Skilled Oak Ridge Operators Make EM’s Biggest Demolition at Y-12 Possible

Anthony Singleton is a certified heavy equipment operator for the high-reach excavator. He has 20 years of experience and has worked on some of Oak Ridge’s most notable successes, including demolition at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Biology Complex at the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the former Radiological Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR are conducting the largest demolition to date at the Y-12 National Security Complex — teardown of the Alpha-2 building. Accomplishing a project of this scale requires specialized equipment and highly trained and skilled operators.

Alpha-2 is a former Manhattan Project-era enrichment facility that stands 80 feet tall, measures 325,000 square feet and covers 2.5 acres of land. Taking it down involves the use of a 350,000-pound high-reach excavator that can extend nearly 180 feet.

What’s required to operate that type of equipment? It begins with a four-year apprenticeship and years of onsite training.

That’s where employees like Anthony Singleton and Keeton Mathis come in.

“I am passionate about my job and pride myself on the quality of my work and the safety measures involved in doing a good job,” said Singleton, who has 20 years of experience in the demolition field. “One of our biggest challenges is staying within the machine parameters, doing the job safely and protecting everyone around us, ensuring we don’t put other operators in harm’s way during this high-hazard work.”

Operators use high-reach equipment to begin demolition on the high-bay area of the Alpha-2 building at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The high-bay area stands 80 feet tall, and its safe removal requires highly skilled and trained operators.

An aerial view of the Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex after crews completed demolition on its south side. The building measures 325,000 square feet and covers 2.5 acres of land.

Singleton gained that experience by helping complete some of Oak Ridge’s largest teardowns and achieve its most notable successes, including being the first site in the world to remove a uranium enrichment complex, knocking down the Biology Complex at Y-12 and clearing away portions of the former Radioisotope Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

He also used that time to help mentor teammates.

Singleton’s teammate, Mathis, shares experience at many of the same demolition projects as well as removal of the Low Intensity Test Reactor and Bulk Shielding Reactor at ORNL.

“I love being outside, operating big equipment, and have enjoyed demolishing things since I was young,” said Mathis, who has 10 years of experience in the demolition field. “When I was a boy, my grandpa said I could tear a steel anvil apart with my bare hands.”

Keeton Mathis is a certified heavy equipment operator for the high-reach excavator. He has 10 years of experience and has been instrumental in the teardown of the Low Intensity Test Reactor and Bulk Shielding Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

High-reach heavy equipment arrives at the Alpha-2 demolition project at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The equipment weighs 350,000 pounds and has the capability to extend 180 feet.

The Alpha-2 demolition project employs some of the most skilled operators in the industry due to the complexity and location of the project amid a bustling national security complex.

This team’s skill and proficiency is helping OREM and UCOR achieve their next big accomplishment. Crews have finished demolition on the facility's south side, and they are nearing completion on the north side. The current focus is on the tallest, largest portion of the building, known as the high-bay area.

“Y-12 is a very active production complex. Operating in tight spaces to safely bring down the high-bay section will give the site more breathing room as we continue expanding demolition plans for other nearby buildings,” said UCOR Y-12 Project Manager Joe Barletto.

Removal of the Alpha-2 facility is eliminating risks and clearing space to support important ongoing national security missions.

Demolition of Alpha-2 is expected to be complete in 2026, at which time the specialized equipment operators will move to the next major demolition project helping continue Y-12’s transformation.

-Contributor: Carol Hendrycks