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posted by n1 on Saturday June 17 2017, @06:18AM   Printer-friendly
from the in-a-tunnel-under-the-rug dept.

The Center for Public Integrity found that several reports, the first in 1980, warned of weakening of the timbers in a tunnel storing radioactive equipment which last month was discovered to have partially collapsed.

The tunnel with the collapsed roof was built in 1956 [...]

It is unclear when contractors running the plant first became concerned that gamma radiation, which changes the molecular structure of wood cell walls, would significantly weaken the first tunnel's timbers. As early as 1971 the integrity of the wood was checked and determined to be sound. The 1980 study said however that said the wood's strength had deteriorated to 64.5 percent of its original strength. It predicted that the structure should be sound until at least 1982, by which time the authors anticipated it would be cleaned out.

[...]

In the 1991 report, by Los Alamos Technical Associates, Inc., the authors made clear after conducting an internal inspection of the tunnel that the DOE knew the timbers holding up the roof had been substantially weakened as early as 1980. It predicted that by 2001, they would be at 60 percent of their original strength and recommended another evaluation in 2001. But records indicate that it never happened.

A 2015 report (PDF) estimated that collapse would occur around 2040 and warned that the wood presents a risk of fire (pages 1215-1216 of PDF, numbered F.4-42 and F.4-43):

PUREX Tunnel 1 was constructed in 1956. Except for a 103 foot section one wall that is composed of 3 foot thick reinforced concrete, the remaining walls and roof of the 358 foot long tunnel were constructed using 12 inch by 14 inch creosoted No. 1 Douglas Fir timbers, arranged side by side with the 12 inch side exposed. The last evaluation of the structural integrity of the tunnel was made in May 1991 by Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA). It concluded that there was very low probability of any degradation of the timbers due to decay or insect attack, but that there was ongoing degradation occurring from continued exposure to the gamma radiation from equipment being stored there. It estimated that the strength of the timbers would be 60% of their original strength in 2001. Applying the same formulas used in that analysis to the year 2014 would indicate that the timbers are currently at about 55% of their original strength. This study indicates that standard factor of safety will be reached at 47.5% of original value. It is estimated this could occur sometime about 2040. This wood structure also offers the potential for a fire in the tunnel that would release its entire 21,200 Ci radiological inventory to the environment.

Elsewhere (page 11 of PDF, numbered x) the authors acknowledged "large uncertainty" in their estimate of when collapse might occur.


Original Submission

Related Stories

Tunnel Collapses at Hanford Nuclear Reservation 48 comments

KING-TV reports that "a tunnel full of highly contaminated materials collapsed" in a reprocessing facility at the Hanford nuclear site. An official said "The facility does have radiological contamination right now but there is no indication of a radiological release." The U.S. Department of Energy released statements (archived copy) saying that employees were "told to shelter in place" and that non-essential employees were sent home.

additional coverage:


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday June 17 2017, @09:50AM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday June 17 2017, @09:50AM (#526884) Journal

    Whatever happened to the Center for Architectural Integrity?

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    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday June 17 2017, @12:42PM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Saturday June 17 2017, @12:42PM (#526940) Journal

      Whatever happened to the Center for Architectural Integrity?

      Succumbed under a heavy dose of gamma radiation?
      Or just crossed over into Centre for Integral Architecture because of same cause?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 17 2017, @05:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 17 2017, @05:22PM (#527052)

    one more report and this would have never happened!

  • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Saturday June 17 2017, @08:19PM

    by PiMuNu (3823) on Saturday June 17 2017, @08:19PM (#527128)

    There is a fleet of ageing nuclear legacy out there. Sellafield in UK has similar issues (rotting concrete). It needs dealing with in the long term, i.e. geological disposal. Needs government to stop f-ing about.

  • (Score: 2) by leftover on Sunday June 18 2017, @02:02AM

    by leftover (2448) on Sunday June 18 2017, @02:02AM (#527268)

    The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is located at the Hanford facility. I am not sure what all they are doing but actually fixing the problems there seem to be remarkably low on their priority list. IMHO they need a fairly simple directive: Actually fix the fucking problems. Do not "study" them, do not "monitor" them. The only money you will get is for fixing the problems. Otherwise your executives get to live in those tunnels.

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