A consortium led by off-site construction specialist, Yorkon, has been awarded a £7 million contract to design, build and fit out a laboratory building at the Dounreay nuclear site in Thurso, Scotland. The facility will be built using modular construction techniques.
Other members of the consortium include Studsvik; JGC Engineering & Technical Services to manufacture and install the nuclear ventilation system together with two specialists in fume cupboards and lab equipment M&E services, and S&B UK.
Construction of the 1300sqm building is due to start onsite in Spring 2012 and is scheduled for completion Autumn 2013. The facility, to be built from 35 steel-framed modules, will include six laboratories. It will contain 36 fume cupboards, glove boxes and a specialised nuclear ventilation system with heavier, more complex ductwork compared to other applications of modular construction. It will also incorporate acid and non-acid fume extraction, HEPA filtration, and a discharge stack. Each laboratory will have one-hour fire containment to the entire building fabric – a first for the modular industry.
The facility will remain in use for up to 25 years and will allow DSRL to comply with its statutory and environmental monitoring requirements until the Dounreay site is closed.
Commenting on the project, Mike Muir, Commercial Manager at Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, said, “The modular approach to construction is tried and tested. By manufacturing the structure using a Yorkon solution, DSRL will achieve cost savings through reduced time spent on construction activities on the Dounreay site.”
“The laboratory building allows for a change of internal layout and, if required at a later date, an extension can easily be added…It can also be broken down to its modular components for recycling, minimising the waste sent to landfill. This is an important environmental benefit as the Dounreay site is being decommissioned.”
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