke has consistently earned recognition as one of the industry’s top employers and builders, including honors such as Best Places to Work, ENR Top 400 Contractors, Quantum Certified Workplace, and Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces.
For more information regarding Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, please visit our website at www.bartlettcocke.com.
