AMARILLO, TX — The Pantex Plant recently broke ground on its new High Explosive Science and Engineering (HESE) Facility. Once complete, this facility, designed by Burns & McDonnell, will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s national defense infrastructure. The new facility will span three primary buildings, together providing more than 72,000 square feet for hardened staging areas, a laboratory, administration space, interconnected all-weather ramps, and more.

A National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) site for the U.S. Department of Energy, the Pantex Plant is the nation’s primary facility for final assembly, dismantlement, and maintenance of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Due to aging infrastructure at the campus, Pantex and the NNSA determined that the new facility must include updated functionality to continue to attract top scientists for the support of its ongoing and ever-changing high-explosives research mission.

The new buildings will feature open and collaborative spaces while maintaining the security necessary for the critical facility. Larger meeting rooms and a multipurpose room will be added to allow for collaboration internally and with NNSA sites and agencies, as well as to provide a more modern office and research environment.

Utilizing its federal contracting experience on both military bases and civilian facilities, Burns & McDonnell partnered with the Tulsa District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide facility planning and full design services to the NNSA. Burns & McDonnell is also supporting the Pantex Plant’s management and operating contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS), with ongoing construction support services for the HESE Facility led from the firm’s Amarillo, Texas, office. The firm’s experience with the Tulsa District, NNSA, and CNS/Pantex supported a collaborative approach to the delivery of the facility.

“Burns & McDonnell is proud to support the state-of-the-art High Explosive Science and Engineering Facility at the Pantex Plant, a critical asset in our national defense infrastructure,” said Dave Barr, Vice President and Leader of the Federal Practice at Burns & McDonnell. “We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the NNSA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are honored to have their trust in providing the design for this important project.”