NORAD Throughout the early 1960s, Utah Construction & Mining also played a key role in building the North American Air Defense Command Base (NORAD) in Colorado. Along with other contractors, the company excavated Cheyenne Mountain, moving approximately 700,000 tons of granite in order to build roads and four reservoirs, which drew water from natural springs. Utah Construction also contracted for nearly $6 million with the United States Department of Engineers to build the combat operations center. The underground complex includes 15 buildings, three of which are three stories tall. Each building rests upon gigantic springs, each weighing 1,000 pounds. The springs allow for the horizontal sway that could be caused by an earthquake or a nuclear explosion. The complex was designed to store water, air, power, and a month's worth of food for some 800 personnel.