In a First, Oak Ridge Crews Tackle Multiple Demolition Projects at ORNL

Aerial views show the Graphite Reactor support facilities prior to demolition and as demolition is underway. They include Building 3003, right, Building 3002, left, and the Building 3018 stack, center. These structures are located on a small footprint in a heavily congested area on top of a hill at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – For the first time ever, cleanup crews are conducting more than one demolition project simultaneously at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

While crews with the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR begin demolishing Building 3003, another team is tearing down the former Radioisotope Development Lab, one of the most contaminated structures at the site.

Used during the Manhattan Project, Building 3003 is one of three support facilities for the former Graphite Reactor, the world’s oldest reactor. The structures are located on a small footprint in a heavily congested area on top of a hill. Removing Building 3003 provides space to support teardowns of the neighboring facilities.

Demolition crews take the “first bites” of Building 3003 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Teardown on the outer portion of the facility is scheduled for completion this month with debris removal expected to be finished in early August.

This project is clearing 10,000 feet for workers and heavy equipment operators to demolish the adjacent Building 3002 and Building 3018, a 200-foot-tall stack.

“Reaching this milestone is important,” said Chad York, ORNL area project manager at OREM. “Our purpose at ORNL is to make the overall footprint cleaner, safer and prepared for future missions. This is our first demolition at the Graphite Reactor complex, and the additional real estate generated from this demo will ease some the spatial constraints for the demolitions that follow.”

Built in 1943, Building 3003 contained a fan house and provided ventilation for the Graphite Reactor. The fan house drew air from the reactor through underground ducts and released it through the stack.

Workers perform deactivation activities inside Building 3003 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before demolition begins.

To prepare for demolition, workers made multiple entries into the subgrade duct space to perform sampling, survey and spray fixative. They removed general debris and hazardous waste, and poured a concrete mixture into the exterior utility trench to ensure a flat working surface around the building.

“A lot of work went into getting us to this point,” said Mike Vestal, OREM project manager. “That success reveals a lot about this workforce and our effort to achieve our cleanup mission at ORNL."

Demolition on the outer portion of Building 3003 is scheduled for completion later this month with debris removal expected to be finished in early August. Teardown of Building 3002 and Building 3018 will occur in coming years.

The removal of these facilities clears away aging, contaminated structures, opens land for reuse and enhances accessibility to the Graphite Reactor, which is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

-Contributor: Carol Hendrycks