Encapsulated Product Store waste transfer route, Sellafield

Successful completion 7 weeks early in a highly congested operational nuclear facility at Sellafield.

The project scope

Modifications to the existing Encapsulated Product Store at Sellafield to enable the facility to accept Intermediate Level Nuclear Waste packages from the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo decommissioning project, with the intention to achieve acceleration of one of the Sellafield Site key decommissioning milestones.

The works involved:

• Removal of rail buffers and modification to the existing rail tracks
• Creation of a shielded cell by constructing new 1.2m thick shielded RC suspended floor slab and walls, including all reinforcing installation, formwork, concrete placement and concrete testing/thermal monitoring
• Mixing, pumping and placement of high strength grout and associated testing
• Installation of a bespoke stainless-steel Gamma gate (55Te)
• Installation of a new solid stainless-steel personnel access door (6Te)
• Procurement, management and installation of temporary works required for the RC works and the lifting/positioning of encast mechanical items
• Construction of a new steel frame and blockwork ventilation facility
• Construction and fit out of a new changing room facility
• All works carried out under the strict controls and regulations of a live nuclear facility
• Integrated working with the client team to minimise disruption to the ongoing building processes
• Procurement and management of a specialist mechanical sub-contractor

Key quantities:

• Structural grout: 4,000 l
• Shielding concrete: 75 m3
• Mechanical equipment: 90 t

Challenges & successes

The project was located in a very congested operational nuclear facility which required a number of contractors to work in close proximity to each other. The schedule was maintained by holding daily multi-contractor space coordination meetings and by working day and night shift to allow the different trades to work unhindered.

The work was carried out in an important operational facility at the Sellafield site where client operational activities and rail deliveries took priority – with regular interruptions to our work. We planned and delivered our work flexibly to allow the plant operators to maintain production and for rail deliveries to continue. During our work, we did not hold up any operations or rail deliveries to the plant and our work was delivered 7 weeks ahead of schedule.