NSLS-II Project Wins Construction Awards

Timeline Shows Construction Milestones

June 24, 2013

The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory is the largest domestic capital project under construction by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. As conventional construction comes to an end, kudos are coming in for a job well done.

Earlier this year, the NSLS-II Project received these awards:

Grand Award, 2013
National Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies

Diamond Award, 2013
American Council of Engineering Companies of New York

Building of the Year Award, 2013
American Society of Civil Engineers, Long Island Branch

Owner-Managed Project of the Year, 2013
Construction Management Association of America, New York / New Jersey Chapter

“The Facilities Division would like to thank the many dedicated staff on the NSLS-II Project as well as from other BNL divisions for everyone’s contributions to the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of NSLS-II conventional facilities,” said Marty Fallier, director of the Facilities Division within the Photon Sciences Directorate. “It was a team effort in the truest sense, and it could not have been achieved without all of us pulling together to build this great facility for the Laboratory and for science!”

Fallier’s division was responsible for the design and construction of conventional structures within NSLS-II, with the help of close collaboration from the Environment, Safety and Health; Accelerator; Photon; and Business divisions within Photon Sciences. He also credited staff assigned to the project from Facilities and Operations, Procurement and Property Management, and Nuclear Science and Technology.

Fallier tallied up some numbers: construction of the new light source created roughly 1,250 construction jobs and 450 scientific, engineering, and support jobs, plus additional jobs at U.S. material suppliers and service providers. Purchases totaled $130 million in labor and $135 million in materials for the basic buildings and utilities.

Timeline: Conventional Construction

September 2005
Department of Energy (DOE) grants “Critical Decision Zero” (CD-0) status to NSLS-II Project, establishing mission need for the new facility

October 2006
DOE releases Environmental Assessment for NSLS-II, with “Finding of No Significant Impact”

July 2007
DOE grants CD-1 status to NSLS-II Project, locating facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory and approving its cost range

December 2007
DOE announces CD-2, approving facility’s performance baseline

November 2008
Site prep work begins for ring building

January 2009
DOE grants CD-3 status to NSLS-II, approving start of construction in fiscal year (FY) 2009 and scheduling completion in FY15, with a total project cost of $912 million

February 2009
Torcon, Inc., selected as general contractor for ring building; New York State announces allocation of low-cost electricity to support construction

March 2009
DOE allocates $150 million from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Brookhaven Lab for NSLS-II Project, principally to accelerate construction

April 2009
Torcon breaks ground on ring building and NSLS-II construction begins

June 2009
Formal groundbreaking ceremony to mark construction start

July 2009
First concrete poured for ring building

August 2009
First concrete poured for utility tunnel

September 2009
First eight pieces of structural steel installed as part of utility and vehicle tunnels under ring building

October 2009
Cut and fill operations for ring building end, ensuring stable foundation

November 2009
First high-density concrete poured for storage ring tunnel shield wall

December 2009
Proposals solicited for design package for laboratory-office buildings (LOBs)

February 2010
First structural steel erected for aboveground portion of ring building; continuous steel erection begins

August 2010
E.W. Howell selected as general contractor for LOBs 1, 2 and 3; initial contract of $34 million amended in July 2011 for addition of LOBs 4 and 5

October 2010
Brookhaven holds “topping out” ceremony, when construction workers, Brookhaven and DOE officials, invited guests, and Lab staff sign final steel beam to complete structural steel framework for ring building

December 2010
New York Power Authority approves contract extension for Brookhaven’s 10-year electricity needs; hydropower allotment key to NSLS-II

February 2011
First beneficial occupancy and readiness evaluation (BORE) for pentant one and the cooling tower building completed; seventh BORE done a year later

March 2011
First fifth of ring building completed

February 2012
Completing construction of the final fifth of ring building, Brookhaven now has beneficial occupancy of entire building

April 2012
Construction more than 70 percent complete; Lab community invited to take first-time walk around half-mile ring building in “Celebration of Jobs Well Done”

January 2013
First wave of the Big Move: 110 Photon Sciences staff members move into LOB3, followed in quick succession through February, March and April by groups moving into LOB4, LOB5 and Bldg. 725

March 2013
LEED Gold certification for ring building
LOB contractor E.W. Howell achieves no lost workdays in 300,000 person-hours

August 2013
Projected receipt of LEED gold certification for LOBs

Construction Clips

2013-4063  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom