Constructing walls of three attached structures for LArTF cylinder

Workers assemble precast wall sections for the loading dock area attached to the LArTF building. Photo: Dixon Bogert, AD

Whittaker Construction Company, contracted to construct the Liquid-Argon Test Facility, and their subcontractor, Mid States Concrete Industries Company of South Beloit, Ill., have assembled the precast wall panels for the three attached structures adjacent to the main cylindrical building. The precast pieces were made in South Beloit, Ill., and trucked to the Fermilab site. A large crane lifted each piece off the delivery trucks and held it while it was braced and then welded into position.

The particular piece shown being moved on the crane is approximately 24.5 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The 12-inch-thick piece is actually a “sandwich” of 6 inches of concrete, 3 inches of insulation and a 3-inch concrete face panel. This piece weighs approximately 14 tons. The walls for the three attached structures were erected in two days on Sept. 19 and 20.