The safestores strengthening project involves reinforcing the upper structure of the safestores, or reactor buildings, at the disused Trawsfynydd nuclar power station in Gwynedd. They need to be made safe before they are reduced in height at a later date. The power station stopped generating power in 1991 and all fuel has been removed from the twin reactors.
The £2.7m project includes improving the integrity of the structures with specially-designed steel sections attached to the internal surfaces of the safestores buildings. At a total height of almost 170 feet, the job includes the design and provision of scaffolding and access platforms and planning lifting operations.
“Safety is paramount on this project. Not only are we working at a considerable height, but we also need to improve the integrity of the structure by pinning steel bars to the inside of the walls and bracing the concrete structure,” said Chris Scott, Costain’s operations director for nuclear process. “The building has been partially eroded by the elements and we have to ensure that the strengthening project provides the integrity the building needs to get them safely through to the next phase of decommissioning,”
Costain was awarded a place on the £288m infrastructure, construction and enablers (ICE) framework with Magnox in September 2012.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
