Construction ready to spring forward

By U.S. Army Element, Assembled Chemical Weapons AlternativesMarch 30, 2009

Construction continues to move at a rapid pace at the Pueblo

Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant project site. By

summer, the construction of the PCAPP project is expected to be 30

percent complete.

Vertical construction efforts are ongoing, with structural steel beams

for the Agent Processing Building going up in the east end

of the building since late September. Vertical construction of the

Enhanced Reconfiguration Building is scheduled to begin in

January. The structural steel beams will eventually form the shells of

these two main processing buildings.

"By spring, vertical construction of the APB should be complete,

and vertical construction of the ERB should be substantially

complete," said Bechtel Site Superintendent Steve Thieme.

In addition to increased vertical construction, the PCAPP team is

looking forward to the warmer spring weather because it means

more construction workers at the site. Pipe fitters and electricians

are among the additional craft workers who will be installing and

setting various equipment and working on the pipe rack, utility

building, APB and the ERB. Construction staff is expected to total

225 by April.

Looking ahead to the summer, hiring by teaming partner URS/

Washington Demilitarization Company will begin. By July,

approximately 25 additional people will be hired for PCAPP

systemization, which is the step that precedes operations.