State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate of Ukraine confirmed the compliance of the completely constructed object “Reconstruction of ChNPP II Stage Main Building (Power Units No. 3, 4) with reinforcement and sealing of ChNPP II Stage building structures functioning as NSC enclosing perimeter”.
State Specialized Enterprise “Chernobyl NPP”, the object’s Customer, obtained the relevant certificate signed by the Chief Inspector of Construction Supervision under the Department of Licensing Procedures.
Project “Reinforcement and sealing of ChNPP II Stage building structures functioning as NSC enclosing perimeter” ensured creation of required building structures, as well as reconstruction of all existing systems of the enclosure and control systems of the Shelter Object, including ventilation system, fire-fighting system, etc.
The design activities were performed by KSK Consortium consisting of three Ukrainian organizations: Kyiv Research and Design Institute “Energoproject”, Institute of Building Constructions, and Institute for Safety Problems of NPPs.
The construction was carried out by “Shelter Consortium” consisting of such companies as “Kyivmetrobud”, Ukrenergomontazh”, “Ukrbud” and “Ukrbudmontazh”.
To construct walls of the NSC Enclosure within the ChNPP Unit 4 Turbine Hall, over 1,800 m3 of reinforced concrete structures, out-of-service pipelines and process equipment, which remained after 1986 accident, as well as 600 m2 of roof covering were dismantled; 14,000 m³ of concrete and 1,450 tons of re-bars were placed.
Total area of the reconstructed premises – 16,237.8 square meters. Height of the eastern enclosing end wall — 80 meters and length of span — 191.75 meters. Height of the western end wall — 55 meters and length — 67.5 meters. Width of both end walls reaches from 40 centimeters to 6 meters.
The works lasted 35 months. Oscar McNeil, Manager of SIP (Shelter Implementation Plan) Project Management Unit, emphasized that performance of this project gave an opportunity to ensure the NSC Arch sliding in November 2016.
Andrii Bilyk, Chief Engineer of ChNPP, mentioned that the conditions under which the works were performed can be compared with those ones under which the ChNPP Unit 4 accident elimination was performed in 1986: “People worked under extremely severe radiation conditions, but with a substantial difference that now all activities were carried out on a scheduled basis with observance of safety standards and requirements”.
Since the activities were performed under complicated radiation conditions, considering proximity of the destroyed reactor, all workers involved in these activities passed special training, and health condition of people who performed jobs under the project was continuously monitored by Biomed program. Under Biomed program, 2,500 persons were examined; 1,300 persons out of them were employed as they mostly corresponded to the qualification requirements.
“The project was completed at high level despite the very tight deadlines. We have to give due respect to the team which was engaged in exploratory design activities, as well as to the ChNPP departments actively participated in preparing the initial design data. At the beginning of the designing, many experts fully believed that the project could not be implemented. Understandably, now all who has been involved in the creation of this object feel pride and satisfaction", — informed Viktor Popovskyi, Deputy Project and Program Manager of SIP PMU.