Working as partners, Oldcastle Precast manufactures the precast concrete base and lid of each vault while Stoller, Inc., a local contractor, pours the concrete walls on site. Each completed vault weighs 255,000 lbs. The vault base weighs 67,000 lbs. and the vault lid weighs an additional 70,000 lbs. The physical dimensions of the vaults are 14.5’ x 14.5’ x 13’ tall. Each completed vault holds sixteen nuclear canisters. Once the vault is loaded with the canisters, the precast concrete lid is lowered into position, and the vault is transferred to the separate, interim storage building.
Oldcastle Precast developed successful solutions for several unique challenges related to this project:
- Transport- Due to the considerable size and weight of the storage vaults Oldcastle Precast acquired the necessary oversize/overweight permits required by Idaho DOT as well as the special transport equipment needed on the project.
- Documentation- Oldcastle Precast provides “cradle-to-grave” documentation on all parts and components going into the finished product, e.g. aggregate, water, cement, and rebar to satisfy the stringent NQA-1 nuclear quality control requirements in the project specifications.
- Concrete Density- The NQA-1 specification also requires a wet concrete density of 143 lbs./ft3. To assure compliance Oldcastle Precast designed a new mix that incorporates a distinct fine aggregate from Jack B. Parsons, a sister company in Utah. Due to the new mix and quality production, all of the nuclear canister storage vaults have passed the on-site gamma scan test. The gamma scan tests for voids and cracks, and also gives a density profile of the internal components.
Oldcastle Precast, with Stoller Inc., has successfully provided (18) eighteen nuclear canister storage vaults to date, and will continue manufacturing the remaining vaults for the project through 2011. Brandon Lake is the active manager overseeing Oldcastle Precast Inc.’s ongoing involvement in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Nuclear Canister Vaults project.
