Assembly Hall
The main hoists of the Assembly Building, capable of handling loads of up to 1,500 tonnes. On the shop floor, some of the specialized tooling required to assemble, lift and finally manoeuver °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's supersized components.
Connected directly to the Tokamak Building, the Assembly Building is the location for pre-assembly activities on the massive components of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ device before they are transported to the Tokamak Pit for installation. This vast workshop hosts custom-made tools as well as two 750-tonne cranes that travel the length of the Assembly and Tokamak buildings.
Here, for example, each of the nine steel sectors of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ vacuum vessel will be sub-assembled with thermal shielding and a pair of toroidal field coils before being lifted and positioned inside the machine. Here also, the six modules of the central solenoid will be stacked and consolidated within a support structure.
Work on the Assembly Hall began in June 2012 and was completed in September 2015 with the lifting of the massive 730-tonne roof structure. Two 750-tonne overhead cranes and two 50-tonne auxiliary cranes were installed and commissioned; tools for major assembly tasks were also put in place. In March 2020, the temporary wall separating the Assembly Hall from the Tokamak Building was removed, and the crane rails were extended over the Tokamak assembly pit to allow for the start of machine assembly.
To follow °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine assembly, please visit these pages.
Assembly Building facts:
- Construction 2012-2015
- Building dimensions: Height: 60 metres; Length: 97 metres; Width: 60 metres
- Basemat: 1,400 tonnes of steel; 10,000 m³ of concrete
- Structure: 6,000 tonnes of steel
- Foundation thickness: 1.2‒2.2 metres
- Number of columns: 11 main (and 11 supporting) on each side
- Capacity of main cranes: 1,500 tonnes together
- Capacity of auxiliary cranes: 50 tonnes each
Photo Gallery
Assembly underway
2020-09-10 - Now that °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ assembly has started, a clean corridor is the obligatory passageway into the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall leading to a check-in desk and worker changing rooms. Follow all assembly activity on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ website at ASSEMBLY (/construction/assembly).
Lower cylinder
2020-08-22 - A new machine component is making a short pause in the Assembly Hall before it is inserted into the machine well: the cryostat lower cylinder. Ten metres tall, 30 metres in diameter, and 375 tonnes.
Next piece coming
2020-08-20 - From the rafters, a view of the machine assembly theatre. The first machine component, the cryostat base, has already been installed. The cryostat lower cylinder will be transferred into the Tokamak pit in early September.
Latest arrival
2020-08-11 - The first vacuum vessel sector from Korea has been delivered to a laydown area in the Assembly Hall. After a final helium leak test and site acceptance test, the component will be ready for handover to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization assembly contractor responsible for the vessel (TAC2) for a number of initial activities such as the installation of diagnostics, instrumentation and cable trays.
Thermal shield lift frame: tests underway
2020-07-22 - In the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall, another pair of assembly tools designed and procured by Korea—the thermal shield frames—are undergoing tests without load. These frames will support tall panels of thermal shielding as they are lifted to vertical for installation of the sector sub-assembly tools.
Preparing for a kickoff event
2020-07-22 - Preparations are underway in the Assembly Hall for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's kickoff assembly event on 28 July 2020. French President
Emmanuel Macron and government leaders from China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States will join. Tune into the livestream by clicking on the video screen at the end of the announcement (/newsline/-/3473).
Understanding the use of space
2020-06-15 - A lot is happening in the Assembly Hall. This photo explains it all.
Major machine assembly milestone
2020-05-26 - On Tuesday 26 May, the first major machine component—the cryostat base—is lifted by overhead crane and lowered into the Tokamak assembly pit.
Penultimate test
2020-05-20 - Every aspect of the lift operation has been choreographed and practiced in advance of the big day. In one critical test on 20 May, the cryostat base is lifted six metres and then set back onto its supports.
The base of the machine
2020-05-04 - Two weeks remain before the first "big lift" of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ assembly. Preparatory works are underway to prepare the component for handling and the Tokamak pit for receiving.
Cryostat base enters building
2020-04-17 - Installation contractors have moved the cryostat base from its fabrication workshop on site into the Assembly Hall. (The big lift to the Tokamak Building will take place next month.) The Indian Domestic Agency has delivered the completed component in collaboration with main contractor Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering (manufacturing design, segment fabrication in India and assembly at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ) and MAN Energy Solutions, Germany (Larsen & Toubro sub-contractor for on-site welding).
First machine component enters building
2020-04-17 - The cryostat base enters the Cleaning Facility on a self-propelled modular transporter that has 192 wheels. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Practicing with the upending tool
2020-04-10 - The upending tool is brought to vertical by the overhead cranes during commissioning tests in the Assembly Hall.
Heaviest piece
2020-04-02 - A half-moon element of the temporary lid is transported through the Assembly Hall to the waiting truck.
Two hands
2020-04-02 - The two 750-tonne overhead cranes take part in the transport of the heaviest elements of the lid, from the Tokamak pit to the waiting truck.
Off to storage
2020-04-02 - If you look closely at the image, you will see one element of the temporary lid as it is carried over the upending tool to a waiting flatbed truck. The lid will be stored on site for reuse later in the assembly phase.
Essential activities on the worksite
2020-04-02 - Activity continues on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ worksite for a list of "essential activities" related to buildings and components, with the strict application of social distancing and recommended sanitary measures. For those used to working in the offices of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, however, approximately 95% are currently working from home.
1,000 tonnes
2020-03-28 - The 840-tonne double load on the "north bridge" (right) is complemented by a 156-tonne load on the "south bridge," bringing the total to a little more than 1,000 tonnes. Calculations and modelling are used to extrapolate the effect the actual 1,500-tonne loads will have on the building's structure.
Testing the path before the real loads
2020-03-28 - Totaling approximately 1,000 tonnes, the mock loads are ready to undertake their 170-metre-long journey from the entrance of the Assembly Hall all the way to the opposite end of the newly created crane hall. Testing the load path, and carefully monitoring building inflection as the loads go by, are part of the last commissioning activities before machine assembly.
A big beam for a heavy load
2020-03-28 - The double overhead bridge crane comprises four such 47-metre-long, 155-tonne steel girders, or beams. Arranged in two pairs and working in tandem, they can lift up to 1,500 tonnes. The double overhead bridge crane was tested at 125 percent of its capacity (1,870 tonnes) in December 2017.
A very clean Cleaning Facility
2020-03-06 - The antechamber to the Assembly Hall—the Cleaning Facility—has been prepped and painted in time to receive the first °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ magnets.
5-degree increments
2020-02-28 - During tool commissioning activities, the steel cradle is lifted by increments of 5 degrees. A photogrammetric survey is performed between lifts in order to acquire baseline measurements and to monitor deformations.
Four pins
2020-02-28 - The massive tool nears its resting position on the ground, and four 80-kilogram steel pins (left) are being readied for insertion at the four corners of the tool's base. Pins provide extra security in case of a seismic event.
Getting ready for machine assembly
2020-02-28 - Two important activities in relation to the start of machine assembly are underway: commissioning of the upending tool (pictured) and the commissioning of the heavy lift cranes in the Tokamak Building where the crane rails have been extended over the Tokamak pit.
From horizontal to vertical
2020-02-28 - The largest °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine components (the D-shaped toroidal field coils and the vacuum vessel sectors) will be delivered in a horizontal position. They will be "upended" by the tool at right, before being installed on the SSAT pre-assembly tools at left.
Team spirit
2020-02-25 - Under the supervision of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, upending tool testing was coordinated by MOMENTUM (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's Construction Management-as-Agent). It involved Apave (security), contractors from the assembly consortium DYNAMIC, an operator, and an engineer from crane manufacturer REEL.
Pre-assembly preparations
2020-02-24 - The upending tool is lifted off the floor so that metrologists can measure the planarity of its support pads.
Dancers in a vertical ballet
2020-02-19 - Acrobatic workers are busy disassembling the temporary wall that separates the Assembly Hall from the Tokamak Building.
Up in the rafters
2020-02-18 - Soon, these bridge cranes will be able to travel double distance—not only the length of the Assembly Hall, but that of the adjacent building as well. Crane commissioning activities over the Tokamak pit will start once the temporary wall comes down.
Back in service
2020-02-14 - Two 360-tonne test loads are back on the main tools of the Assembly Hall. With extra weight added, they will be used to commission the overhead cranes in the new crane hall of the Tokamak Building. The temporary wall between the buildings is coming down now.
Commissioning with load completed
2019-12-13 - The 360-tonne test load is lowered to the Assembly Hall floor. After six months hooked up first to one, then the other, of the sector sub-assembly tools (left), the test loads will be stored in laydown areas until called for use to commission the upending tool.
Next to test: the upending tool
2019-12-13 - Tool commissioning is an important activity, during which the all specified functional requirements are demonstrated. Also, for tools sourced outside of the European Union, it is the occasion to show compliance with EU regulations.
Load tests conclusive
2019-11-27 - The commissioning phase for the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT) in the Assembly Hall is over. The final verification tests—with test load (photo)—demonstrated that both tools are performing to expectation.
Upending tool arrives
2019-11-14 - The two halves of the upending tool (right) are headed for installation in the far right corner of the Assembly Hall, on the area of floor that has been painted.
The doors open and ...
2019-11-07 - ... the segments of the upending tool, delivered by Korea, enter. This large structure is designed to "upend" °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's largest components (toroidal field coils and vacuum vessel sectors) from horizontal to vertical.
First zone completed
2019-10-29 - The area to be painted has been divided into four zones. One has been completed, in time for the delivery of the upending tool from Korea next week. A total of 24 tonnes of epoxy resin will be needed to cover the full floor surface of the Hall.
As smooth as an ice rink
2019-10-29 - European Domestic Agency contractors are currently coating the floor of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall (6,500 m²) with epoxy resin. A hard, perfectly smooth floor that will resist erosion is one of the main conditions for maintaining cleanliness during pre-assembly operations.
Shift of weight
2019-09-30 - In late September, the second 360-tonne load (at left) was transferred to SSAT tool #2 (on the right). After one month of functional tests on the second tool, the loads will be removed and stored until needed for the testing of the "upending" structure that has been shipped by Korea.
Antechamber to the Assembly Hall
2019-09-25 - After leaving storage, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's largest components will be submitted to a thorough cleaning process in the antechamber of the Assembly Hall, the Cleaning Facility (photo). The large doors will then open to allow the component, on its transport platform, to enter the Hall where the overhead cranes can take over. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Rotated completely
2019-09-04 - The wings of the first sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT1) have been fully rotated inward and the tool has performed as expected. Later this month, the mock loads will be transferred to SSAT2. Both tools will enter service in 2020.
Two mounted
2019-07-23 - Two mock loads were built in Scotland by Doosan Babcock and shipped to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ for assembly. They represent a combined weight of 700 tonnes, now mounted on the tool SSAT#1. Rotational tests begin late in July.
A little push by hand ...
2019-07-22 - Even in the most technical of operations, there is always a need for final adjustment by hand. Seen vertically, the loads share the D-shape of the toroidal field coils they are meant to represent. They also reproduce the centre of gravity and mass distribution of the coils.
Inching up
2019-07-19 - One 350-tonne dummy load, representing a toroidal field coil, is slowly upended using both the double overhead crane at one end and a powerful telescopic crane at the other.
Travelling now
2019-07-19 - The upended load is carried to the first tool, to be installed on one of its wings.
Two mock loads
2019-07-11 - Two mock loads weighing 350 tonnes have been constructed from steel and concrete (far left) to represent the D-shaped toroidal field coils that will be mounted on the wings of the assembly tools. Lifting and installation will begin soon.
Open arms
2019-07-03 - Standing in front of one of the sub-sector assembly tools is Swiss photographer Luca Zanier, who spent two days at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ in July in pursuit of "unusual" perspectives in industry.
Inspecting the loads
2019-07-01 - Made of seven different steel-and-concrete modules, the dummies slightly exceed the weight of the actual coil but closely reproduce their centre of gravity and distribution of mass.
Preparing the lift
2019-07-01 - The load modules are held together by strong threaded tension bars called "Macalloys." The stress on these bars was tested recently by lifting the load several centimetres above the shop floor as part of preparatory activities for the real lift.
Steel and concrete modules to make the weight
2019-07-01 - Each dummy load is made of seven assembled modules of varying weights.
Loads prepared
2019-06-12 - Load tests are about to start on the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT). The mock loads in the foreground—weighing 350 tonnes each—will be installed on the tool "wings" to measure their capacity to rotate inwards and adjust to within millimetre tolerances.
Mechanical testing underway on SSAT tools
2019-04-25 - With both sector sub-assembly tools (SSATs) now erected, mechanical load testing can start. In April, teams begin testing the movement of upper alignment units. Load testing is schedule for June.
Up high
2019-01-10 - At the top of the second SSAT tool, contractors are assembling the final elements.
Near twins
2018-11-29 - The second SSAT tool is rising quickly in the Assembly Hall. Each of these 800-tonne behemoths can carry component assemblies of 1,200 tonnes.
Sturdy wings
2018-11-29 - Precision hydraulics will drive the lateral wings of the SSAT tools, which rotate to deliver the toroidal field coils to their installation fixtures on the vacuum vessel sector.
From the rafters
2018-10-12 - The technician walking along the curved rails gives us a sense of the tool's scale. The first segment of tool #2 has been positioned for installation.
Well anchored
2018-10-12 - The tools are solidly anchored in the concrete floor of the Assembly Hall. In the foreground is the footing arrangement for the inboard column.
Assembly stations
2018-10-12 - On the floor of the Assembly Hall, across from the SSAT tools, other bespoke handling stations will be installed—for example, for the assembly of the central solenoid.
Load tests next year
2018-10-12 - Both tools will be tested with a full-weight dummy load, expected on site in March 2019. Load testing is the final tool qualification activity, allowing operators to verify the tools' ability to accurately adjust the dummy load toroidally and to six degrees of freedom within tolerances of +/- 1 millimetre.
A novel angle
2018-10-12 - This 800-tonne tool, seen from a novel angle, stands 22 metres tall and can handle a 1,200-tonne subassembly. And it will soon have an identical twin in the Assembly Hall ...
Precise alignment
2018-10-12 - Specialists are busy installing and precisely aligning the toroidal rail tracks upon which the wings of the giant tool will travel.
Broadcast to the world
2018-10-10 - Media crews were invited to tour the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site in early October, including the Assembly Hall where one giant tool stands and another is going up.
2018-09-05 - The assembly of the second tool starts next month. As the wall poster shows, there will be two identical handling tools working from 2019 on to equip the vacuum vessel sectors for delivery to the machine pit.© Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Shimmering
2018-08-14 - A worksite crane is reflected from the mirror surface of the Assembly Hall in August.
Tanks awaiting installation
2018-07-25 - For now the Cleaning Facility—at the entrance of the Assembly Hall—can be used for storage. In this picture are four tanks for the pressure suppression system of the vacuum vessel, which will be installed in the Tokamak Building in August. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
First tool up
2018-07-18 - The 800-tonne tools are designed to support charges of up to 1,200 tonnes.
Waiting on its double
2018-07-17 - A second sector sub-assembly tool has been manufactured and tested in Korea, and then shipped to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ for assembly. After commissioning, the first tool will enter operations with the arrival of vacuum vessel sector #6 in Q2 2019.
Strong arms
2018-07-17 - The sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT) will support a vacuum vessel sector vertically while operations that can only take place in a spacious area—the addition of large thermal shielding sections and the attachment of a pair of D-shaped toroidal field magnets—are carried out.
A knowledgeable guide
2018-07-11 - 13,000 visitors passed through °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ in 2017 and a similar number is expected this year. Pictured: the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General leads a tour for US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and US Ambassador to France Jamie McCourt.
90% completed
2018-05-18 - Imagine: two of these giant tools will be working side-by-side during the pre-assembly phase of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ vacuum vessel.
Room for another
2018-05-18 - The rails are already in place for tool #2.
Two other columns
2018-04-09 - The two outboard columns, which have been assembled horizontally, will be standing by end-April.
Wings open
2018-04-09 - With its wings open, the tool is impressive indeed. Each wing will slowly rotate in to align 310-tonne toroidal field coils to each side of a vacuum vessel sector.
Three strong legs
2018-04-05 - This tool has been designed for 1,200-tonne loads. Structural elements on the inside of the tool's three pillars contribute to stability.
Two, for faster assembly
2018-04-05 - Next to the first tool, base rail plates have been installed for the twin tool that is undergoing factory acceptance tests now in Korea. Two tools will allow the vacuum vessel sector pre-assembly period to be divided by ... half.
Behind the wall ...
2018-04-05 - When the Tokamak Building is completed, the temporary wall to the right will come down. The vacuum vessel sector sub-assemblies won't have far to travel to the Tokamak Pit.
First tool rising
2018-02-23 - After a long period during which the anchoring elements—including base plates and rails—were set into place and precise measurements taken, the installation of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's first giant assembly tool is underway.
Tool #1
2018-02-23 - All the pieces of the first tool are in place; only hydraulic and electrical connections must be installed. Ahead are functional tests (integrated system tests without the test load), followed by full-load tests.
One here, one there
2018-02-23 - About half of the major components for the first tool have been installed. In parallel, the second tool of the pair has been manufactured and assembled at Taekyung Heavy Industries (THI) in Korea, where testing is underway.
Sector sub assembly tool
2018-02-20 - The first lateral wing is going up. The wings will allow 310-tonne toroidal field coils to be rotated toward a suspended vacuum vessel sector for installation on either side. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC
Unusual
2018-02-20 - This unusual photo was taken high up in the structure of the Assembly Hall. Double rows of columns—with bracing structures between them—will help to deflect the weight of the loads managed by the assembly cranes. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Junior crane
2018-02-20 - This is the smaller of the two overhead crane pairs, which runs along rails underneath the larger crane. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Tools to erect the tool
2018-02-20 - In the 100-metre Assembly Hall, telescopic cranes have moved in to assist with the assembly of the building's first tool. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
A pair of hands is still useful
2018-02-20 - Lessons learned from the first tool have reduced assembly time for SSAT-2 by approximately one-third. Still, some manual operations are still required...
Guide rails
2018-02-20 - Taken from behind the tool, this picture shows the floor rails that the wings travel along. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Heavy machinery
2018-02-20 - Two pairs of hands will manoeuvre the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ components from above in the Assembly Hall—the 1,500-tonne crane (on higher rails) and the 50-tonne crane, both visible in this photo. The cranes were supplied by the French firm REEL as part of European procurement contributions. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
All columns in place
2018-02-20 - The first 22-metre-tall, 800-tonne SSAT tool is now in place. Precision hydraulic equipment will be installed next. (SSAT stands for vacuum vessel Sector Sub-Assembly Tool.)
Next door
2018-02-20 - Behind the white plaster board is the Radio Frequency Building. The waveguides for the ion and electron cyclotron resonance heating systems will be routed through the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak Building. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Down to the millimetre
2018-01-25 - Metrology teams are at work in the Assembly Hall to characterize segments of the SSAT tool before they are lifted into place.
Several tools necessary
2018-01-25 - Due to the size of the vacuum vessel sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT), several metrology instrument positions are needed to achieve the best precision measurements. A network of target nests embedded in the ground of the Assembly Building helps position the instruments around the SSAT. Photo: PES Metrology
It's midnight, but these teams are at work
2017-12-18 - Observers during the load tests include representatives of the crane manufacturer Reel, the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, the architect-engineer Engage, and the safety controller Bureau Veritas.
Standing ready
2017-12-18 - These heavy metal blocks—stacked seven tall—will be lifted some 50 metres overhead during testing.
After-hours load tests for the crane
2017-12-18 - Late at night in December the principal crane of the Assembly Building was subjected to loads that were +10%/+25% of nominal—all part of commissioning tests for the important equipment.
Complex machinery
2017-11-22 - Trolleys and cranes of various capacities fill most of the space in the Assembly Hall rafters. Like a catwalk in a theatre, they host the invisible machinery that makes the production possible.
Imagining the future
2017-11-22 - When construction of the Tokamak Building ends, the crane rails will be extended over the machine assembly area, as shown in the poster.
Hooked!
2017-11-22 - This massive hook is one of four, each with a lifting capacity of 375 tonnes, that belong to the double overhead bridge crane installed 43 metres above the floor in the Assembly Hall.
Laying rails, adjusting torque
2017-11-22 - Plates and rails for the first of the twin Titans, SSAT-1, are temporarily in place. Once the torque has been hydraulically adjusted on every bolt and the positioning laser-aligned, the assembly of the 20-metre-high handling tool will begin.
Cranes galore
2017-11-22 - This striking view takes in the whole lifting system installed in the Assembly Hall: the massive double overhead bridge crane, with a lifting capacity of 1,500 tonnes (top), and its much smaller sibling the 50-tonne auxiliary crane sitting on rails three metres below.
2017-11-22 - Load tests are scheduled to begin in the first week of December. A final test at 25 percent over-capacity (1,875 tonnes) will verify that the flexion of the 43-metre-long bridge crane girders remains within specifications.
Vertical assembly begins
2017-11-22 - Questions about grouting raised during the installation of the rails have been resolved, and the first tool segment can be moved into place.
A truly international operation
2017-11-22 - Procured by Korea, the twin SSATs are being assembled by technicians from the French company CNIM. The operation is being closely monitored by quality insurance specialists from the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's Construction Management-as-Agent contractor MOMENTUM, and by a representative of the manufacturer Taekyung Heavy Industries (THI).
Looking beyond the wall
2017-11-10 - A new poster in the Assembly Hall shows how—once the temporary wall is removed—the cranes will travel into the Tokamak Building to deposit their loads.
First foot
2017-11-10 - This large element will be the base segment of one of the tool's three huge columns. Three other segments of varying sizes will be stacked on top of it.
Working as partners
2017-11-08 - Just below the heavy lift cranes are two smaller, more agile cranes capable of lifting 50 tonnes.
Solidly anchored
2017-11-08 - Details of the anchoring system for the tool rails.
In detail
2017-11-08 - A close-up of one of the 750-tonne cranes, with hooks that are ready to lift 375 tonnes each. Load tests will be run soon as part of the crane's commissioning activities.
Like an Erector set
2017-11-08 - Everything is laid out for the first stages of assembly of the SSAT tools (for vacuum vessel Sector Sub-Assembly Tool), including the first "foot" of one of the massive columns.
A full view
2017-11-08 - Looking down across the full 97-metre length of the Assembly Hall. The travelling cranes are approximately 45 metres above floor level.
2017-10-17 - Four giant hooks like this one will hang from the double overhead cranes in the Assembly Hall, each one with a lift capacity of 375 tonnes.
A careful first step
2017-09-26 - Before the mammoth tool can be erected in the Assembly Hall, the anchoring technology must be carefully installed.
Cleaning facility
2017-09-19 - In the future, this vestibule will be dedicated to the cleaning of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ components before they are delivered into the Assembly Hall. For now, though, part of it is reserved for storage.
Assembly of first tool underway
2017-09-06 - The French company CNIM has been charged by the Korean manufacture of the SSAT (sector sub-assembly tool) with the responsibility of mounting the tool in the Assembly Hall. Work is underway now.
Preparing for giants
2017-08-29 - In one corner of the Assembly Hall, workers are installing the base plates that will support the rails of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's largest assembly tools—the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT). The red panels will be moved forward to mesh with the pre-built apertures, before the operation is repeated for the second row.
Anchoring the first tools
2017-08-29 - The red plates will anchor the rails of the Assembly Hall's largest tools: the vacuum vessel sub-sector assembly tools (SSAT). The first tool should be standing by the end of the year. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Measuring the size of the beast
2017-08-29 - The SSAT tools for the pre-assembly of vacuum vessel sectors are monsters, weighing 800 tonnes and standing 22 metres tall. Seeing the size of the footprint helps us to measure just how massive they are.
The box within the box
2017-07-12 - A "box within a box" space has been installed in the Cleaning Facility to store deliveries to the Assembly Hall.
Looking up
2017-07-12 - The two large overhead cranes of the Assembly Hall are currently undergoing functional tests.
A place for storage
2017-07-12 - The storage "box" in the Cleaning Facility, seen from above. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
A vast volume to clean ...
2017-07-12 - In the 60-metre-tall building for pre-assembly activities, workers go over the painted surface of the basemat. Not a small task!
Crane tests
2017-07-04 - Functional tests for the overhead handling cranes are underway now.
A clean space in the Cleaning Facility
2017-06-27 - In the adjacent Cleaning Facility, a storage structure has been erected to keep the elements of the sector sub-assembly tools out of the dust during assembly. The first crates reached °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ in June from Korea.
The doors are open today
2017-06-22 - Around the back of the Assembly Hall, we can see through the open doors of the Cleaning Facility. A temporary structure has been erected there for the storage of assembly tool components that are arriving from Korea. In the meantime, a helium cold box is transported along the road to the cryoplant.
Where the giants will stand
2017-06-14 - As the elements of the first giant sector sub-assembly tool begin arriving on site from Korea, workers are readying the corner of the Assembly Hall where they will stand.
Standing tall
2017-05-31 - The Assembly Hall remains the tallest structure on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ platform. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Door panels
2017-04-27 - The Cleaning Facility at the entrance of the Assembly Hall is being equipped with sliding doors. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Finishing works underway
2017-04-27 - Interior clapboard and painting works are underway in the Assembly Hall, which will receive its first large assembly tool this summer. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Heading up!
2017-04-27 - To access the overhead cranes, please take the stairs! Commissioning tests are planned soon on the two 750-tonne cranes that are installed 45 metres overhead. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
No longer stands alone
2017-04-27 - With the completion of the Site Services Building (foreground) and the strong progress on the Radio Frequency Heating Building (adjoining) the Assembly Hall no longer stands alone in the middle of the platform. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Mirror mirror on the wall
2017-01-25 - All of the principal buildings of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ installation will be covered in mirror cladding, as seen here on the Cleaning Facility, Assembly Hall and Site Services Building. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
The northern side of the construction platform
2016-12-19 - Looking northeast over the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site. From left to right: the Tokamak Complex (under construction), the Assembly Hall and its antechamber—the Cleaning Facility. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Slowly but surely
2016-12-19 - In front of the Assembly Hall, work is progressing on level L1 of the Tokamak Complex (ground level). When the Tokamak Building is completed in 2018, it will stand as tall as the Assembly Hall.
Sister cranes
2016-12-12 - Two overhead cranes with a capacity to lift 50 tonnes each are shown installed a few metres below the one of the two 750-tonne cranes (the second is not pictured). © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
To come next: tooling
2016-12-08 - After the installation this week of the facility's second overhead crane, the next milestone will be the delivery of the first bespoke tool for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ assembly—one of the two giant sub-sector assembly tools.
A second pair of hands
2016-12-08 - The NKMNOELL-REEL consortium (formed by NKMNoell Special Cranes, Germany and REEL SAS, France) has manufactured two pairs of cranes for the Assembly Hall: the 750-tonne cranes installed in June 2016 and the 50-tonne auxiliary cranes, pictured.
Cranes installed in December
2016-12-08 - Cranes are used inside the building to lift the girders of the 50-tonne crane into place. This auxiliary crane will be installed on rails that are a few metres below the heavy-lift crane.
Four new crane girders arrive
2016-11-10 - In addition to two overhead cranes with a lift capacity of 750-tonnes each, the Assembly Hall will be equipped with a set of 50-tonne cranes. In November, four girders for this smaller set were delivered to the shop floor.
To be installed
2016-11-10 - The girders for the 50-tonne crane will be installed just below the principal crane assembly seen at the top of the image. Photo: ENGAGE
Reflective surfaces
2016-11-10 - Looking up at the reflective surface of the Assembly Hall.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ from afar
2016-10-08 - The Assembly Hall, with its giant poster of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine, is the most visible feature of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site from a distance. In 2018, the adjacent Tokamak Building will match it in height.
Framed by rebar
2016-07-26 - The 60-metre-tall Assembly Building seen from the B1 level of the Tokamak Complex. Work is currently underway on level two of the seven-storey building.
The largest structure on the platform
2016-07-11 - In some light, the silver cladding on the sides of the Assembly Building appears black. © EJF Riche
Curved rails in place
2016-07-07 - Rails have been installed on the base plates.
Mission completed
2016-07-07 - The assembly cranes are in place, and a project milestone for 2016 has been achieved.
2016-06-28 - A giant poster (25 x 50 m) of the Tokamak ensconced in its concrete building has been installed on the temporary wall of the Assembly Building. The poster image is 70 percent of the machine's actual size.
Installation of main cranes advances well
2016-06-27 - In late June, two trolleys remain to be lifted and installed for the main Assembly Hall cranes. Two smaller cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 50 tonnes, will be installed in September/October.
Makes you feel small ...
2016-06-27 - The person standing on the support rails looks positively tiny next to the mammoth 47-metre-long steel girder ...
A balancing act
2016-06-26 - Before the lift, the load must be carefully balanced on the hook. This operation takes much longer than the actual lifting.
Like a giant blackboard
2016-06-24 - Cladding is now completed. In a few days, a giant poster of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Tokamak will be installed.
Trolley rides to the top
2016-06-17 - On Friday 17 June, a trolley is lifted to join the two girders already in place. Operators moved the girders to the end of the building to free the opening in the roof.
June lift
2016-06-14 - Four girders and four trolleys will be lifted into place over a period of 10 days. The first girders were installed on 14 and 16 June, followed by first of the four 100-tonne trolleys.
Push, pull and tilt
2016-06-14 - As the girder is lifted toward the overhead rails, 43 metres above the basemat of the Assembly Hall, a bit of pushing and pulling tilts it in the right direction.
Gaining weight
2016-06-14 - Gear motors, wheels, braces, and electrical equipment ... the fitting out of the girders has added some 30 tonnes. Each girder now weighs 186 tonnes.
Assembly Building in June
2016-06-14 - The cladding on the northwest facade of the building is nearly completed, and the crawler crane is in place for crane assembly.
Through a hole in the roof
2016-06-14 - A man-sized hook is passed through an opening in the roof by the beam of the crawler crane. The crane operator, with no direct line of sight to the lifting operations, receives radio instructions from the "rigger," who oversees the whole operation.
An unusual view
2016-06-02 - The Tokamak Pit and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Headquarters, as seen from the rear of the Assembly Building.
At the level of the overhead cranes
2016-06-02 - After the lifting operation, the cranes will be able to move along the rails of the Assembly Building (visible here). Later, when the Tokamak Building is completed, the rails will be extended over the Tokamak Pit installation area.
Piece by piece
2016-05-12 - Each rail segment is between 10 and 18 metres long and will rest on beams that run the entire length of the Assembly Building (and, one day, the Tokamak Building).
Climbing 45 metres toward the roof
2016-05-12 - Heading up to the level of the overhead crane rails (15 stories), our photographer shot this picture through the pillars of the Assembly Hall.
Adding the rails
2016-05-12 - 43 metres above the basemat of the Assembly Hall, workers are laying the rails for the lifting system that will handle components weighing up to 1,500 tonnes.
Careful assembly process
2016-05-12 - It will take a few weeks to install the rails and fine tune their alignment.
Another rail is positioned
2016-05-12 - Each rail is fastened with heavy clips to the ledge formed by the railway beams.
2016-04-26 - To capture this original view of the 60-metre-tall °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall, our photographer stretched out flat on his back.
From a high perch
2016-04-26 - What looks like small Lego bricks are actually barriers protecting the anchor plates for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's largest assembly tools—the 800-tonne sub-sector assembly tools.
A temporary wall
2016-04-26 - The frame is up for the temporary wall that will be erected between the Assembly Hall and the Tokamak Complex, until construction of the Tokamak Complex is complete.
Cranes coming soon
2016-04-26 - Rails will be set in place for the components of the massive overhead cranes. The rails will be 45 metres above the basemat.
Polished!
2016-04-22 - Cladding work has ended on the north face. The cut-out section is reserved for the Radio Frequency Heating Building, which will be built up against the Assembly Hall. © EJF Riche
A second pair of girders
2016-04-21 - The logistics of bringing two 47-tonne girders along the roads from the Mediterranean Sea to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site takes careful planning. Here, the double convoy is parked near Peyrolles-en-Provence while operators wait for nightfall to conduct the components at 5 km/hour along the last leg of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Itinerary.
Flying past
2016-04-12 - Taken by drone, this photo captures the interior of the 97-metre-long Assembly Building, where the largest tokamak components will be pre-assembled before their installation. © EJF Riche
The intended effect
2016-03-22 - As the reflective cladding advances along the metal structure of the Assembly Building, the colours of a March day in Provence appear.
Working at heights
2016-03-22 - The installation of cladding on the 60-metre-tall °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall requires specific techniques and safety measures.
First girder
2016-03-18 - In June this girder, and three others, will be installed on rails inside of the Assembly Building—some 45 metres overhead.
A steel exterior
2016-03-03 - The steel exterior of the Assembly Hall reflects the technological nature of the assembly operations that will take place inside. Photo: F4E
Running 175 m
2016-03-03 - Crane rails will run the entire length of the Assembly Building, and later the Tokamak Building, to form a continuous, 175-metre-long crane bay. Photo: F4E
Giant footprints
2016-03-03 - The concrete basemat of the hall is ready to receive the twin Sector Sub-Assembly tools, 800 tonnes each, that will pre-assemble the vacuum vessel sectors with the toroidal field magnets and thermal shielding before installation in the pit. Photo: F4E
Cladding advances
2016-02-16 - The first panels are in place on the south side. The building should be entirely covered in cladding in June. Photo: ENGAGE
2016-02-16 -
Strong legs
2016-02-16 - A double-column structure is in place to support the incredible weight of the cranes themselves (700 tonnes each) and their heaviest loads (1,250 tonnes). Photo: ENGAGE
Giant beams, coming soon
2016-02-16 - Four large girder beams (45 metres in length) will cross the breadth of the Assembly Hall to support the overhead cranes. The support beams, visible in this photo, run the full 97 metres of the facility. Photo: ENGAGE
Starting on the other side
2016-02-16 - Northern-facing cladding has now been connected to the roof and the first panels are in place on the south side (at right, behind the stairs). Photo: ENGAGE
Reflecting the blue sky
2016-02-04 - On the northern face of the Assembly Building, work progresses on four layers of cladding. The last layer, in polished steel, will reflect the colour of the sky.
Full cladding by May
2016-01-31 - If all goes according to schedule, work on the cladding will end in April.
Installing crane beams
2016-01-12 - During °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ assembly, a pair of independent bridge cranes will run the entire length of the Tokamak and Assembly buildings, manoeuvring and transporting components. The first beams for the crane bay were lifted into place in January to trial the bolting operations. After all the beams are in place, workers will install the rails in time for the arrival of the first bridge crane late in June.
The entry point to the Assembly Hall
2016-01-12 - Before they enter into the Assembly Hall °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ components will need to be cleaned using a number of different techniques such as compressed clean air, pressurized demineralized water, and special detergents. Construction of the Cleaning Facility is underway on the south side of the building.
Dressing the steel skeleton
2015-12-17 - Four layers of the cladding will eventually cover the Assembly Hall, including an insulating layer. The outermost panes will be mirror-like, to reflect the sky and surroundings.
Cladding operations underway
2015-12-10 - The 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. night shift is at work on the far side of the Assembly Hall, bolting together the steel lattice that will support the metal cladding.
14,000 m² to be covered
2015-12-10 - 60 metres tall, 97 metres long, 60 metres wide. There are 14,000 square metres of surface to cover with cladding.
45 metres above ground
2015-11-30 - In November, an operator works on the Assembly Building, where the crane rails will be installed. Photo: F4E
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ at night
2015-11-27 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall stands out on the construction platform on a clear and cold November evening. ©Christophe Roux - CEA/IRFM
Seen from above
2015-10-15 - A drone shot of the Assembly Building roof structure. In order to install the heavy-lift cranes inside the building, part of the roof will be opened to allow a lift cable—from a tall crane outside of the building—to be lowered within.
Spider Hall
2015-10-14 - A giant, 22-legged arachnid seems to have taken up residence on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site ... Following the roof lifting operation on 11 September, the temporary structures that held the hydraulic jacks have been removed and workers have nearly finished tightening 3,000 connexion bolts.
And the tallest is ...
2015-09-21 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Building is now the tallest structure on site. © MatthieuCOLIN.com
From behind the hill
2015-09-16 - The steel structure of the Assembly Building, seen from the logistics platform located behind the platform. (In the foreground, the Cryostat Workshop is visible.)
Successful lift operation
2015-09-11 - The roof segment of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Building is successfully raised to its final position in September. Held in place by temporary jacks following a 14-hour lift operation, the 730-tonne metal structure will be secured to the side pillars in the weeks to come.
They've done it!
2015-09-11 - Posing for a group picture under the Assembly Hall roof are staff members from the Buildings, Infrastructure and Power Supplies (BIPS) Project Team, architect-engineer Engage, APAVE (safety specialists), Martifer (steel structure assembly), and VSL (heavy lifting).
A few weeks to secure the structure
2015-09-11 - When the roof structure is fully secured to the side columns, the temporary structures put in place for the lift cables (top) will be dismantled.
The symbolic ribbon cutting
2015-09-11 - On 11 September 2015, Director-General Bernard Bigot underlines the importance of the latest milestone achieved on the worksite: "Here, in this antechamber to the Tokamak Complex, the principal elements of the machine with be fitted out and preassembled. Without this building, there would be no assembly, and without assembly there would be no machine and no project."
Centimetre by centimetre
2015-09-10 - Over the course of 14 hours, 22 hydraulic jacks hoisted the huge structure along thick steel cables that hung from support structures that had been temporarily fixed to the top of the pillars.
Roof lift, seen from the pit
2015-09-10 - And the roof structure rises, inch by inch. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
And off it goes
2015-09-10 - Laser metrology is used to verify the position of the structure as it is lifted. Tolerances of only 35 mm from highest to lowest point are permitted.
Lifted at 5 km/hour
2015-09-10 - The structure is first lifted 20 cm and left to hang in order to measure the deflection of the steel and check the hydraulic pressure of the jacks. Then, the structure is lifted at approximately 5 km/hour.
800-tonne roof structure lifted 10-11 September 2015
2015-08-31 - In a 15-hour operation that began on 10 September, the 800-tonne roof structure for the Assembly Building is being slowly lifted to its final position at 50 metres above the basemat. A ceremony is planned to mark the end of the construction milestone on 11 September.
Side pillars near completion
2015-07-17 - The southern side of the structure will soon be completed. When that happens, the roof beams will be lifted into place.
An assembly of steel beams
2015-07-07 - Over 200 individual beams—and 85,000 bolts—make up the metal structure of the Assembly Building.
Double pillars for strong support
2015-05-30 - Within the Assembly Building, two 750-tonne cranes working in tandem will lift loads up to 1,500 tonnes during assembly, assisted by two 50-tonne auxiliary cranes. Photo: Christian Lünig/ VG Bild und Kunst
In black and white
2015-05-30 - Soon to reach 60 metres, the pillars of the Assembly Building loom over the Tokamak Seismic Pit below. Photo: Christian Lünig/ VG Bild und Kunst
All eyes look up
2015-05-30 - The structure of the Assembly Building, seen from the Tokamak Pit, is truly impressive.
Assembly of roof structure underway
2015-05-27 - As the pillars of the Assembly Building rise, work is underway in parallel to assemble the roof structure. In August, the roof assembly will be lifted in one piece by way of hydraulic jacks and cables.
One more level to go
2015-05-27 - On the north side of the Assembly Building basemat, four vertical pillar segments out of five are in place (appr. 48 m). Visible in the picture: the metal balcony that will support rails for the overhead assembly cranes.
Soon to be the tallest structure
2015-05-27 - When completed, the Assembly Building will stand 60 metres tall (nearly 200 feet).
For the feet of giants
2015-05-05 - On the Assembly Building basemat, workers pour concrete into the areas reserved for the largest assembly tools. The tools themselves will be fixed to the floor by steel plates and rails. Photo: F4E
The largest assembly tool
2015-05-05 - The steel "footprint" (at right) gives an idea of the largest tool for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ assembly - the 22-metre-tall, 800-tonne Sector Sub-Assembly tool. Two of these giants, operating side by side in the Assembly Building, will equip the sectors of the vacuum vessel before their installation in the machine. Photo: F4E
Fourth-level colums and work on the roof
2015-04-28 - As the fourth level columns are installed (bringing the structure to 48 metres), work has started on the ground to assemble the structure of the roof, which will be lifted and set into place in one piece.
Up to the third level
2015-04-08 - The Assembly Building construction project, on a clear day in April.
2015-02-12 - The first third-level pillar is up, and the metal structure of the building is now 36 metres tall.
Ten in a row
2015-02-11 - Double pillars stand aligned on the Assembly Building basemat. An eleventh pillar will take its place (at left) when the Tokamak Complex walls reach the same level. Photo: F4E
See the building from above!
2015-02-03 - Progress on the Assembly Building pillars is easily measured from above.
Tightening the bolts
2015-02-02 - For each pillar assembly, a two-person team manually tightens the bolts on columns weighing 23 tonnes (exterior) or 11 tonnes (interior).
Beginning on the other side
2015-02-02 - The first pillar is in place on the opposite of the Assembly Building basemat.
The Assembly Building worksite in January
2015-01-16 - As the Assembly Building's steel skeleton is progressively bolted into place, the massive size of the construction becomes more and more evident.
Reaching the sky
2014-12-18 - When finished, the Assembly Building will reach the height of the tallest crane.
Starting on the second level
2014-12-18 - On one side of the Assembly Building basemat in December, work begins on the second level of pillars.
First level finished on one side
2014-12-01 - In December, the first level of steel pillars is completed along one side of the Assembly Building basemat; work begins on level two before the end of the month. Six thousand tons of steel will be needed for the building's structure. Photo: F4E
Beams going up
2014-11-20 - The erection of 12-metre beams continues along the northern side of the Assembly Building basemat. Photo: F4E
Another 48 metres to go
2014-11-20 - The first level pillars for the Assembly Building measure 12 metres in height. Four more 12-metres sections will be installed on this base to complete the 60-metre structure. Photo: F4E
Pillar parts
2014-11-18 - Stored near the worksite where the pillars are being assembled are the plates, bolts and bars of the pillar assemblies.
The footprint of a large tool
2014-11-18 - In this area of the Assembly Building basemat, large custom-built tools will be anchored.
Two of the tools will be twice this height
2014-10-28 - These 12-metre columns are tall, but let's put them in perspective. The two tools that will manage vacuum vector sector sub-assembly will stand 22 metres tall in the Assembly Building—or nearly twice the columns pictured.
Spectacular operation to come
2014-10-28 - The girders and trolleys of the overhead cranes are delivered to the Assembly Hall in early June. They will be lifted into position by a huge crawler crane operating from outside the building and passing its hook through an opening in the roof.
Heavy bolts
2014-10-28 - A parallel row of columns will support the Assembly Building roof from each side of the basemat. Pictured, the support braces that tie the rows together.
Work begins on the Assembly Building
2014-10-20 - Another seven double pillar assemblies like those pictured here will complete one side of the supporting structure for the Assembly Building, before workers begin erecting pillars on the opposite side. The 12-metre columns are one-fifth of their final height. One year of construction will be necessary to complete the Assembly Building. Photo: Engage
A busy workshop
2014-10-01 - This vast workshop will host custom-made tools as well as two 750-tonne cranes that will travel the length of the building to pre-assemble components for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Tokamak. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)
How it will look
2014-10-01 - The 60-metre tall Assembly Building is the antechamber to the Tokamak Building. Its overhead cranes (in yellow) will run the full length of both buildings to deliver pre-assembled components for in-pit assembly. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)
Twice as high as the Cryostat Workshop
2014-10-01 - The Assembly Building will rise 60 metres, or more than twice as high as the Cryostat Workshop seen in the background.
Enter through this door!
2014-10-01 - The Assembly Building and the Tokamak Building (in solid white) will stand 60 metres tall on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ platform. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)
The first pillars
2014-10-01 - Late September, the first pillars of the Assembly Building were installed. Eleven main pillars, and 11 supporting pillars, will be erected along each side of the basemat.
Pre-assembly operations will happen here
2014-06-17 - The Assembly Building—a vast antechamber to the Tokamak Complex—will house the specialized assembly tooling required for pre-assembly operations. The 6,000 m² basemat of the Assembly Building won't be visible for long: construction begins this year on the walls of the facility, which will rise 60 metres above the platform.
Assembly Building: heavy tools to come
2014-03-21 - The Assembly Building basemat will support the load of the heavy custom-built tools that will pre-assemble vacuum vessel components. The openings in the concrete, visible in the image, are reserved for the embedded plates that will fix the tools to the basemat.
Assembly Building: walls will rise in June
2014-02-12 - Work on the steel frame of the Assembly Building is scheduled to begin in early July.
The platform at the of 2013
2013-11-29 - Technical galleries are underway all around the Assembly Building. The building should begin to take form at the same time as the adjacent Tokamak Complex.
Latest aerial photograph
2013-09-11 - A view from the sky of the Tokamak Complex worksite, where walls will begin to rise next year, and the completed basemat of the Assembly Building (foreground).
A platform for assembly
2013-06-20 - Overhead cranes running the length of the Assembly and Tokamak buildings will operate like a pair of safe hands to move the heavy components to the Tokamak Pit and position them during assembly. Photo: GTM Bâtiment VINCI
Space left for tooling
2013-06-18 - On the completed Assembly Building basemat the footprints of three large assembly tools are visible. Here anchor plates will provide the interface between the tools and the concrete basemat.
Basemat done, spaces remain for the anchoring of large tools
2013-05-28 - On the completed Assembly Building basemat, three segments (or box-outs) remain unpoured. The largest assembly tools will be anchored here; some interfaces between the anchor plates and the tooling remain to be defined. Photo: F4E
A train station?
2013-05-21 - Spaces are maintained between the different segments of the basemat to accommodate the tracks of a small °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ "railroad." The four large cryostat segments--cylinders measuring 30 metres in diameter—will travel from the Cryostat Workshop to the Assembly Building by rail.
Last pouring day
2013-05-21 - Work begun in November 2012 is concluded in May 2013 with the last pour for the Assembly Building basemat.
The centre of it all
2013-05-07 - The heart of construction activity will take place here in the next years: the Tokamak Complex and Assembly Building. Both structures will rise above the tallest cranes to reach 60 metres. Photo: F4E
Basemat now finished
2013-05-07 - Space has been reserved within the basemat of the Assembly Building for the passage of electrical cables. Photo: F4E
Basemat 85% completed
2013-04-23 - The basemat of the Assembly Building is nearly finished. Beginning next year, work will begin on the metal frame of the 60-metre-tall building, which will house two overhead cranes capable, together, of manipulating loads up to 1,500 tonnes. Photo: F4E/Engage
The cranes are back
2013-03-14 - From the top of the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility, the progression of the Assembly Building slab is evident: the last segment will be poured in May 2013. On the left, the first crane is positioned for foundation work in the Seismic Pit. Photo: F4E
Pouring continues
2013-02-14 - Work begins at sunrise on another slab of the Assembly Building basemat. Currently 70 workers are active in this area of the platform.
Two pieces
2013-02-14 - Each concrete plot is poured in two segments with a joint between them that will be filled in once the concrete is dry. This technique avoids cracking.
An antechamber to the Tokamak Complex
2013-02-01 - On the 6,000 m² footprint of the Assembly Hall, it's easy to see the portions of the foundation that are completed. Photo: F4E
The pedestal for a tall building
2013-01-11 - A building 60 metres high will rest on these foundations which, in some areas, attain 2.2 metres in thickness. Photo: F4E
Rebar stirrups
2013-01-11 - Part of the 1,400 tonnes of steel planned for the Assembly Building basemat, these rebar stirrups will link the upper and lower rebar layers. Photo: F4E
Another segment poured
2013-01-11 - Concrete pouring shall continue into April. Photo: F4E
Tailored reinforcement
2012-12-19 - Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building will be completed by the time pouring begins for the adjacent Tokamak Complex in spring 2013. The rebar has been tailored to meet the building's complex system of galleries and penetrations. Photo: F4E
A sea of iron
2012-12-19 - Fourteen hundred tons of steel are now distributed in an area measuring 60 x 100 metres. The building's foundation will have a thickness of 1.2‒2.2 metres. Photo: F4E
Ankle-deep in fresh concrete
2012-12-19 - Another "plot," or section, of the Assembly Building basemat is poured. Photo: F4E
The smooth floor of the Assembly Building
2012-12-19 - Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building floor continues, section by section. The total surface area to treat is 6,000 square metres. Photo: F4E
Progress on the Assembly Building basemat at year-end
2012-12-18 - Seventy people are involved in reinforcement and concrete pouring works for the Assembly Building basemat in December.
Looking north
2012-12-18 - In the distance, the snowcapped Montagne de Lure (alt. 1,600 m) and its small family ski resort.
Smack in the middle
2012-12-06 - In the very centre of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ platform: the Assembly Building worksite.
Hills and vales of steel
2012-11-28 - On the 6,000 square-metre site of the future Assembly Building, a complex grid of rebar is taking shape.
Complex rebar shapes
2012-11-16 - The foundation for the 60 metre-tall building ranges in thickness from 1.2‒2.2 metres. In between the metal rebar cages, space has been reserved for the electrical galleries, drainage, piping and tunnels that will service the neighbouring Tokamak Complex. Photo: F4E
Here will stand the tooling
2012-11-16 - The basemat for the Assembly Building will be finished in March. The anchor plates for 4 large assembly tools will be cemented into the concrete. Photo: F4E
Surface area: 5,400 square metres
2012-11-16 - Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building slab has been progressing segment by segment since November. Photo: F4E
As smooth as glass
2012-11-16 - The concrete poured for the Assembly Building is of the finished variety: the finished product will be the actual floor of the tall workshop. Photo: F4E
A complicated geometry
2012-10-12 - Space has been reserved in the foundations for tunnels to house electrical galleries, drainage and piping. Photo: F4E
Last bits
2012-10-12 - Finishing, cleaning and testing works are carried out on the Assembly Building slab in July.
Supporting the load ...
2012-10-12 - The foundation slab will vary in thickness from 1.2-2.2 metres. Parts of the foundation will support the embedded anchor plates of the building's large and heavy custom assembly tools. Photo: F4E
A few metres away
2012-10-12 - The five poloidal field magnets that will be fabricated in the on-site Winding Facility (in red) won't have far to travel to the Assembly and Tokamak buildings. Photo: F4E
Mapping out the steel
2012-09-15 - On top of the blinding layer of concrete, 1,400 tonnes of steel rebar will be placed according to a very specific diagram. Photo: F4E
Rebar activities begin
2012-09-13 - The 5,400 square-metre area of the Assembly Building is covered with a layer of blinding concrete, to prepare for the reinforcement activities to come.
Tooling power supplies will run through here
2012-08-22 - An excavator is at work on an 7x8 metre gallery that will serve as an entry point for most of the electrical cables for the assembly tools and devices.
That's a lot of digging
2012-07-24 - With all of the digging operations for the Assembly Building foundations, the deep underground drainage networks and the establishment of Contractors' Area #2, the tour buses on the site these days are limited to the periphery.
Vast antechamber to the Tokamak Building
2012-06-28 - The Assembly Building will occupy an area of 6,000 m² to the south of the Tokamak Complex. The vast hall will house the specialized tooling that will accomplish pre-assembly activities for the Tokamak components.
Back to the bulldozers
2012-06-28 - Excavation works for the Assembly Hall aren't as spectacular as those for the Seismic Isolation Pit: only 10,000 m³ needs to be removed.
Near the machine pit
2012-05-30 - From 2015 forward, the doors to the Assembly Building (foreground) will regularly open to admit Tokamak components for pre-assembly. From there, it is only a short distance to the machine pit. Image: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization
Where assembly begins
2012-05-30 - 60 x 97 x 60 metres: the vast antechamber to the Tokamak Building will be equipped with specialized pre-assembly tooling and mammoth overhead cranes for manoeuvring the heavy components. Image: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization
500 holes
2012-05-30 - As part of excavation work for the future Assembly Hall, 500 holes have been drilled down to 7 metres to profile the rock substrata.