Idaho Falls, ID
Idaho National Laboratory, Materials and Fuels Complex, MFC-798
Scope/Solutions
The Materials & Fuels Complex (MFC) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) focuses on research and development of nuclear fuels. MFC-798 is a two-story, concrete masonry shear wall structure constructed in 1980 to house the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility, which is no longer in service. The site contractor, Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), is planning to repurpose MFC-798 for a nuclear fuel fabrication mission. SGH performed a structural evaluation to qualify the building for current Department of Energy (DOE) structural design criteria and identify whether structural upgrades would be required.
BEA is planning to remove the existing process equipment, implement new facility upgrades, and re-equip the building for the new mission. As part of the planning, SGH performed a structural evaluation of MFC-798 per current DOE design criteria, including natural phenomena hazards, to determine whether structural upgrades are necessary. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Conducting a walkdown of the structure to assess the as-built conditions
- Performing a structural assessment for Seismic and Wind Design Category 2 criteria specified by DOE-STD-1020-2016
- Analyzing the structure for wind and seismic loads in accordance with ASCE/SEI 7-10 and exceeding the original design basis
- Demonstrating that the existing structure met DOE structural design criteria without the need for structural upgrades
- Identifying non-structural cracking in the masonry and providing recommendations for further investigation
Project Summary
2019
5.4K
Key team members
