Hanford Waste Treatment Plant - Fabrication

The Challenge

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is managing the treatment of high-level radioactive and chemical wastes produced during Cold War nuclear defense activities at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington.

CH2MHill hired Washington Group International to build high-level radioactive liquid waste tank pit jumpers. Washington Group International in turn selected Intermech, Inc. to perform over $25+ million in mechanical scope of work for this project.

This project posed several risks and challenges, including the potential of radioactive discharge, meeting ALARA standards for radiation exposure during installation per 10CFR19, and mock-up testing and training of workers for installation of the fabricated components.

Intermech's Response

radioactive_img1.jpgUnder its NQA-1 program, Intermech fabricated and installed pit piping jumpers with Purex nozzles to a fabrication and installation tolerance of .003 inches.

Other work included installation of tank exhausters and evaporators on effluent waste. The work was on-going under multiple contract release for the various high-level underground waste storage tanks. Fabrication and installation was performed under Intermech's NQA-1 program.

The Results

The Company has successfully performed detailing, design and fabrication on more than one hundred pit jumper assemblies over the contract period. Intermech is currently under subcontract with a small business partner to perform additional scopes of work for theradioactive_img2.jpg
continuation of these fabrications. This work has been and continues
to be executed at and managed from the Intermech Richland
Operations facility located in Richland, WA. Intermech's Richland
Operations has a long and successful history of performing critical
mechanical fabrications and demanding site construction projects
for the DOE Hanford Site.

This project demonstrates:

  • Quality – Similar to NQA-1
  • Fabrication – Critical Systems
  • Design – Lay-out & Maintenance
  • Construction – HVAC Systems
  • Personnel Experience
  • Project Controls & Scheduling
  • Demanding Fabrication Tolerances