Modular Construction Goes Nuclear

In a rare photo taken from within yards of a nuclear reactor, a modular building snubber shop is shown. In the shop, large-bore hydraulic snubbers receive maintenance in the service building at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. The modular building had to be built around an existing overhead crane.

Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant at Lusby, Maryland is home to the first ever modular buildings ever constructed in a nuclear power plant's radiation control area.

The general contracting company, worked closely with Porta-King Building Systems to design a customized modular wall design that would pass stringent Class I construction standards and meet fire safety and earthquake resistance requirements. This mission was accomplished with a snap together panel design featuring drywall with steel laminated to both sides.

The general contractor identified several hurdles that would have to be overcome in order to successfully complete this project for the Calvert Cliffs renovation project. First, you have to realize that we were dealing with a highly sensitive work area from the standpoint of security. That meant that the contractor had to accept the possibility of routine, unscheduled work stoppages. Work stoppages aren't compatible with block and mortar construction. As a contractor, how do you provide an accurate project bid if you have to send people home and dispose of mortar ready to lay block?

Second, the facilities safety team was going to be very diligent in examining the project. Anything built was going to have to overcome understandably rigid fire safety and earthquake resistance concerns. In order to do that, specification flexibility would be absolutely critical.

All of these hurdles pointed the contractor to the use of a modular construction solution. Modular construction minimizes location work because essentially everything is done off-site. Site time is minimized because snap together assembly can be completed quickly. Electrical and HVAC services require minimal hook-up time as all holes and service pathways are built-in and ready for workers to run their wires and duct-work. Our recommendation was to build with Porta-King.

Porta-King modular walls were easily customized to accomodate the project requirements.  Standard three inch thick panels include a solid, polystyrene core for an R-13 insulation rating. The core doesn't just insulate. It also acts to block annoying sounds from entering a fully enclosed structure. Basic 4' X 8' panels assembled together with no configuration limitations and can be broken down for use in other areas.

Three modular buildings were used in the project that replaced chain link fence cages. It was virtually impossible to control temperature in those areas, even when plastic sheeting was applied to provide some form of environmental control. Plus, the areas were impossible to keep clean.

Two snubber shops, one 27'1" X 33' X 16' (built around an existing crane) and one 21' X 24' X 8', used the customized panel sandwich. The third building, a 13'4" X 26'4" X 8'4" weld shop, allowed for use of a standard vinyl covered panel.

Porta-King is the industry leader in custom designed application like equipment enclosures and other modular applications. We can offer our customer’s many unique, custom building design features while still offering all of the advantages of pre-engineered construction.

Contact us today and let us show you the advantages of utilzing a modular construction solution for your next construction project.