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Left: Relative size of the project is evident. Left to right: Business manager Erik Emblem, First Year Apprentice Lawrence Romero, First Year Apprentice Leonard Romero, Journeyman Tom Chacon, and Foreman Bill Matejka. |
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Right: Exterior view of Los Alamos National Laboratories new beryllium plant under construction. Local 49 Sheet Metal Workers Steve Hart, on the pipe, Dan Velarde, on the ground Tom Chacon, on the pipe, and Leonard Romero, on the catwalk erect the 56-inch exhaust duct, 60-inch stack and 250-horse power exhaust fans. |
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Local 49 Sheet Metal Workers Complete Sophisticated HVAC System at U.S. Department of Energy Beryllium Project in Los Alamos, N.M.
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Members of Local 49, Albuquerque, New Mexico, this fall completed the fabrication and installation of a sophisticated HVAC system at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s new $13 million beryllium plant.
This highly-secured manufacturing facility will produce beryllium metal parts for the military’s nuclear weapon’s and telescope mirrors for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Because Beryllium is such an exotic and dangerous metal, the plant requires its air to be cleaned and tested continuously to protect machinists and scientists from toxic beryllium dust, |
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a lung-disease agent and probable carcinogen.
Local 49 Sheet Metal workers, working for National Heating & Ventilation, Inc., fabricated the large amounts of duct, fittings, vents, louvers, and related items in its shop in Albuquerque and then field installed the entire HVAC system in Los Alamos at the plant site.
The air in the plant is circulated within the building in a rather unusual manner. Incoming air is filtered with 95 percent efficient filters. Then air is released from the ceilings, where it flows straight down to the floors, where it then flows into vents at floor level. The idea is to |
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Above: Large duct ready for transportation to the field site. Left to right: Val Romero, Malcomb Veppa, Mel Gorduyn, Phil Sinclair, Gaylon Dixon, and Ruben Munzos. |
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Mel Gorduyn welds rectangular duct. |
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Right: In front of HEPA filter train, left to right, Project Foreman Bill Matejka, Business Manager Erik Emblem, Project Manager for the Laboratory Mark Harris, and Professional Engineer for Bridges & Paxton Al Guerra. |
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prevent beryllium from remaining in the air which plant workers are breathing. Outgoing air is sent through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that can screen out 99.97 percent of particles.
The plant also has differential air pressures, so that rooms with more hazardous activities are at lower pressures. This technique limits the spread of hazardous materials. Computers control the flow of air and evacuation alarms will sound at changes in air pressure.
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Right:
Left to right: Los Alamos Area Steward Ray Velarde and Project Foreman Bill
Matejka |
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Tom Chacon welding 56-inch exhaust duct on the job site. |
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Interior view of some of the supply and exhaust duct fabricated and installed by Local 49 Members. |
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At National Heating & Ventilating's shop are General Superintendent Charlie Scoggin and Vice President and Estimator Jay (Huck) Rawls. |
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Tony Keer welds some of the 56-inch round duct. |
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Pat Sinclair and Frank Lerma in the shop. |
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In the Albuquerque Shop, left to right: Frank Lerma, Shop Steward Mel Gorduyn, Tony Keer, Phil Sinclair, and Malcomb Yeppa. |
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