Pantex building project adds efficiency, cost savings

AMARILLO, Texas – Representatives from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) joined leaders from Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC at Pantex on February 16 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the site’s new Flexible Support Facility (FSF).

“The completion of the Flexible Support Facility is a significant step toward continuing to modernize Pantex as we fulfill the workload increases at the site over the next several years,” said Pantex Site Manager Colby Yeary.

The 14,400 square-foot building broke ground in September 2020 and achieved beneficial occupancy on February 3, 2023. The FSF will provide support for the nuclear security mission at Pantex. Housing approximately 90 personnel, the new facility helps accommodate part of the general staffing growth occurring at the site.

The new facility will house project and maintenance teams, increasing direct communication among those support organizations who help ensure facility availability across the site.

The design of the FSF is based on a Standardized Acquisition and Recapitalization (STAR) design that was previously used at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The STAR initiative is aimed at reducing costs and accelerating construction of small office and light laboratory facilities through the use of standard, scalable building designs. Pantex is the first NNSA site to complete a project reusing a STAR design from another site, and the approach is being evaluated for applications across the nuclear security enterprise to achieve cost and schedule efficiencies with each subsequent build. The design used for the FSF is currently being leveraged for two additional projects at the NNSS.

“The project management team was able to overcome challenges with construction during the pandemic and supply-chain issues by monitoring schedule progress, anticipating potential bottlenecks, and implementing solutions to keep the project moving forward,” said Todd Clark, CNS Infrastructure Program Manager. “The lessons learned from this project will help us to gain future efficiencies for project execution, building construction as well as other projects planned for the site.”

Pantex plans to utilize this same design to construct additional mission enabling buildings that further support the ability to deliver the site’s national security mission, including a change house for employees to use for donning workrelated clothing and an additional office facility.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

Pantex cuts the ribbon on the new Flexible Support Facility today, (February 16), which uses the Standardized Acquisition and Recapitalization (STAR) design previously used at the Nevada National Security Site. Reuse of the design is a first in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) enterprise and is aimed at achieving cost and schedule efficiencies. Pictured: Senior Director of Pantex Project Management Russell Daniel, Pantex Deputy Site Manager Kenny Steward; Deputy Manager NNSA Production Office, Pantex Carlos Alvarado; Pantex Site Manager Colby Yeary; Senior Director of Pantex Infrastructure Programs Shawn Spivey; Infrastructure Program Manager Todd Clark; and Project Manager Marvin Moreland. (Courtesy photo)