Activity at the construction site is humming along, with momentum carrying through the summer break. Work on the Target Station (D02) has continued this summer without interruption, and erection of the walls for the Monolith and Active Cells areas has advanced significantly. Base slab works for the adjacent Experimental Hall (D01) began today. The 500-mm-thick floor will support several ESS instruments and will be cast in 70 sessions over the next several months.
Over at the Accelerator (G01) , preparations are underway for partial handover of the Front End Building, expected in two weeks. This will open the way for installation of the ion source, a machine designed and built by in-kind partner INFN-Catania that will originate the ESS proton beam. Installation of racks and the wave guide support structure is also in progress in the Gallery Building’s (G02) Test Stand area, while the Accelerator’s Phase Reference Line—which will provide an exact reference for the proton beam’s pulse frequency—was installed in the Accelerator tunnel in early August.
Additional massive amounts of materials are being put into place on the site this month:
- Installation of the top roofing membrane on the Gallery Building began today, to be followed by the planting of seeds for the ESS Green roof. A large mobile crane will be working along North Gallery Road to place approximately 900 cubic metres of topsoil over the Gallery Building throughout the next month.
- More heavy lifting will be taking place this week as the 50-tonne Coldbox is scheduled for delivery. The Coldbox will be installed in the Gallery Building.
- The 9-metre-high Sprinkler Building (H10) , which will serve as a large holding tank for water, received 120 cubic metres of concrete last week as its inner walls were cast. The top slab is next.
