PX Facility Descriptions.pdf

Pantex Facility Descriptions

Zone 12 South consists of Bays, Cells, Staging facilities. Bays are used primarily for the assembly and disassembly of assigned nuclear weapons, assembly and disassembly of joint test assemblies, as well as Special Purpose operations. Special purpose bay operations include radiography, vacuum and leak check, mass properties, painting, and reacceptance activities for pits, canned subassemblies and various mechanical components. Cells are used primarily for the assembly and disassembly of the physics package containing main charge sensitive high explosives and pit, but can also be used for assembly and disassembly of an entire weapon. The (building number removed by OPSEC) facility stages strategic reserve pits in an environmentally pristine atmosphere using an automated storage and retrieval system and performed pit surveillance activities. Multiple Staging facilities are also located in Zone 12 South containing explosives, pits, canned subassemblies, as well as electrical, mechanical and support components utilized in the weapon assembly processes.

The Zone 4 MAA staging facilities consist of 42 Steel Arch Construction (SAC) and 18 Modified Richmond (MR) magazines. The MR and SAC magazines were constructed and modified from the 1940s through the 1990s. MR and SAC magazines are used for the temporary storage of Nuclear Explosives (NE), Nuclear-Explosive-Like-Assemblies (NELA), containerized pits, and Canned Subassemblies (CSA). The Zone 4 MAA staging facilities will be replaced with a modern facility to meet current and future requirements for safe, secure storage.

Zone 11 facilities contain analytical laboratory and testing capabilities for the qualification, evaluation and assessment of the explosives utilized in the weapon stockpile. In addition, Zone 11 contains facilities that are used for developing cutting edge technology for SNM component requalification and additive manufacturing. The average age of these facilities is 58 years.

The High Explosive Pressing Facility (HEPF) is a two story, moderate hazard facility at the Pantex Plant. Construction of the HEPF began in 2012 and intended to replace existing 50+ year old facilities that would could not meet the production demand. The HEPF is now operational and meeting the increase production needs required to provide explosive main charge components for the ongoing life extension programs with improved safety, security, quality.

John C. Drummond Center (JCDC) built just south of the Pantex Plant is a 343,000 square feet, state-of-the-art facility providing office space for more than 1,100 federal and contractor employees. Pantex employees chose to name the facility to honor John C. Drummond, who served as plant manager from 1956 to 1974. The three-story building includes a 360-seat auditorium, 500-seat cafeteria, medical clinic, and employee fitness/wellness center. It features more than 50 conference rooms of various sizes, 11 breakrooms with sweeping views, and large windows throughout. The building was developed and built by Lawler-Wood, STG Architects and Turner Construction with more than 2,000 craftspeople working on-site at various times throughout construction. The JCDC enables elimination of approximately $20 million in deferred maintenance by consolidating administrative functions from more than 52 legacy facilities at the Pantex site into one modern, energy-efficient building.