Demolition of the chimney of the BR3 reactor

The skyline of SCK•CEN will never be the same again

The demolition of the chimney of the BR3 reactor started on August 18, 2008. For almost 50 years, this 60 m high bricked chimney has been part of the skyline of SCK•CEN. The demolition work will take a few weeks. Approximately 346 m³ with a total mass of 730 tons of debris will be removed. The progress of the works can be followed on this webpage, where new pictures will regularly be posted.

Because the chimney cannot be taken down in one piece, it will be dismantled systematically from the top by a specialised contractor. A platform especially designed for such purposes is installed by means of crane. From this platform, the workers will dismantle the chimney with a pick hammer. The debris falls down via the chimney itself and is collected at the bottom. At regular times, the debris is removed by means of an excavator and transported with containers. In order to protect the auxiliary building against falling debris, steel plates were installed on the roof. This is just a precautionary measure. From the safety point of view, the construction site is not accessible to unauthorised people.

Before the chimney could be dismantled in the classic industrial (non-nuclear) way, it needed to be "denuclearised". In order to prove that the chimney was entirely free from radioactive contamination, a specific measurement methodology was developed in 2007 and a measurement programme was carried out in consultation with the Internal Service for Prevention and Protection at Work (IDPBW). The methodology was approved by the recognised regulatory body Bel V. At the beginning of 2008, the chimney was officially denuclearised.

The chimney of BR3 was used to remove ventilation air from the controlled area. This air was filtered first and measurements were carried out in order to prevent any discharge of radioactive dust particles.

The construction of the chimney in 1959 took about 5 months. The total height is 60 m, excluding the lightning rod that was already removed in 2006. Its base is about 5 m in diameter, with a wall thickness of almost 60 cm. The thickness at the top is almost 30 cm with a diameter of about 2.7 m. A giant to take down... After these demolition works, the skyline of SCK•CEN will never be the same again.