Construction is complete for the new headquarters building of the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick AFB, Fla. Construction crews broke ground on the $158 million facility in January 2012, and the 337,000 square foot campus, complete with a radiochemistry lab, central utility plant and 250-seat multi-purpose auditorium. (U.S. Air Force photo by Susan A. Romano)
The Air Force Technical Applications Center, at Patrick AFB in Florida, is undergoing a $158 million military construction project for a new headquarters building, which includes a radiochemistry lab that will be used to identify radiological or nuclear debris in support of AFTAC’s Nuclear Debris Collection and Analysis Program.
AFTAC is the only organization in the federal government whose mission it is to detect and report technical data from foreign nuclear explosions. As such, AFTAC monitors signatory countries’ compliance of nuclear treaties like the Limited Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits all nuclear tests (except those underground). The new radiochemistry lab will analyze samples to assess compliance with nuclear weapons testing in support of the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System.
“I have been extremely impressed by the ingenuity and professionalism of the Hensel Phelps team,” said Col. Chris Worley, AFTAC commander. “They are paying very close attention all aspects of this construction project down to the minutest details, which is critical in our business, and their hard work and skills have not gone unnoticed. We will have a state-of-the-art facility that will last for decades to come.”
Construction is complete and the facility will be certified LEED Silver. The project team met all of their major milestones and will be submitting for partnering awards. The partnering on this project was facilitated by Paul Crotty of Ventura Consulting Group.