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- Spring 2005, Vol. 2, Issue 1
Spring 2005, Vol. 2, Issue 1
Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program
A newly authorized project will address replacement of deteriorated utility poles. Sixty-year-old dated spikes were removed from poles already replaced, indicating the age of the poles. Current pole replacement activities are yielding a 3-to-1 return on DM reduction vs. actual expenditures. Click image for larger view.
The Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program is simultaneously reducing the Y‑12 manufacturing footprint and recapitalizing a 60-year-old infrastructure to meet the needs of a smaller, more responsive, more diverse 21st century Y‑12. Managed within the Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities organization, FIRP is currently funded at approximately $74 million. This funding targets reducing the Deferred Maintenance backlog at Y‑12 through recapitalization projects, as well as reducing the overall site footprint through infrastructure reduction activities.
FIRP success brings more funding
Recent success related to the schedule and cost performance of FIRP-sponsored activities resulted in $11 million in additional funding, to be authorized during the second quarter of FY 2005 for four new recapitalization projects. These projects include the construction of a new Technical Support Facility, 229 Boundary Fencing Upgrades and two Utilities Systems DM Reduction projects. This addition brings the number of total ongoing FIRP recapitalization projects to 24.
DM reduction at Y‑12 continues
Y‑12 significantly reduced its DM backlog in FYs 2003 and 2004 and continues the momentum in FY 2005 by aggressively stabilizing the maintenance work load and further reducing DM associated with all NNSA Y‑12 real property. Completion of four projects thus far in FY 2005 has resulted in a $7 million DM backlog reduction. When completed, the remaining projects should reduce the backlog by another $22 million.
Integrated approach key to meeting DM reduction goals
BWXT Y‑12 integrates multiple sources — including general plant, expense, recapitalization and line-item projects; Maintenance Job Requests and the site condition assessment process — in an effort to meet NNSA corporate goals. BWXT Y‑12 is committed to meeting the DM goals by defining an increasing number of FIRP projects that provide an aggressive DM reduction rate of return when compared to the actual cost of project execution. For example, during the first quarter of FY 2005, two DM-specific projects produced a $2.4 million reduction compared to actual project expenditures of $700,000.
Continuous improvement critical to FIRP success
For Y‑12 to meet the DM stabilization and reduction goals, projects that target DM reduction must continue to be successful and ways to improve must be identified. One such instance is the establishment of a dedicated in-house DM team that should be fully functional by the end of the second quarter of FY 2005. Cost and schedule efficiencies will be realized with these dedicated resources.
FIRP project uses new technology
December 2004 saw successful completion of a major Dehumidification System Replacement project. This $4.4 million project replaced an existing dehumidification system with a packaged desiccant dry-wheel dehumidification unit. A new application at Y‑12, the dry-wheel uses a silica desiccant in a 12-ft diameter rotating wheel to extract moisture from incoming air. The technology both increases system reliability and reduces maintenance costs by eliminating a corrosive material from the dehumidification process.