Physics Assembly Laboratory, Area A/M, Savannah River Site, Aiken, Aiken County, SC
Summary
Significance: The Physics Assembly Laboratory, a testing facility at the Savannah River Plant that housed a zero power reactor known as the Process Development Pile, is significant for its role in establishing the physics parameters for plutonium and tritium production in five Cold War era heavy water moderated and cooled production reactors.Savannah River Plant was constructed by theAtomic Energy Commission between 1950 and 1956 for the production of nuclear materials for the nation's arsenal. Beyond this historically important defense mission, the Physics Assembly Laboratory's test reactors were used for physics experiments until computers made their research potential obsolete in 1979.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1161
Survey number: HAER SC-43
Building/structure dates: 1953 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 2005 Demolished
Nothing Found.