Team engineering for successful reuse and mission enhancement of a former DOE Weapons Material Production Facility

摘要

This paper describes the team engineering approach used to resolve issues associated with converting a 50-year-old fuel processing facility into a decontamination facility. In only nine months, the multi-disciplinary team formed for this task has made significant progress toward both long-term and short-term goals, including conceptual design of two decontamination modules. The team's accomplishments are even more notable in light of frequent changes in scope and mission. Today, the team serves as a venue for troubleshooting operational issues, sharing vendor information, developing long-range strategies, and addressing integration issues within the facility's organizational structure. The team's approach could serve as a useful model to address the many issues surrounding the transition of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial complexes from a production and supply role to one of cleanup and environmental remediation.