Work on the Nonproliferation and International Security Center, seen here looking southwest, is more than 50 percent complete. The multi-story building is adjacent to the Strategic Computing Center at Technical Area 3 will be home to employees from a number of Nonproliferation and International Security (NIS) Division groups and program offices. Work on the building is expected to be completed next January.
The Nonproliferation and International Security Center under construction at the intersection of Pajarito and Mercury roads, is running ahead of schedule (slightly more than 50 percent complete) without a single lost-workday injury and about $1 million under budget.
William Hamilton, Jr., project manager, noted just after the project's one-year construction anniversary that exterior panels are nearly all installed and beginning to gain their finish textures and windows are now being installed. Inside the 163,375-square-foot facility at Technical Area 3, wall studs are being placed, along with electrical and plumbing fixtures.
About 150 people are working on the project now, many of them Gardner Zemke employees. Gardner Zemke is a subcontract company to Hensel Phelps Construction Co., the general contractor for the project.
When construction is complete, estimated to be next January, with operations scheduled to begin by June 2003, NISC will be the home for staff from Space and Remote Sensing Sciences (NIS-2), Safeguards Science and Technology (NIS-5), Safeguards Systems (NIS-7), Nonproliferation and International Technology (NIS-8), Weapon Design Technologies (NIS-9), the NIS Nonproliferation, Research and Development and International Technology program offices, Facility Management Unit 75 and the NIS Division Office.
The new facility will house much of the nuclear safeguards, nonproliferation and weapons-assessment functions of NIS Division.
"We are doing a lot of inspecting at this stage. Roger Stutz (NIS-DO), Jennifer Macy (NIS-FMU-75), and others have been here many mornings at 4 a.m. or on Saturdays to make sure the contractor is building what we contracted for," said Hamilton, who also lauded Hensel Phelps for its performance on the project. "The most important thing is I think we are all working safely and having fun," he added.
To follow construction progress in text and photos, go to the NISC Web page at http://ext.lanl.gov:80/orgs/nis/nisc/ online.
Large cranes are in place working on the upper floors and roof of the Nonproliferation and International Security Center building at Technical Area 3, viewed looking east toward Truchas Peak in the background. Hensel Phelps is the general contractor on the 163,375-square-foot building. Photos by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs