BIRDCAGE REPLACEMENT PLAN AT THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX

This paper presents a look at both the historical use of birdcages and their future roles at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Birdcages have changed throughout time, and they cannot keep up with all of the new requirements. Testing has shown that many existing birdcages were not designed to meet the new facility drop test or seismic requirements for material confinement, contamination control, and criticality safety control. The multiple-use container DT-200 design is a 30-gal open head drum with internal foam that meets requirements for on-site storage and transportation within the Y-12 Complex. In the future Y-12 will need to modify this design concept to replace other plant birdcage needs