The High Bay Laboratory project at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, is a new modern facility dedicated to supporting advanced testing, manufacturing, and system integration of weapon components for the NNSA mission.
National Nuclear Security Administration
December 21, 2023
minute read time
The High Bay Laboratory project at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, is a new modern facility dedicated to supporting advanced testing, manufacturing, and system integration of weapon components for the NNSA mission. The structure predominantly features an industrial steel high bay, providing an open, flexible, and secure environment for manufacturing and testing. The high bay laboratory is designed as a secure vault with an integrated security system. Sandia's only classified machine shop can now relocate away from a seismically vulnerable building, mitigating employee safety and mission risks in the event of an earthquake.
Facility highlights include:
- A total area of 16,600 gross square feet, divided into a high-bay laboratory with a secure vault-like boundary, and an office wing to facilitate operational support.
- The high bay vault-type room lab is a robust industrial steel structure with a modular bay configuration and an open floor plan designed to accommodate heavy machinery.
- A processing lab within the main high bay, featuring a point-of-use dust collection system for pre- and post-manufacturing processes.
- A low bay office wing connected to the high bay lab, housing offices, a kitchen, restrooms, and rooms for mechanical and electrical equipment, as well as a data communication distribution center.
The project aligns with the NNSA's SPEAR/STAR (Streamlined Project Acquisition, Execution and Recapitalization/Standardized Acquisition and Recapitalization) initiatives, adopting lean project delivery principles for optimal design flexibility and replicability. It aims to serve as a prototype for future secure high bay facilities at the Sandia California site. Moreover, the High Bay Lab is built to comply with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and LEED Gold standards. The project was recently completed and stayed within the approved budget of $21.6 million.
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