Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, X-710 Technical Services Building, 3930 U.S. Route 23 South, Piketon, Pike County, OH. Surveyed as HAER OH-142-X, with a 1,672-word written history.
“The Technical Services Building housed the plant s laboratory for testing, research, and development associated with uranium enrichment, cascade testing and evaluation, and other mission-related purposes.”
Written record, HAER OH-142-X survey. Machine-read text.
surveyed by the federal HAER program as HAER OH-142-X · the record runs 1672 words · one of 30 surveyed structures published for this county.
Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-142-X. 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 Technical Services 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 Technical Services 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-X. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) 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-X. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.
The Technical Services Building housed the plant s laboratory for testing, research, and development associated with uranium enrichment, cascade testing and evaluation, and other mission-related purposes. This 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-X. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.
Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC photographed the site in August and in 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, HAER no. OH-142. This Technical Services Building HAER was completed in PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 2) 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 Technical Services Building: The James Leck and Steenberg Construction Company, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, received the construction subcontract for the Technical Services Building. Union Carbide, of Houston, Texas, and Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company installed certain special equipment in the building, while Leck and Steenberg handled the general excavation and construction of the facility. When excavation began in August construction crews found unsuitable bearing soil, which necessitated placement of concrete backfill for the concrete footings to rest upon. In total, nearly cubic yards of earth were excavated.
Excavation work finished in May Concrete pouring for the building footings began in August with the first building columns poured in October The columns were completed in May (Appendix B, Figure 6). Construction crews placed a total of cubic yards of concrete in the Technical Services Building and its related facilities and laid concrete blocks. Mechanical and electrical work began in early November and was completed with equipment installation in January (Figures 7 through The building was officially completed in April although it was partially occupied prior to this date. Historical drawings of building plans are provided in Appendix C (Figures 11 through Part II.
Site Information Description of the Technical Services Building: The Technical Services Building, located near the center of the site, is roughly east of the Process Building and roughly south of the Plant Control Facility. The Technical Services Building houses the main laboratory for PORTS. For much of its history, plant scientists and technicians carried out research and development within the Technical Services Building. Activity conducted here included material sampling and testing, chemical analysis and laboratory services, information services and management, instrumentation development and testing, cascade testing and evaluation, development testing and evaluation and fabrication.
The building also houses numerous offices, including those for technical services management, equipment repair and fabrication shops, a store room, and a mechanical equipment room. With the decline of uranium enrichment operations at the site, activities within the Technical Services Building shifted toward environmental testing and monitoring. The Technical Services Building also includes the X-710A Gas Manifold Building, Explosion Test Facility, and a neutralization pit. Built of reinforced concrete, the Technical Services Building is a rather generic, utilitarian type building with a flat roof and exposed concrete framing and cinderblock infill (Figures 1 through 5). Window openings with galvanized steel industrial sash are located on the north and east fa ades.
As completed in the original portion of the building measured 8'' by 7'' and housed square feet of floor space. In Goodyear Atomic extended the south end of the building an additional giving the Technical Services Building another square feet of floor space. The addition is clad in vertical aluminum sheathing. The building s cinderblock bays total 13 on the east and west sides of the building, with another 10 bays dividing the north and south sides of the building. A projecting wing is located near the center of the original building on the east fa ade. The wing features a recessed porch on the southeast corner. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No.
OH-142-X (Page 3) The interior of the building is divided into cinder block partitions in general areas and movable metal partitions in the laboratory areas to provide for adjustment in laboratory room sizes. All interior finishes are utilitarian and provide for functionality and cleanliness control. In the laboratory spaces, electrical and mechanical installations are concealed above metal pan ceilings, and exposed masonry walls are plastered and painted with acid-proof paint to allow for cleaning and decontamination operations. Floors in corridors and laboratories are coated with vinyl plastic tile to allow for cleanup and decontamination. Power is distributed to four substations within the Technical Services Building, each controlling separate functions within the facility.
Additionally, a 90-kilowatt diesel generator provides power to the building for emergency use in the event of an outage from the Switchyard. The X-710A Gas Manifold Shed is located just west of the Technical Services Building, and constitutes the facility for receiving, storing, and distributing oxygen, hydrogen, and bottled gas to the Technical Services Building. The building sits on a 37' by 26' concrete pad and consists of a corrugated cement asbestos panel roof supported by steel framing and enclosed by a metal fence. A 6'-wide loading dock is on one side of the structure.
The Explosion Test Facility is located approximately 75' west of the Technical Services Building and consists of a reinforced concrete reaction cell 8' in diameter by 10' high, and a 12' by 14' adjacent work area of similar construction. The Building was built to conduct experiments involving unstable compounds that could potentially result in explosions. The Explosion Test Facility design meets AEC criteria for blast proof construction to withstand 750 pounds per square foot. PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 4) 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, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No.
OH-142-X (Page 5) Appendix A: Survey Photographs Figure 1: Location and Orientation of Exterior Photographs (2 through 5) PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 6) Figure 2: North Side of the Technical Services Building, August Facing Southwest Figure 3: North Side of the Technical Services Building, August Facing Southeast PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 7) Figure 4: South Side of the Technical Services Building, November Facing Northeast Figure 5: South Side of the Technical Services Building, November Facing Northwest PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No.
OH-142-X (Page 8) Appendix B: Historical Photographs Figure 6: The Technical Services Building Construction Site, February Figure 7: Interior View of the Technical Services Building Construction, February PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 9) Figure 8: North End of the Technical Services Building, May Figure 9: Interior View of the Technical Services Building, May PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 10) Figure 10: Interior View of the Technical Services Building, May PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No.
OH-142-X (Page 11) Appendix C: Historical Drawings Figure 11: Loading Dock Details PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 12) Figure 12: Exterior Door Installation PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 13) Figure 13: Core Modifications PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 14) Figure 14: South and West Elevations PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 15) Figure 15: North and East Elevations PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 16) Figure 16: Second Floor Plan Part B PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No.
OH-142-X (Page 17) Figure 17: Second Floor Plan Part A PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 18) Figure 18: First Floor Plan Part B PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 19) Figure 19: First Floor Plan Part A PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, TECHNICAL SERVICES BUILDING HAER No. OH-142-X (Page 20) Figure 20: Title Sheet and Plot Plan
| Piketon, Ohio | The place record: every map, photograph and survey of this town. |
| Pike County, Ohio | 83 topographic sheets across the county. |
| Library of Congress record | The original filed report as the survey filed it. |
The federal surveyors worked through Piketon building by building. These are the other structures they measured and filed a report on, longest report first.
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