Story (09-12-2003)

The changing face of Y-12

9767-5 comes down

By D. Ray Smith — No doubt you've noticed a flurry of demolition activity around the site recently. One day a building is standing, and the next the structure is being demolished, water spraying on the structure, and the "Claw" chomping away at the timbers and breaking them like toothpicks. What's going on?

It is only Infrastructure Reduction continuing to demolish buildings and remove trailers that have exceeded their useful life. Thus far in FY 2003, IR has taken down twenty buildings and removed eight modular offices or trailers. Amond the buildings demolished have been three barns, a service station, a car wash, and two pump houses. In the next few weeks, several more structures will be removed.

Funded through the Facilities Infrastructure Recapitalization Program, IR has had about $16M for demolition activities in FY 2003. The approximately $17M in funding projected for FY 2004 should enable IR to demolish an additional 31 buildings and other structures.

These demolitions, if carried out, will assure the attainment of IR's performance goals and result in significant performance-based incentives for BWXT Y‑12. In addition, the ongoing removal of deteriorated structures is making way for modernization at Y‑12.

Soon new structures will be seen where some of the old structures have been removed. Activity is already under way between Buildings 9201‑1 and 9204‑1, and part of the construction site was made available by the demolition of an old warehouse (9720-2) taken down by IR in FY 2002.

Among the many changes being experienced at Y‑12, the demolition of these aging and expensive wooden and block buildings are among the most welcome sights. Seeing the new construction begin will add a welcome and refreshing appeal to the look and feel of our site and will help attract new employees, as well as provide better office and work space for many years to come.