Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, X-705 Decontamination Building, 3930 U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-W. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon vicinity, Scioto Township, Pike County, Ohio The Decontamination Building is located at Ohio State Plane South coordinates at easting ft, northing ft and at Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 17N easting m, northing m. The coordinate represents the approximate center of the Decontamination Building. This coordinate was obtained on June 19, by plotting its location in EnviroInsite The accuracy of the coordinates is +/- 12 meters. The coordinate datum is North American Datum Date of Construction: Designer/Builder: Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company Previous Owner: N/A

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-W. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Atomic Energy Commission oversaw construction and operation of PORTS until when the Energy Research and Development Administration was established with responsibility for research and development duties from In the U.S. Department of Energy was established, overseeing operations at PORTS.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-W. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Decontamination Building is used for the disassembly and decontamination of process equipment and decontamination and cleaning of small parts. The gaseous diffusion Decontamination Building also supports chemical analysis for the Decontamination Building itself, as well as the Converter Shop and Cleaning Facility, Maintenance and Stores Building, and the X-342A Feed, Vaporization and Fluorine Generation Building. The Decontamination Building is part of PORTS, which was a part of the U.S. Cold War nuclear weapons complex. PORTS primary Cold War era mission was the production of highly enriched uranium by the gaseous diffusion process for defense/military purposes.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-W. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC photographed the site in August and November Gray & Pape, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, served as the primary author of the historical narrative and resource descriptions drawing from numerous historical records and reports, drawings, photographs, and plans. For additional contextual information, see Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 2) HAER no. OH-142. This Decontamination Building HAER was completed in PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 3) Part I.

Historical Information In support of this report, there are three appendices that are provided: Appendix A through C, which consist of survey photographs, historical photographs, and historical drawings, respectively. Construction History of the Decontamination Building: To expedite construction of the Decontamination Building, the Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company issued a lump-sum sub-contract for its construction. They issued three subcontracts altogether, with the George Sheaf & Company, of Columbus, Ohio, winning the contract to build the entire building.

A second subcontract went to the Blount Brothers Construction Company, of Montgomery, Alabama, to furnish and install a long list of items, including monorails, cranes, hoists, conveyor systems, catwalks, stairs, piping, and many other systems within the Decontamination Building. The third sub-contract went to the Brown-Neil Corporation, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, for furnishing and installing the spray-booth equipment. Peter Kiewit Sons installed the building s fire alarm system. Excavation for footers commenced in October (Appendix B, Figures 5 through 8). As encountered elsewhere on the PORTS construction site, workers soon discovered fat clay (clay with high plasticity) within the Decontamination Building construction site.

This unstable soil required removal and backfilling with class D concrete. By November construction crews had completed excavation work. Concrete work began in early October The H.E. Pederson Company, Inc. (location not known) was in charge of placing the reinforcing steel, while the George Sheaf Company performed the actual concrete work. They poured class D concrete under the footers. Due to cold conditions, workers covered the concrete with straw and canvas, and in some instances, used electric heaters to keep the concrete warm. By mid-December workers had completed pouring concrete for the building s footers, foundation walls, piers, machine bases, and slabs. Altogether the foundation work required cubic yards of concrete.

Ironworkers of the Crawford Steel Corporation, of Cincinnati, Ohio, began erecting the building s steel frame in January (Figures 9 and By mid-April, they had advanced far enough that workers began installing the steel roof decking (Figure Electrical and plumbing work began in early October. Workers began installing equipment within the building in December (Figures 12 through and all work on the building was complete by mid-June Historical drawings of building plans are provided in Appendix C (Figures 20 through Part II. Site Information Description of the Decontamination Building: The Decontamination Building is located roughly east of the Process Building and about south of the Process Building.

The building was used for decontaminating radioactive materials found on process equipment and clothing, as well as reclaiming uranium residues during the decontamination process. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 4) The building measures wide by long and houses of floor space. Built of steel frame construction, the features a flat roof with a clerestory down the length of the building (Appendix A, Figures 1 through 4). An 8' tall concrete block wall extends around the bottom of the building. A continuous band of multi-light steel sash industrial windows rests atop this wall. Additional steel sash windows are located at the mezzanine levels and on both sides of the clerestory.

Like many of the buildings on the PORTS reservation, the Decontamination Building is clad with corrugated asbestos-cement panels. At the time of its construction, the steel framing of the building conformed to the Pacific Coast Building Code for Zone 1 earthquake hazard. All catwalks and access platforms are comprised of steel framing. Floors consist of reinforced concrete with a rating of pounds per square foot. There are a number of tunnels and pits formed within the concrete floor. Below grade, the concrete walls were coated with ironite to protect them against moisture. The interior of the building includes several mezzanines in addition to the ground floor level.

The interior space is divided into seven operating areas and areas for storage, maintenance, administration, laboratory, and auxiliary service use, such as hot and cold changing rooms, showers, toilets, laundry, and lunch room for 150 staff members. A mezzanine along the north side of the building features a five-ton hydraulic elevator moving chemicals and other materials. A series of pits and tunnels are located below the ground level for the process piping and equipment. Monorails, hoists, and jib cranes are used to handle materials that require cleaning. The south bay features a pair of 23-ton cranes. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 5) Part III. Sources of Information Department of Energy.

The Role of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Cold War History. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Energy. Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Report for the Process Buildings and Complex Facilities Decontamination and Decommissioning Evaluation Project at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio, DOE/PPPO/03-0245&D3. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Energy. National Historic Preservation Act Section 110 Survey of Architectural Properties at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Scioto and Seal Townships, Piketon, Ohio, DOE/PPPO/03-0147&D1. Piketon, OH: U.S. Department of Energy, January Giffels & Vallet, Inc. Gaseous Diffusion Plant at Portsmouth, Ohio, Project History and Completion Report (Redacted). Washington, U.S.

Atomic Energy Commission, PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 6) Appendix A: Survey Photographs Figure 1: Location and Orientation of Exterior Photographs (2 through 4) PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 7) Figure 2: North Side of the Decontamination Building, August Facing Southeast Figure 3: South Side of the Decontamination Building, August Facing Northeast PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 8) Figure 4: South Side of the Decontamination Building, November Facing Northwest PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No.

OH-142-W (Page 9) Appendix B: Historical Photographs Figure 5: Interior View of the Decontamination Building Site, Looking North, September Figure 6: Looking North at the Decontamination Building Site, December PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 10) Figure 7: Looking North at the Decontamination Building Site, January Figure 8: Looking North at the Decontamination Building, February PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 11) Figure 9: Looking Southwest at the Decontamination Building, March Figure 10: Looking South at the Decontamination Building, April PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No.

OH-142-W (Page 12) Figure 11: Looking Southwest at the Decontamination Building, June Figure 12: Interior View of the Decontamination Building, July PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 13) Figure 13: Interior View of the Decontamination Building, July Figure 14: The Decontamination Building, July PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 14) Figure 15: Interior View of the Decontamination Building, July Figure 16: Interior View of the Decontamination Building, July PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No.

OH-142-W (Page 15) Figure 17: Overall View of the Decontamination Building, Looking North, July Figure 18: The Decontamination Building, July PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 16) Figure 19: Interior View of the Decontamination Building, July PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 17) Appendix C: Historical Drawings Figure 20: Elevations of Exterior Walls PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 18) Figure 21: Elevations of Exterior Walls PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 19) Figure 22: First Floor Plan Area 3 PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No.

OH-142-W (Page 20) Figure 23: First Floor Plan Area 2 PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 21) Figure 24: Recovery Inadvertent Container East Wall PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 22) Figure 25: First Floor Plan Area 1 PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 23) Figure 26: Exterior Elevations PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 24) Figure 27: First and Mezzanine Floor Plan PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 25) Figure 28: First and Mezzanine Floor Plan PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No.

OH-142-W (Page 26) Figure 29: Decontamination Building Layout PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, DECONTAMINATION BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-W (Page 27) Figure 30: Plot Plan