Work has begun on the interior fittings of the Hanford vitrification plant's largest building as it continues to rise.
The Pretreatment Facility, which will stand 120 feet high, is now at 77 feet high in places and continues to rise steadily as concrete and steel are installed.
The facility will be used to separate radioactive waste now held in underground tanks into high level and low activity waste streams for separate treatment for final disposal.
It's the largest building planned on the vit plant's 65-acre campus and measures 540 feet long and 215 feet wide.
"Up until now, we've primarily concentrated on the exterior structural framework of the facility," said Leon Lamm, area project manager for the Pretreatment Facility, in a statement. "Now we are integrating efforts to install commodities inside the building."
Crews have started installing a massive heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, duct inside the facility's hot cell, a shielded area to protect workers from radiation as they conduct work inside it using remotely operated equipment. The duct is part of the primary ventilation system in the building.
The HVAC duct is 5 feet in diameter and will run more than 400 feet, the length of the hot cell.
Because the hot cell will be used to separate the waste into high level and low activity waste streams, the ductwork must meet stringent nuclear-quality standards.
Intermech, a subcontractor to Bechtel National, will continue work to install the duct over the next few months. To prepare for the work, ceiling coatings were applied to structural steel and piping running above the ductwork was installed.
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Vit plant's concrete walls near 100 feet
Vit plant's concrete walls near 100 feet
Crews at the Hanford vitrification plant have finished installing the Pretreatment Facility's fifth elevation of concrete walls.
The walls now stand about 97 feet tall.
To place the latest walls, crews used a specialized concrete pumping truck with an extendable arm that reaches about 200 feet vertically or horizontally.
VIT PLANT: 19-ton piping module installed (w/ video, gallery)
VIT PLANT: 19-ton piping module installed (w/ video, gallery)
RICHLAND -- Crews at the Hanford vitrification plant have lifted a 19-ton piping module over the 98-foot-tall walls of the plant’s largest building, the Pretreatment Facility.
The module is the first and smallest of 13 complex piping modules that will be placed in the next few years, according to Department of Energy contractor Bechtel National.
The module was lowered into a space that provided less than two inches of clearance on each side and just a few feet on each end. It was set 56 feet above the ground.
Vit plant installs 19-ton piping module (w/ gallery, video)
Vit plant installs 19-ton piping module (w/ gallery, video)
RICHLAND -- Crews at the Hanford vitrification plant have lifted a 19-ton piping module over the 98-foot-tall walls of the plant's largest building, the Pretreatment Facility.
The module is the first and smallest of 13 complex piping modules that will be placed in the next few years, according to Department of Energy contractor Bechtel National.
The module was lowered into a space that provided less than two inches of clearance on each side and just a few feet on each end. It was set 56 feet above the ground.
Vit plant decontamination booth in place
Vit plant decontamination booth in place
Crews have assembled and placed a decontamination booth weighing more than
8 tons in the Pretreatment Facility at the Hanford vitrification plant.
The booth will be used to decontaminate large pieces of equipment that must be removed from radioactive areas when they require maintenance.
"The decontamination booth is the first significant piece of permanent plant equipment to be placed inside the Pretreatment Facility that is not required to support the civil construction progress," said Ray Patterson, Bechtel National area project manager for the facility.
Bridge crane in place at vit plant
Bridge crane in place at vit plant
Crews at the Hanford vitrification plant have received and set a bridge crane that is key to allowing construction of the plant's High Level Waste Facility to advance.
The crane, which has a 3-ton capacity, needed to be in place before piping could be installed above and around it.
Teamwork and coordination among engineering, procurement and construction workers allowed the crane to be delivered, then installed in a matter of days, said Joe St. Julian, Bechtel National area project manager for the facility.
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