A turbine exhaust case employed in an industrial gas turbine engine includes a frame, a fairing and a heat shield. The frame includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and struts connected between the outer ring and the inner ring. The fairing includes a fairing outer ring, a fairing inner ring, and fairing struts connected between the fairing outer ring and the fairing inner ring. The heat shield is located between the frame outer ring and the fairing outer ring and provides a thermal barrier between the fairing outer ring and the frame outer ring, wherein the heat shield includes an aft portion having a flange that interfaces with the frame outer ring to form an air dam that directs cooling airflow forward along the frame outer ring within an outer diameter cavity formed between the frame outer ring and the heat shield.