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The Spallation Neutron Source is an accelerator-based neutron source that is built on an 80-acre site adjacent to the Oak Ridge National Laboratories.
This one of a kind, $1.4 billion project will provide the most intense pulsed neutron beam in the world for scientific research. The baseline installation includes an accelerator system consisting of an ion source, full energy linear accelerator (Linac) and an accumulator ring (Ring Tunnel) that combine to produce short, powerful bursts of protons.
These proton pulses impinge onto a mercury target (Target Building) to produce neutrons through the spallation nuclear process. The facility is supported by a massive six-story Central Laboratory and Office Building (CLO) and the Center of Nanophase Material Sciences (CNMS).
Blaine Construction Corporation was selected by the project construction manager, The Knight/ Jacobs Joint Venture, to construct most of the structures at the SNS facility. Blaine Construction was awarded the projects for a total installed value of $161 million since the initial award in April 2001.
This undertaking included the largest single source contract award by the Department of Energy since the Manhattan Project for the combined award of the Target and CLO facilities. Blaine's work on the Target, CLO and CNMS Project was performed as a joint venture with Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery Ala.
The Target Building is a massive 60,000 sq. ft., five-level steel building with extensive specialized foundations and massive quantities of concrete and steel. The Target Building, in fact, serves as the "target" for a high energy proton beam designed to knock out or "spall" neutrons from the nuclei of heavy atoms in a 40,000-lb. liquid mercury target vessel.
The Target Building is comprised of a monolith, which is a massive heavy weight concrete structure that contains 5,000 tons of iron shielding approximately 17 ft. thick surrounding the "Target" for personnel and environmental protection.
The Central Laboratory and Office Building (CLO) is comprised of a four-story lab and office wing to the north and a six-story office/lobby to the south. The building houses the operations team for the SNS project as well as numerous support laboratories such as electronics, vacuum and computers. It also contains the control room to operate the entire SNS facility. The building structure, featuring two distinct curved facades, is structural steel framing and composite elevated slabs.
The exterior skin of the building consists of 3-in.-thick tongue and groove insulated metal panels with 1-in.-deep reveals on a rectangular pattern.
The Center for Nanophase Material Sciences (CNMS) Building is comprised of a four-story lab and office wing and a single story mechanical and clean room wing. The building is connected to the CLO Building on three levels through a glass enclosed catwalk. The building structure features a curved façade and includes the same exterior features as the CLO building.
With construction complete, the building appears to be an extension of the CLO Building. At the front of the building is a steel and aluminum clad trellis and a exterior spiral staircase leading to the roof of the clean room for access to the mechanical area.
The Linac Tunnel was the first project awarded to Blaine Construction. Blaine utilized a unique forming system that allowed for a monolithic placement of each tunnel section. This allowed for the project to complete two months ahead of schedule.
The Front End Building and Linac Tunnel installation comprised of 20,000 sq. ft. foundation for the front end building and an 1,100-lin.-ft., cast-in-place concrete tunnel. The tunnel is 14 in. interior diameter with 2-ft.-thick floors, ceilings and 4-ft.-thick walls. The tunnel houses the Linear Accelerator equipment.
The Ring Tunnel required working on multiple work fronts to meet the schedule. This contract waterproofed and backfilled the tunnels. To facilitate the interior work on the tunnel to proceed in a water tight environment, Blaine proposed a new spray-on waterproofing system that allowed for the tunnel to be waterproofed immediately after placement and backfill to proceed once structural strength was reached.
A concrete mix design was utilized that allowed 70 percent design strengths to be reached three days after placement.
Key Facts
| Owner: UT Battelle, operating agent for the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn. |
| Contractor: Caddell/Blaine Joint Venture, Oak Ridge, Tenn. |
| Cost: $162 million |
| Architect/Engineer: Knight Jacobs Joint Venture, Oak Ridge, Tenn. |
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