Demolition of an analytical laboratory hot cell facility for future refurbishment

An Analytical Laboratory Hot Cell Facility at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) was in service for nearly thirty years. In order to comply with current DOE regulations governing such facilities and meet ANL-W programmatic requirements, a major refurbishment effort had to take place. Existing equipment was removed and disposed of, including working trays and supports, lead-follow manipulators, a steel metallographic cell, penetration plugs, and the cell ventilation exhaust system. The hot cell viewing windows were removed and sent to a contractor for refurbishment. Waste generation, minimization, characterization, and packaging issues were taken into account during planning and performance of the demolition activities.