The three largest, most intricate buildings at the Wacker Polysilicon plant in Bradley County are now under construction.
“This first quarter of 2012 marks a milestone for our plant’s construction,” Dr. Martin Richtberg, head of the Wacker Polysilicon construction project, said in a prepared statement. “Our most complex buildings have precast walls, which allow for the installment of our highly sophisticated system for producing hyperpure polysilicon. These first three buildings to be erected are integral to our closed-loop process and the production of polysilicon.”
Employees at Wacker’s plant will contribute to the production of hyperpure crystalline polysilicon, which is used in making solar cells.
The precast buildings are fully enclosed production facilities, officials said.
More than 5,000 precast components will be used to build the facilities. So far, crews have installed 1,800.
“These precast components are cast and made off-site, away from the construction area, providing quality control in a controlled setting,” Don Zierold, the project’s head of construction management, said in a prepared statement. “All panels are cast at ground level in a horizontal position, improving the safety of personnel during the pour, allowing good dimensional tolerance control, and features like insulation.”
More than 30 buildings are planned for the site.
Ground preparation for the site began in December 2010. Since then, workers have moved more than 4 million cubic yards of dirt.
On an average full day, there are about 700 construction workers on the site.
The plant is scheduled to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2013, and production will begin in 2014.
The $1.5 billion plant will employ about 650 full-time workers.
Updated @ 12:17 p.m. on 01/20/12 to fix a typographical error.
