Portsmouth Milestone: Demolition Wipes Out Southwest Corner of 33-Acre Facility

Demolition of 66,000 square feet of the X-333 Process Building removed the building’s southwest corner and created an area for storage and staging for large process gas valves to be removed during future demolition activities.

PIKETON, Ohio —The U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth Site reached a significant milestone in the X-333 Process Building demolition when crews safely took down the 66,000-square-foot southwest corner of the 33-acre facility.

“Safety has been the top priority throughout demolition, and our record of zero recordable injuries is proof,” Federal Project Director Christy Brown said. “With the right people, tools and leadership, the X-333 project demonstrates how strategic preparation and teamwork delivers tangible results to best utilize federal funding.”

Water is added as a dust-suppression safety measure while demolition equipment dismantles the X-333 Process Building.

Representing 4.55% of the total structural demolition, the achievement enabled DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) to check off a fiscal year priority ahead of schedule and under budget. The work also generated nearly 10,000 cubic yards of debris downsized for disposal in the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility.

Beginning the teardown at the building’s southwest corner created an essential storage and staging area for large process gas valves to be removed during demolition, helping avoid work interruptions caused by handling specialized materials.

“We reached the demolition target more than a month early because of effective teamwork, careful planning and the right mix of skilled people and specialized equipment,” said Carl Williams, X-333 deputy director at EM contractor Southern Ohio Cleanup Company.

Heavy equipment with a grapple picks up, organizes and loads debris from the west side of the X-333 Process Building into trucks for disposal.

“A unique, highly modified piece of equipment known as ‘The Empress’ has outperformed initial productivity assumptions,” Williams said of the excavator. “The early completion of this milestone provides a firm foundation for the next phase of demolition in the fiscal year that begins this October.”

A landmark project spurring future redevelopment, demolition of X-333 — the site’s largest facility — began in April last year and is expected to be completed in 2031. Team members will look for opportunities to accelerate the project.

-Contributor: Michelle Teeters