Britain’s newest laboratory
for the analysis of radioactive
materials has arrived on site
at Dounreay. The project,
which is under construction
by off-site specialist Yorkon,
is reported to be the first
nuclear facility of its kind to
be built using modular
construction, and one of the
most complex and remote
modular building projects
ever undertaken in the UK.

A total of 35 steel-framed
modules were craned into
position in just four days,
significantly reducing
disruption to operations.

Units were pre-installed with
partitions, fume cupboards,
windows and office areas to
minimise work on site.

The off-site approach is
reducing the programme
time for the building
envelope by about 50%.
Construction is scheduled for
completion in spring 2013.

The scheme will provide six
labs to allow DSRL to comply
with statutory and
environmental monitoring
requirements, and will be in
use for up to 25 years until
the site decommissioning
programme has been
completed.

The steel modules are easy
to disassemble, recycle and
re-use elsewhere, making the
approach highly sustainable.