Page 5 - SRNS_Today_September_2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 | SRNS TODAY | 5

D Area cooling tower demolished

SRNS has managed the complete removal of more than 85,000 cubic
feet of waste and scrap material from the D Area complex at SRS. The
latest structure to come down is a large industrial cooling tower built
in 1952.

Made of fiberglass, steel and wood, likely from cypress trees, the
cooling tower was constructed over a large concrete basin and
designed to remove heat from the water used to generate steam in a
nearby powerhouse.
One of the first steps during a typical decommission and demolition
project is to inspect and characterize the entire structure to
determine what materials were used for construction. This process
determines the path forward for how to safely remove or deactivate SRNS personnel work with a subcontractor to demolish a large industrial cooling
tower built in 1952.
potential health threats, such as asbestos or an unexpected source
of electricity.
“CTI continues to impress us with their performance including
“The tower formerly enclosed approximately 3,800 square feet of meeting, and often exceeding, our safety and quality of work
space,” said Kelsey Holcomb, SRNS Project Manager, Area Closure requirements,” said Holcomb. “SRNS requested that this project be
Projects. “The tower was 49 feet wide, 63 long and about 50 feet tall accelerated, and CTI ensured that the task was safely and effectively
with a large concrete foundation reaching seven feet in depth to form accomplished as asked.”
the water-filled holding basin. Working closely with our subcontractor,
this demolition task was completed inexpensively, ahead of schedule Though the cooling tower is the largest of the four buildings coming
and without a safety incident.” down under the current contract with CTI; one of the other three
structures in D Area presents an especially difficult challenge due to
Installed to draw cooling air across the cascading water within the the presence of asbestos.
tower, two huge motors and fans on the top of the structure were
removed as well. Upon completion of this contract, the next task order will be
undertaken to remove an additional six buildings throughout
To date, 27,000 cubic feet of sanitary waste -- including six cubic feet D Area, for a total of 10 demolished between August and
of hazardous waste and 3,000 cubic feet of recyclable materials -- December of this year.
were transported from the cooling tower worksite.
“In the near future, we’ll have a total of 34 structures removed from
“One of the few remaining steps is to remove 70 years of debris out D Area. The completion of the D Area closure project will result in a
of the concrete basin itself, where water accumulated before being significant footprint reduction for the Site, which is already at 89%
pumped back to the powerhouse,” said Holcomb.
of the 310 square-miles that make up the Savannah River Site,”
The cooling tower demolition contract was awarded to an SRNS said Holcomb. “Our goal is to return every waste site at SRS to a
mentor-protégé company, CTI and Associates (CTI), who have more natural state, which also reduces associated maintenance
conducted the majority of the decommission and demolition work in and environmental surveillance costs. Project by project, we’re
D Area over the past year. continually learning how to better treat area closure sites.”

Cookin’ for Kids donation

Recently, SRNS NNSA Operations and Programs Senior Vice President Mark Davis
presented Child Enrichment Inc.’s Executive Director Kari Viola-Brooke with a
$10,000 contribution to sponsor its “Cookin’ for Kids Oyster Roast” at Daniel Field
Airport. A United Way agency, Child Enrichment Inc. supports local child victims
of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in the Augusta Judicial Circuit (Richmond and
Burke Counties), the Columbia County Judicial Circuit and five additional counties
in Georgia.
The group has helped more than 25,000 local children who have experienced
abuse, exploitation, abandonment and neglect since opening its doors. “We have
two distinct service programs designed to meet the varied needs of abused
children, the Child Advocacy Center and the Court Appointed Special Advocate
(CASA) Program,” said Viola-Brooke. “Since our services are free of charge, we rely
on donors like SRNS and our community to ensure that no child goes without help.“