Argonne’s steam supply will be shut down for maintenance and repairs starting Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, with some restoration beginning Friday, Sept. 6. The steam service will be fully restored by Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. The shutdown period is the week leading up to and the week following Labor Day weekend.
“In some way, just about everyone will be affected,” said Project Manager Rebecca Yassan (PMO). “Even if you work in a building that won’t be affected directly by the steam shutdown, you may visit facilities or restrooms that are impacted.”
Employees should be aware of other potential effects as well. Indoor air temperatures may be cooler, or there may be condensation on walls or floors. Normally, building supply air is cooled and dehumidified as it goes through the steam system’s cooling coils and then reheated to provide conditioned temperatures in the summer months.
There have been previous partial shutdowns of the steam system — a building or two for a couple of days — but there hasn’t been a full site outage in 25 years, Yassan said. The majority of the work will occur at the Boiler House and the Combined Heat and Power Plant with some ancillary valve repairs conducted at individual buildings.
A temporary boiler will be brought in to serve the Advanced Photon Source and the Guest House.
Additional information will be provided in the coming weeks including a FAQ page, a map of affected buildings and a town hall meeting. If you have any questions about this project, email steamfix@anl.gov.