DECISION ANALYSIS SCIENCE MODELING FOR APPLICATION AND FIELDING SELECTION APPLIED TO EQUIPMENT DISMANTLEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

The dismantlement of radioactively contaminated process equipment is a major concern during the D&D process. There are an estimated 1,200 buildings in the DOE-EM complex that will require the dismantlement of equipment and various metal structures. As buildings undergo the D&D process, this metallic equipment contaminated with radionuclides such as uranium and plutonium must be size-reduced before final disposal. A single information source comparing dismantlement technologies in the areas of safety, cost, and performance is needed by DOE managers and is not currently available. The selection of the appropriate technologies to meet the dismantlement objectives for a given site is a difficult process in the absence of comprehensive and comparable data. Choosing the wrong technology could result in increased exposure of personnel to contaminants and an increase in D&D project costs. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate commercially available and innovative technologies for equipment dismantlement and provide a comprehensive source of information to the D&D community in the areas of technology performance, cost, and health and safety