Encapsulated Product Store 3
Background
The Encapsulated Product Store 3 (EPS3) will be the new Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) store, providing additional capacity to support the two existing stores. The store will take ILW arising from both reprocessing operations and Clean-up work on site.
Challenges
The project has faced a number of challenges ranging from preparing a justification of the need for an import/export facility, development of a suitable contract strategy and determination of a suitable soil disposal route. The location of the project required detailed planning prior to work commencing.
Solution
As well as some innovative technical solutions to the challenges, considerable stakeholder management has been undertaken to enable the project to proceed. Extensive ecological sampling has also enabled the soil to be disposed of as free release waste.
Achievements
Over 1,300,000 man hours have been worked by Sellafield Ltd and contractors Amec and Laing O'Rourke (site preparation/foundations and main store build respectively), since site work began in June 2006, without a RIDDOR reportable event.
Approximately 7200 tonnes of reinforcing steel has been fixed and 32,000m3 of concrete has been poured to complete the concrete structure with the exception of three temporary construction access openings. A number of large single day pours (circa 1500m3) were completed for sections of the storage vault bases and roof.
The 102 tonne shield door was successfully lifted into position in early February 2010 using a 600 tonne capacity crawler crane. The door has been filled with shielding concrete and now weighs approximately 300 tonnes. The door was successfully traversed on its air skates in October 2010 from vault 3 to vault 4 crane maintenance area.
Roofing and cladding began in late January 2010.
Roof steelwork, external staircase steelwork and all roofing have been completed. Cladding is complete to the staircases and the roof structure with the exception of equipment access on the south elevation and the area around the interconnecting linkbridges to EPS2 on the north elevation.
The two10 tonne vault cranes works testing has been completed and both cranes delivered to site and installed in the vaults.The vault vent covers have been installed in the transfer tunnel and four ancillary cranes delivered and will be installed in November 2010. Drilling of vault roof targets, for the crane positioning, using the vault cranes is due to start in November 2010.
HVAC, services pipework and cable containment installation began in late August 2010 and good progress is being made in all areas of the building.
Encapsulated Product Store 3
Encapsulated Product Store 3
Encapsulated Product Store 3
