Project Spotlight


Client:	U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory
Facility Mission:	High Energy Laser Research
Construction Manager:	US Army Corp of Engineers
Location:	Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Used by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists to perform state-of-the-art research and development in chemical, electrical and hybrid lasers used in air, ground and space-based systems. Lasers developed and tested in this facility are among the most powerful and exotic in the world. A two story facility which includes an 8,000 square-foot laser testing area, 6 Class 10000 clean room laboratories, a chemistry laboratory, an electronics laboratory, two conference rooms, offices and common areas. Volatile chemical and hard vacuum piping/tubing systems run throughout the facility making it a very high-tech building. Additional features include hazardous chemical tank farms, transfer pumping systems and massive hard vacuum pumping equipment located behind the facility.

A complex hard vacuum piping system constructed of ductile carbon steel pipe, 10" to 24" in diameter with various bend radii, was fabricated and pre-erected by Big J prior to start of building shell/interior construction.

This required exceptional accuracy in fabrication and adherence to drawings/specifications. No problems or delays were encountered during subsequent construction activities due to this pre-erected system.

This piping system terminated to a series of massive in-line hard vacuum pumps shown at right.