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Crews Place Remote Temperature Sensors at Hanford Plant

Construction crews recently created two concrete placements using new wireless temperature sensors at the Hanford Site Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s High-Level Waste Facility.

Office of Environmental Management

November 5, 2024
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A group of workers in safety gear works on placing concrete

RICHLAND, Wash. — Construction crews recently created two concrete placements using new wireless temperature sensors at the Hanford Site Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s High-Level Waste Facility. The sensors, which are permanently embedded in the concrete during placement, record temperatures as the concrete cures to ensure it meets nuclear quality standards. Engineers monitored the temperatures remotely in real time via a website and app, eliminating the need for physical monitoring and allowing for greater flexibility in scheduling more concrete placements. The sensors upload temperature readings every 15 minutes to a central hub on the facility’s roof and alert engineers if temperatures fall below the desired threshold. Time-lapse footage of one placement is available here.

-Contributor: Tyler Oates