Assembly underway

Now that ITER assembly has started, a clean corridor is the obligatory passageway into the ITER Assembly Hall leading to a check-in desk and worker changing rooms. Follow all assembly activity on the ITER website at ASSEMBLY (https://www.iter.org/construction/assembly).

10 September 2020

Lower cylinder

A new machine component is making a short pause in the Assembly Hall before it is inserted into the machine well: the cryostat lower cylinder. Ten metres tall, 30 metres in diameter, and 375 tonnes.

22 August 2020

Next piece coming

From the rafters, a view of the machine assembly theatre. The first machine component, the cryostat base, has already been installed. The cryostat lower cylinder will be transferred into the Tokamak pit in early September.

20 August 2020

Latest arrival

The first vacuum vessel sector from Korea has been delivered to a laydown area in the Assembly Hall. After a final helium leak test and site acceptance test, the component will be ready for handover to the ITER Organization assembly contractor responsible for the vessel (TAC2) for a number of initial activities such as the installation of diagnostics, instrumentation and cable trays.

11 August 2020

Thermal shield lift frame: tests underway

In the ITER Assembly Hall, another pair of assembly tools designed and procured by Korea—the thermal shield frames—are undergoing tests without load. These frames will support tall panels of thermal shielding as they are lifted to vertical for installation of the sector sub-assembly tools.

22 July 2020

Preparing for a kickoff event

Preparations are underway in the Assembly Hall for ITER's kickoff assembly event on 28 July 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron and government leaders from China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States will join. Tune into the livestream by clicking on the video screen at the end of the announcement (https://www.iter.org/newsline/-/3473).

22 July 2020

Understanding the use of space

A lot is happening in the Assembly Hall. This photo explains it all.

15 June 2020

Major machine assembly milestone

On Tuesday 26 May, the first major machine component—the cryostat base—is lifted by overhead crane and lowered into the Tokamak assembly pit.

26 May 2020

Penultimate test

Every aspect of the lift operation has been choreographed and practiced in advance of the big day. In one critical test on 20 May, the cryostat base is lifted six metres and then set back onto its supports.

20 May 2020

The base of the machine

Two weeks remain before the first "big lift" of ITER assembly. Preparatory works are underway to prepare the component for handling and the Tokamak pit for receiving.

04 May 2020

Cryostat base enters building

Installation contractors have moved the cryostat base from its fabrication workshop on site into the Assembly Hall. (The big lift to the Tokamak Building will take place next month.) The Indian Domestic Agency has delivered the completed component in collaboration with main contractor Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering (manufacturing design, segment fabrication in India and assembly at ITER) and MAN Energy Solutions, Germany (Larsen & Toubro sub-contractor for on-site welding).

17 April 2020

First machine component enters building

The cryostat base enters the Cleaning Facility on a self-propelled modular transporter that has 192 wheels. Photo: ITER Organization/EJF Riche

17 April 2020

Practicing with the upending tool

The upending tool is brought to vertical by the overhead cranes during commissioning tests in the Assembly Hall.

10 April 2020

Off to storage

If you look closely at the image, you will see one element of the temporary lid as it is carried over the upending tool to a waiting flatbed truck. The lid will be stored on site for reuse later in the assembly phase.

02 April 2020

Heaviest piece

A half-moon element of the temporary lid is transported through the Assembly Hall to the waiting truck.

02 April 2020

Two hands

The two 750-tonne overhead cranes take part in the transport of the heaviest elements of the lid, from the Tokamak pit to the waiting truck.

02 April 2020

Essential activities on the worksite

Activity continues on the ITER worksite for a list of "essential activities" related to buildings and components, with the strict application of social distancing and recommended sanitary measures. For those used to working in the offices of the ITER Organization, however, approximately 95% are currently working from home.

02 April 2020

Testing the path before the real loads

Totaling approximately 1,000 tonnes, the mock loads are ready to undertake their 170-metre-long journey from the entrance of the Assembly Hall all the way to the opposite end of the newly created crane hall. Testing the load path, and carefully monitoring building inflection as the loads go by, are part of the last commissioning activities before machine assembly.

28 March 2020

A big beam for a heavy load

The double overhead bridge crane comprises four such 47-metre-long, 155-tonne steel girders, or beams. Arranged in two pairs and working in tandem, they can lift up to 1,500 tonnes. The double overhead bridge crane was tested at 125 percent of its capacity (1,870 tonnes) in December 2017.

28 March 2020

1,000 tonnes

The 840-tonne double load on the "north bridge" (right) is complemented by a 156-tonne load on the "south bridge," bringing the total to a little more than 1,000 tonnes. Calculations and modelling are used to extrapolate the effect the actual 1,500-tonne loads will have on the building's structure.

28 March 2020

A very clean Cleaning Facility

The antechamber to the Assembly Hall—the Cleaning Facility—has been prepped and painted in time to receive the first ITER magnets.

06 March 2020

5-degree increments

During tool commissioning activities, the steel cradle is lifted by increments of 5 degrees. A photogrammetric survey is performed between lifts in order to acquire baseline measurements and to monitor deformations.

28 February 2020

Getting ready for machine assembly

Two important activities in relation to the start of machine assembly are underway: commissioning of the upending tool (pictured) and the commissioning of the heavy lift cranes in the Tokamak Building where the crane rails have been extended over the Tokamak pit.

28 February 2020

From horizontal to vertical

The largest ITER machine components (the D-shaped toroidal field coils and the vacuum vessel sectors) will be delivered in a horizontal position. They will be "upended" by the tool at right, before being installed on the SSAT pre-assembly tools at left.

28 February 2020

Four pins

The massive tool nears its resting position on the ground, and four 80-kilogram steel pins (left) are being readied for insertion at the four corners of the tool's base. Pins provide extra security in case of a seismic event.

28 February 2020

Team spirit

Under the supervision of the ITER Organization, upending tool testing was coordinated by MOMENTUM (ITER's Construction Management-as-Agent). It involved Apave (security), contractors from the assembly consortium DYNAMIC, an operator, and an engineer from crane manufacturer REEL.

25 February 2020

Pre-assembly preparations

The upending tool is lifted off the floor so that metrologists can measure the planarity of its support pads.

24 February 2020

Dancers in a vertical ballet

Acrobatic workers are busy disassembling the temporary wall that separates the Assembly Hall from the Tokamak Building.

19 February 2020

Up in the rafters

Soon, these bridge cranes will be able to travel double distance—not only the length of the Assembly Hall, but that of the adjacent building as well. Crane commissioning activities over the Tokamak pit will start once the temporary wall comes down.

18 February 2020

Back in service

Two 360-tonne test loads are back on the main tools of the Assembly Hall. With extra weight added, they will be used to commission the overhead cranes in the new crane hall of the Tokamak Building. The temporary wall between the buildings is coming down now.

14 February 2020

Next to test: the upending tool

Tool commissioning is an important activity, during which the all specified functional requirements are demonstrated. Also, for tools sourced outside of the European Union, it is the occasion to show compliance with EU regulations.

13 December 2019

Commissioning with load completed

The 360-tonne test load is lowered to the Assembly Hall floor. After six months hooked up first to one, then the other, of the sector sub-assembly tools (left), the test loads will be stored in laydown areas until called for use to commission the upending tool.

13 December 2019

Load tests conclusive

The commissioning phase for the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT) in the Assembly Hall is over. The final verification tests—with test load (photo)—demonstrated that both tools are performing to expectation.

27 November 2019

Upending tool arrives

The two halves of the upending tool (right) are headed for installation in the far right corner of the Assembly Hall, on the area of floor that has been painted.

14 November 2019

The doors open and ...

... the segments of the upending tool, delivered by Korea, enter. This large structure is designed to "upend" ITER's largest components (toroidal field coils and vacuum vessel sectors) from horizontal to vertical.

07 November 2019

As smooth as an ice rink

European Domestic Agency contractors are currently coating the floor of the ITER Assembly Hall (6,500 m²) with epoxy resin. A hard, perfectly smooth floor that will resist erosion is one of the main conditions for maintaining cleanliness during pre-assembly operations.

29 October 2019

First zone completed

The area to be painted has been divided into four zones. One has been completed, in time for the delivery of the upending tool from Korea next week. A total of 24 tonnes of epoxy resin will be needed to cover the full floor surface of the Hall.

29 October 2019

Shift of weight

In late September, the second 360-tonne load (at left) was transferred to SSAT tool #2 (on the right). After one month of functional tests on the second tool, the loads will be removed and stored until needed for the testing of the "upending" structure that has been shipped by Korea. (See more on that tool here: https://www.iter.org/newsline/-/3112)

30 September 2019

Antechamber to the Assembly Hall

After leaving storage, ITER's largest components will be submitted to a thorough cleaning process in the antechamber of the Assembly Hall, the Cleaning Facility (photo). The large doors will then open to allow the component, on its transport platform, to enter the Hall where the overhead cranes can take over. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

25 September 2019

Rotated completely

The wings of the first sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT1) have been fully rotated inward and the tool has performed as expected. Later this month, the mock loads will be transferred to SSAT2. Both tools will enter service in 2020.

04 September 2019

Two mounted

Two mock loads were built in Scotland by Doosan Babcock and shipped to ITER for assembly. They represent a combined weight of 700 tonnes, now mounted on the tool SSAT#1. Rotational tests begin late in July.

23 July 2019

A little push by hand ...

Even in the most technical of operations, there is always a need for final adjustment by hand. Seen vertically, the loads share the D-shape of the toroidal field coils they are meant to represent. They also reproduce the centre of gravity and mass distribution of the coils.

22 July 2019

Inching up

One 350-tonne dummy load, representing a toroidal field coil, is slowly upended using both the double overhead crane at one end and a powerful telescopic crane at the other.

19 July 2019

Travelling now

The upended load is carried to the first tool, to be installed on one of its wings.

19 July 2019

Two mock loads

Two mock loads weighing 350 tonnes have been constructed from steel and concrete (far left) to represent the D-shaped toroidal field coils that will be mounted on the wings of the assembly tools. Lifting and installation will begin soon.

11 July 2019

Open arms

Standing in front of one of the sub-sector assembly tools is Swiss photographer Luca Zanier, who spent two days at ITER in July in pursuit of "unusual" perspectives in industry.

03 July 2019

Inspecting the loads

Made of seven different steel-and-concrete modules, the dummies slightly exceed the weight of the actual coil but closely reproduce their centre of gravity and distribution of mass.

01 July 2019

Preparing the lift

The load modules are held together by strong threaded tension bars called "Macalloys." The stress on these bars was tested recently by lifting the load several centimetres above the shop floor as part of preparatory activities for the real lift.

01 July 2019

Steel and concrete modules to make the weight

Each dummy load is made of seven assembled modules of varying weights.

01 July 2019

Loads prepared

Load tests are about to start on the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT). The mock loads in the foreground—weighing 350 tonnes each—will be installed on the tool "wings" to measure their capacity to rotate inwards and adjust to within millimetre tolerances.

12 June 2019

Mechanical testing underway on SSAT tools

With both sector sub-assembly tools (SSATs) now erected, mechanical load testing can start. In April, teams begin testing the movement of upper alignment units. Load testing is schedule for June.

25 April 2019

Up high

At the top of the second SSAT tool, contractors are assembling the final elements.

10 January 2019

A pair of hands is still useful

Lessons learned from the first tool have reduced assembly time for SSAT-2 by approximately one-third. Still, some manual operations are still required...

10 January 2019

Near twins

The second SSAT tool is rising quickly in the Assembly Hall. Each of these 800-tonne behemoths can carry component assemblies of 1,200 tonnes.

29 November 2018

Sturdy wings

Precision hydraulics will drive the lateral wings of the SSAT tools, which rotate to deliver the toroidal field coils to their installation fixtures on the vacuum vessel sector.

29 November 2018

A novel angle

This 800-tonne tool, seen from a novel angle, stands 22 metres tall and can handle a 1,200-tonne subassembly. And it will soon have an identical twin in the Assembly Hall ...

12 October 2018

Well anchored

The tools are solidly anchored in the concrete floor of the Assembly Hall. In the foreground is the footing arrangement for the inboard column.

12 October 2018

Load tests next year

Both tools will be tested with a full-weight dummy load, expected on site in March 2019. Load testing is the final tool qualification activity, allowing operators to verify the tools' ability to accurately adjust the dummy load toroidally and to six degrees of freedom within tolerances of +/- 1 millimetre.

12 October 2018

From the rafters

The technician walking along the curved rails gives us a sense of the tool's scale. The first segment of tool #2 has been positioned for installation.

12 October 2018

Assembly stations

On the floor of the Assembly Hall, across from the SSAT tools, other bespoke handling stations will be installed—for example, for the assembly of the central solenoid.

12 October 2018

Precise alignment

Specialists are busy installing and precisely aligning the toroidal rail tracks upon which the wings of the giant tool will travel.

12 October 2018

Tool #1

All the pieces of the first tool are in place; only hydraulic and electrical connections must be installed. Ahead are functional tests (integrated system tests without the test load), followed by full-load tests.

12 October 2018

Broadcast to the world

Media crews were invited to tour the ITER site in early October, including the Assembly Hall where one giant tool stands and another is going up.

10 October 2018

Soon ...two tools

The assembly of the second tool starts next month. As the wall poster shows, there will be two identical handling tools working from 2019 on to equip the vacuum vessel sectors for delivery to the machine pit.© Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

05 September 2018

Shimmering

A worksite crane is reflected from the mirror surface of the Assembly Hall in August.

14 August 2018

Tanks awaiting installation

For now the Cleaning Facility—at the entrance of the Assembly Hall—can be used for storage. In this picture are four tanks for the pressure suppression system of the vacuum vessel, which will be installed in the Tokamak Building in August. Photo: ITER Organization/EJF Riche

25 July 2018

First tool up

The 800-tonne tools are designed to support charges of up to 1,200 tonnes.

18 July 2018

Strong arms

The sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT) will support a vacuum vessel sector vertically while operations that can only take place in a spacious area—the addition of large thermal shielding sections and the attachment of a pair of D-shaped toroidal field magnets—are carried out.

17 July 2018

Waiting on its double

A second sector sub-assembly tool has been manufactured and tested in Korea, and then shipped to ITER for assembly. After commissioning, the first tool will enter operations with the arrival of vacuum vessel sector #6 in Q2 2019.

17 July 2018

A knowledgeable guide

13,000 visitors passed through ITER in 2017 and a similar number is expected this year. Pictured: the ITER Director-General leads a tour for US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and US Ambassador to France Jamie McCourt.

11 July 2018

All columns in place

The first 22-metre-tall, 800-tonne SSAT tool is now in place. Precision hydraulic equipment will be installed next. (SSAT stands for vacuum vessel Sector Sub-Assembly Tool.)

18 May 2018

90% completed

Imagine: two of these giant tools will be working side-by-side during the pre-assembly phase of the ITER vacuum vessel.

18 May 2018

Room for another

The rails are already in place for tool #2.

18 May 2018

Two other columns

The two outboard columns, which have been assembled horizontally, will be standing by end-April.

09 April 2018

Wings open

With its wings open, the tool is impressive indeed. Each wing will slowly rotate in to align 310-tonne toroidal field coils to each side of a vacuum vessel sector.

09 April 2018

Behind the wall ...

When the Tokamak Building is completed, the temporary wall to the right will come down. The vacuum vessel sector sub-assemblies won't have far to travel to the Tokamak Pit.

05 April 2018

Three strong legs

This tool has been designed for 1,200-tonne loads. Structural elements on the inside of the tool's three pillars contribute to stability.

05 April 2018

Two, for faster assembly

Next to the first tool, base rail plates have been installed for the twin tool that is undergoing factory acceptance tests now in Korea. Two tools will allow the vacuum vessel sector pre-assembly period to be divided by ... half.

05 April 2018

First tool rising

After a long period during which the anchoring elements—including base plates and rails—were set into place and precise measurements taken, the installation of ITER's first giant assembly tool is underway.

23 February 2018

Strong arms

The 800-tonne tool, once fully erected, will be capable of supporting loads of 1,200 tonnes.

23 February 2018

One here, one there

About half of the major components for the first tool have been installed. In parallel, the second tool of the pair has been manufactured and assembled at Taekyung Heavy Industries (THI) in Korea, where testing is underway.

23 February 2018

Next door

Behind the white plaster board is the Radio Frequency Building. The waveguides for the ion and electron cyclotron resonance heating systems will be routed through the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak Building. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

From the rafters

On the floor, are the rails for a second vacuum vessel sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT #2), which will be sent from Korea as soon as factory testing has concluded. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Junior crane

This is the smaller of the two overhead crane pairs, which runs along rails underneath the larger crane. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Heavy machinery

Two pairs of hands will manoeuvre the ITER components from above in the Assembly Hall—the 1,500-tonne crane (on higher rails) and the 50-tonne crane, both visible in this photo. The cranes were supplied by the French firm REEL as part of European procurement contributions. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Unusual

This unusual photo was taken high up in the structure of the Assembly Hall. Double rows of columns—with bracing structures between them—will help to deflect the weight of the loads managed by the assembly cranes. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Three strong legs

The inboard column has just four metres to go to reach its final height. Two outboard columns will join the inboard column in anchoring the tool, which will support up to 1,200 tonnes. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Guide rails

Taken from behind the tool, this picture shows the floor rails that the wings travel along. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Sector sub assembly tool

The first lateral wing is going up. The wings will allow 310-tonne toroidal field coils to be rotated toward a suspended vacuum vessel sector for installation on either side. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC

20 February 2018

Tools to erect the tool

In the 100-metre Assembly Hall, telescopic cranes have moved in to assist with the assembly of the building's first tool. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

20 February 2018

Several tools necessary

Due to the size of the vacuum vessel sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT), several metrology instrument positions are needed to achieve the best precision measurements. A network of target nests embedded in the ground of the Assembly Building helps position the instruments around the SSAT. Photo: PES Metrology

25 January 2018

Down to the millimetre

Metrology teams are at work in the Assembly Hall to characterize segments of the SSAT tool before they are lifted into place.

25 January 2018

After-hours load tests for the crane

Late at night in December the principal crane of the Assembly Building was subjected to loads that were +10%/+25% of nominal—all part of commissioning tests for the important equipment.

18 December 2017

It's midnight, but these teams are at work

Observers during the load tests include representatives of the crane manufacturer Reel, the ITER Organization, the architect-engineer Engage, and the safety controller Bureau Veritas.

18 December 2017

Standing ready

These heavy metal blocks—stacked seven tall—will be lifted some 50 metres overhead during testing.

18 December 2017

Vertical assembly begins

Questions about grouting raised during the installation of the rails have been resolved, and the first tool segment can be moved into place.

22 November 2017

Imagining the future

When construction of the Tokamak Building ends, the crane rails will be extended over the machine assembly area, as shown in the poster.

22 November 2017

Cranes galore

This striking view takes in the whole lifting system installed in the Assembly Hall: the massive double overhead bridge crane, with a lifting capacity of 1,500 tonnes (top), and its much smaller sibling the 50-tonne auxiliary crane sitting on rails three metres below.

22 November 2017

Complex machinery

Trolleys and cranes of various capacities fill most of the space in the Assembly Hall rafters. Like a catwalk in a theatre, they host the invisible machinery that makes the production possible.

22 November 2017

Laying rails, adjusting torque

Plates and rails for the first of the twin Titans, SSAT-1, are temporarily in place. Once the torque has been hydraulically adjusted on every bolt and the positioning laser-aligned, the assembly of the 20-metre-high handling tool will begin.

22 November 2017

A truly international operation

Procured by Korea, the twin SSATs are being assembled by technicians from the French company CNIM. The operation is being closely monitored by quality insurance specialists from the ITER Organization, by ITER's Construction Management-as-Agent contractor MOMENTUM, and by a representative of the manufacturer Taekyung Heavy Industries (THI).

22 November 2017

Hooked!

This massive hook is one of four, each with a lifting capacity of 375 tonnes, that belong to the double overhead bridge crane installed 43 metres above the floor in the Assembly Hall.

22 November 2017

Lifting 1,500 tonnes ... and more

Load tests are scheduled to begin in the first week of December. A final test at 25 percent over-capacity (1,875 tonnes) will verify that the flexion of the 43-metre-long bridge crane girders remains within specifications.

22 November 2017

Curved rails in place

Rails have been installed on the base plates.

10 November 2017

Looking beyond the wall

A new poster in the Assembly Hall shows how—once the temporary wall is removed—the cranes will travel into the Tokamak Building to deposit their loads.

10 November 2017

First foot

This large element will be the base segment of one of the tool's three huge columns. Three other segments of varying sizes will be stacked on top of it.

10 November 2017

Solidly anchored

Details of the anchoring system for the tool rails.

08 November 2017

Like an Erector set

Everything is laid out for the first stages of assembly of the SSAT tools (for vacuum vessel Sector Sub-Assembly Tool), including the first "foot" of one of the massive columns.

08 November 2017

Working as partners

Just below the heavy lift cranes are two smaller, more agile cranes capable of lifting 50 tonnes.

08 November 2017

In detail

A close-up of one of the 750-tonne cranes, with hooks that are ready to lift 375 tonnes each. Load tests will be run soon as part of the crane's commissioning activities.

08 November 2017

A full view

Looking down across the full 97-metre length of the Assembly Hall. The travelling cranes are approximately 45 metres above floor level.

08 November 2017

That ... is a large hook

Four giant hooks like this one will hang from the double overhead cranes in the Assembly Hall, each one with a lift capacity of 375 tonnes.

17 October 2017

A careful first step

Before the mammoth tool can be erected in the Assembly Hall, the anchoring technology must be carefully installed.

26 September 2017

Cleaning facility

In the future, this vestibule will be dedicated to the cleaning of ITER components before they are delivered into the Assembly Hall. For now, though, part of it is reserved for storage.

19 September 2017

Assembly of first tool underway

The French company CNIM has been charged by the Korean manufacture of the SSAT (sector sub-assembly tool) with the responsibility of mounting the tool in the Assembly Hall. Work is underway now.

06 September 2017

Measuring the size of the beast

The SSAT tools for the pre-assembly of vacuum vessel sectors are monsters, weighing 800 tonnes and standing 22 metres tall. Seeing the size of the footprint helps us to measure just how massive they are.

29 August 2017

Preparing for giants

In one corner of the Assembly Hall, workers are installing the base plates that will support the rails of ITER's largest assembly tools—the twin sector sub-assembly tools (SSAT). The red panels will be moved forward to mesh with the pre-built apertures, before the operation is repeated for the second row.

29 August 2017

Anchoring the first tools

The red plates will anchor the rails of the Assembly Hall's largest tools: the vacuum vessel sub-sector assembly tools (SSAT). The first tool should be standing by the end of the year. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

29 August 2017

Looking up

The two large overhead cranes of the Assembly Hall are currently undergoing functional tests.

12 July 2017

A vast volume to clean ...

In the 60-metre-tall building for pre-assembly activities, workers go over the painted surface of the basemat. Not a small task!

12 July 2017

The box within the box

A "box within a box" space has been installed in the Cleaning Facility to store deliveries to the Assembly Hall.

12 July 2017

A place for storage

The storage "box" in the Cleaning Facility, seen from above. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

12 July 2017

Crane tests

Functional tests for the overhead handling cranes are underway now.

04 July 2017

A clean space in the Cleaning Facility

In the adjacent Cleaning Facility, a storage structure has been erected to keep the elements of the sector sub-assembly tools out of the dust during assembly. The first crates reached ITER in June from Korea.

27 June 2017

The doors are open today

Around the back of the Assembly Hall, we can see through the open doors of the Cleaning Facility. A temporary structure has been erected there for the storage of assembly tool components that are arriving from Korea. In the meantime, a helium cold box is transported along the road to the cryoplant.

22 June 2017

Where the giants will stand

As the elements of the first giant sector sub-assembly tool begin arriving on site from Korea, workers are readying the corner of the Assembly Hall where they will stand.

14 June 2017

Standing tall

The Assembly Hall remains the tallest structure on the ITER platform. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

31 May 2017

No longer stands alone

With the completion of the Site Services Building (foreground) and the strong progress on the Radio Frequency Heating Building (adjoining) the Assembly Hall no longer stands alone in the middle of the platform. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

27 April 2017

Finishing works underway

Interior clapboard and painting works are underway in the Assembly Hall, which will receive its first large assembly tool this summer. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

27 April 2017

Heading up!

To access the overhead cranes, please take the stairs! Commissioning tests are planned soon on the two 750-tonne cranes that are installed 45 metres overhead. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

27 April 2017

Door panels

The Cleaning Facility at the entrance of the Assembly Hall is being equipped with sliding doors. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

27 April 2017

Mirror mirror on the wall

All of the principal buildings of the ITER installation will be covered in mirror cladding, as seen here on the Cleaning Facility, Assembly Hall and Site Services Building. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

25 January 2017

Slowly but surely

In front of the Assembly Hall, work is progressing on level L1 of the Tokamak Complex (ground level). When the Tokamak Building is completed in 2018, it will stand as tall as the Assembly Hall.

19 December 2016

The northern side of the construction platform

Looking northeast over the ITER site. From left to right: the Tokamak Complex (under construction), the Assembly Hall and its antechamber—the Cleaning Facility. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

19 December 2016

Sister cranes

Two overhead cranes with a capacity to lift 50 tonnes each are shown installed a few metres below the one of the two 750-tonne cranes (the second is not pictured). © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

12 December 2016

To come next: tooling

After the installation this week of the facility's second overhead crane, the next milestone will be the delivery of the first bespoke tool for ITER assembly—one of the two giant sub-sector assembly tools.

08 December 2016

A second pair of hands

The NKMNOELL-REEL consortium (formed by NKMNoell Special Cranes, Germany and REEL SAS, France) has manufactured two pairs of cranes for the Assembly Hall: the 750-tonne cranes installed in June 2016 and the 50-tonne auxiliary cranes, pictured.

08 December 2016

Cranes installed in December

Cranes are used inside the building to lift the girders of the 50-tonne crane into place. This auxiliary crane will be installed on rails that are a few metres below the heavy-lift crane.

08 December 2016

To be installed

The girders for the 50-tonne crane will be installed just below the principal crane assembly seen at the top of the image. Photo: ENGAGE

10 November 2016

Reflective surfaces

Looking up at the reflective surface of the Assembly Hall.

10 November 2016

Four new crane girders arrive

In addition to two overhead cranes with a lift capacity of 750-tonnes each, the Assembly Hall will be equipped with a set of 50-tonne cranes. In November, four girders for this smaller set were delivered to the shop floor.

10 November 2016

ITER from afar

The Assembly Hall, with its giant poster of the ITER machine, is the most visible feature of the ITER site from a distance. In 2018, the adjacent Tokamak Building will match it in height.

08 October 2016

Framed by rebar

The 60-metre-tall Assembly Building seen from the B1 level of the Tokamak Complex. Work is currently underway on level two of the seven-storey building.

26 July 2016

The largest structure on the platform

In some light, the silver cladding on the sides of the Assembly Building appears black. © EJF Riche

11 July 2016

Mission completed

The assembly cranes are in place, and a project milestone for 2016 has been achieved.

07 July 2016

In detail

A close-up of the rail mechanism employed for the overhead cranes.

07 July 2016

Tall building ... giant tokamak

A giant poster (25 x 50 m) of the Tokamak ensconced in its concrete building has been installed on the temporary wall of the Assembly Building. The poster image is 70 percent of the machine's actual size.

28 June 2016

Installation of main cranes advances well

In late June, two trolleys remain to be lifted and installed for the main Assembly Hall cranes. Two smaller cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 50 tonnes, will be installed in September/October.

27 June 2016

Makes you feel small ...

The person standing on the support rails looks positively tiny next to the mammoth 47-metre-long steel girder ...

27 June 2016

A balancing act

Before the lift, the load must be carefully balanced on the hook. This operation takes much longer than the actual lifting.

26 June 2016

Like a giant blackboard

Cladding is now completed. In a few days, a giant poster of the ITER Tokamak will be installed.

24 June 2016

Trolley rides to the top

On Friday 17 June, a trolley is lifted to join the two girders already in place. Operators moved the girders to the end of the building to free the opening in the roof.

17 June 2016

Assembly Building in June

The cladding on the northwest facade of the building is nearly completed, and the crawler crane is in place for crane assembly.

14 June 2016

June lift

Four girders and four trolleys will be lifted into place over a period of 10 days. The first girders were installed on 14 and 16 June, followed by first of the four 100-tonne trolleys.

14 June 2016

Gaining weight

Gear motors, wheels, braces, and electrical equipment ... the fitting out of the girders has added some 30 tonnes. Each girder now weighs 186 tonnes.

14 June 2016

Through a hole in the roof

A man-sized hook is passed through an opening in the roof by the beam of the crawler crane. The crane operator, with no direct line of sight to the lifting operations, receives radio instructions from the "rigger," who oversees the whole operation.

14 June 2016

Push, pull and tilt

As the girder is lifted toward the overhead rails, 43 metres above the basemat of the Assembly Hall, a bit of pushing and pulling tilts it in the right direction.

14 June 2016

Spectacular operation to come

The girders and trolleys of the overhead cranes are delivered to the Assembly Hall in early June. They will be lifted into position by a huge crawler crane operating from outside the building and passing its hook through an opening in the roof.

02 June 2016

An unusual view

The Tokamak Pit and ITER Headquarters, as seen from the rear of the Assembly Building.

02 June 2016

At the level of the overhead cranes

After the lifting operation, the cranes will be able to move along the rails of the Assembly Building (visible here). Later, when the Tokamak Building is completed, the rails will be extended over the Tokamak Pit installation area.

02 June 2016

Another rail is positioned

Each rail is fastened with heavy clips to the ledge formed by the railway beams.

12 May 2016

Climbing 45 metres toward the roof

Heading up to the level of the overhead crane rails (15 stories), our photographer shot this picture through the pillars of the Assembly Hall.

12 May 2016

Careful assembly process

It will take a few weeks to install the rails and fine tune their alignment.

12 May 2016

Piece by piece

Each rail segment is between 10 and 18 metres long and will rest on beams that run the entire length of the Assembly Building (and, one day, the Tokamak Building).

12 May 2016

Adding the rails

43 metres above the basemat of the Assembly Hall, workers are laying the rails for the lifting system that will handle components weighing up to 1,500 tonnes.

12 May 2016

Cranes coming soon

Rails will be set in place for the components of the massive overhead cranes. The rails will be 45 metres above the basemat.

26 April 2016

From a high perch

What looks like small Lego bricks are actually barriers protecting the anchor plates for ITER's largest assembly tools—the 800-tonne sub-sector assembly tools.

26 April 2016

A temporary wall

The frame is up for the temporary wall that will be erected between the Assembly Hall and the Tokamak Complex, until construction of the Tokamak Complex is complete.

26 April 2016

The Assembly Hall ... from the inside

To capture this original view of the 60-metre-tall ITER Assembly Hall, our photographer stretched out flat on his back.

26 April 2016

Polished!

Cladding work has ended on the north face. The cut-out section is reserved for the Radio Frequency Heating Building, which will be built up against the Assembly Hall. © EJF Riche

22 April 2016

A second pair of girders

The logistics of bringing two 47-tonne girders along the roads from the Mediterranean Sea to the ITER site takes careful planning. Here, the double convoy is parked near Peyrolles-en-Provence while operators wait for nightfall to conduct the components at 5 km/hour along the last leg of the ITER Itinerary.

21 April 2016

Flying past

Taken by drone, this photo captures the interior of the 97-metre-long Assembly Building, where the largest tokamak components will be pre-assembled before their installation. © EJF Riche

12 April 2016

Working at heights

The installation of cladding on the 60-metre-tall ITER Assembly Hall requires specific techniques and safety measures.

22 March 2016

The intended effect

As the reflective cladding advances along the metal structure of the Assembly Building, the colours of a March day in Provence appear.

22 March 2016

First girder

In June this girder, and three others, will be installed on rails inside of the Assembly Building—some 45 metres overhead.

18 March 2016

Giant footprints

The concrete basemat of the hall is ready to receive the twin Sector Sub-Assembly tools, 800 tonnes each, that will pre-assemble the vacuum vessel sectors with the toroidal field magnets and thermal shielding before installation in the pit. Photo: F4E

03 March 2016

A steel exterior

The steel exterior of the Assembly Hall reflects the technological nature of the assembly operations that will take place inside. Photo: F4E

03 March 2016

Running 175 m

Crane rails will run the entire length of the Assembly Building, and later the Tokamak Building, to form a continuous, 175-metre-long crane bay. Photo: F4E

03 March 2016

Cladding advances

The first panels are in place on the south side. The building should be entirely covered in cladding in June. Photo: ENGAGE

16 February 2016

Strong legs

A double-column structure is in place to support the incredible weight of the cranes themselves (700 tonnes each) and their heaviest loads (1,250 tonnes). Photo: ENGAGE

16 February 2016

Starting on the other side

Northern-facing cladding has now been connected to the roof and the first panels are in place on the south side (at right, behind the stairs). Photo: ENGAGE

16 February 2016

16 February 2016

Giant beams, coming soon

Four large girder beams (45 metres in length) will cross the breadth of the Assembly Hall to support the overhead cranes. The support beams, visible in this photo, run the full 97 metres of the facility. Photo: ENGAGE

16 February 2016

Reflecting the blue sky

On the northern face of the Assembly Building, work progresses on four layers of cladding. The last layer, in polished steel, will reflect the colour of the sky.

04 February 2016

Full cladding by May

If all goes according to schedule, work on the cladding will end in April.

31 January 2016

Installing crane beams

During ITER assembly, a pair of independent bridge cranes will run the entire length of the Tokamak and Assembly buildings, manoeuvring and transporting components. The first beams for the crane bay were lifted into place in January to trial the bolting operations. After all the beams are in place, workers will install the rails in time for the arrival of the first bridge crane late in June.

12 January 2016

The entry point to the Assembly Hall

Before they enter into the Assembly Hall ITER components will need to be cleaned using a number of different techniques such as compressed clean air, pressurized demineralized water, and special detergents. Construction of the Cleaning Facility is underway on the south side of the building.

12 January 2016

Dressing the steel skeleton

Four layers of the cladding will eventually cover the Assembly Hall, including an insulating layer. The outermost panes will be mirror-like, to reflect the sky and surroundings.

17 December 2015

Cladding operations underway

The 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. night shift is at work on the far side of the Assembly Hall, bolting together the steel lattice that will support the metal cladding.

10 December 2015

14,000 m² to be covered

60 metres tall, 97 metres long, 60 metres wide. There are 14,000 square metres of surface to cover with cladding.

10 December 2015

45 metres above ground

In November, an operator works on the Assembly Building, where the crane rails will be installed. Photo: F4E

30 November 2015

ITER at night

The ITER Assembly Hall stands out on the construction platform on a clear and cold November evening. ©Christophe Roux - CEA/IRFM

27 November 2015

Seen from above

A drone shot of the Assembly Building roof structure. In order to install the heavy-lift cranes inside the building, part of the roof will be opened to allow a lift cable—from a tall crane outside of the building—to be lowered within.

15 October 2015

Spider Hall

A giant, 22-legged arachnid seems to have taken up residence on the ITER site ... Following the roof lifting operation on 11 September, the temporary structures that held the hydraulic jacks have been removed and workers have nearly finished tightening 3,000 connexion bolts.

14 October 2015

And the tallest is ...

The ITER Assembly Building is now the tallest structure on site. © MatthieuCOLIN.com

21 September 2015

From behind the hill

The steel structure of the Assembly Building, seen from the logistics platform located behind the platform. (In the foreground, the Cryostat Workshop is visible.)

16 September 2015

They've done it!

Posing for a group picture under the Assembly Hall roof are staff members from the Buildings, Infrastructure and Power Supplies (BIPS) Project Team, architect-engineer Engage, APAVE (safety specialists), Martifer (steel structure assembly), and VSL (heavy lifting).

11 September 2015

The symbolic ribbon cutting

On 11 September 2015, Director-General Bernard Bigot underlines the importance of the latest milestone achieved on the worksite: "Here, in this antechamber to the Tokamak Complex, the principal elements of the machine with be fitted out and preassembled. Without this building, there would be no assembly, and without assembly there would be no machine and no project."

11 September 2015

Successful lift operation

The roof segment of the ITER Assembly Building is successfully raised to its final position in September. Held in place by temporary jacks following a 14-hour lift operation, the 730-tonne metal structure will be secured to the side pillars in the weeks to come.

11 September 2015

A few weeks to secure the structure

When the roof structure is fully secured to the side columns, the temporary structures put in place for the lift cables (top) will be dismantled.

11 September 2015

Centimetre by centimetre

Over the course of 14 hours, 22 hydraulic jacks hoisted the huge structure along thick steel cables that hung from support structures that had been temporarily fixed to the top of the pillars.

10 September 2015

And off it goes

Laser metrology is used to verify the position of the structure as it is lifted. Tolerances of only 35 mm from highest to lowest point are permitted.

10 September 2015

Lifted at 5 km/hour

The structure is first lifted 20 cm and left to hang in order to measure the deflection of the steel and check the hydraulic pressure of the jacks. Then, the structure is lifted at approximately 5 km/hour.

10 September 2015

Roof lift, seen from the pit

And the roof structure rises, inch by inch. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE

10 September 2015

800-tonne roof structure lifted 10-11 September 2015

In a 15-hour operation that began on 10 September, the 800-tonne roof structure for the Assembly Building is being slowly lifted to its final position at 50 metres above the basemat. A ceremony is planned to mark the end of the construction milestone on 11 September.

31 August 2015

Side pillars near completion

The southern side of the structure will soon be completed. When that happens, the roof beams will be lifted into place.

17 July 2015

An assembly of steel beams

Over 200 individual beams—and 85,000 bolts—make up the metal structure of the Assembly Building.

07 July 2015

All eyes look up

The structure of the Assembly Building, seen from the Tokamak Pit, is truly impressive.

30 May 2015

Double pillars for strong support

Within the Assembly Building, two 750-tonne cranes working in tandem will lift loads up to 1,500 tonnes during assembly, assisted by two 50-tonne auxiliary cranes. Photo: Christian Lünig/ VG Bild und Kunst

30 May 2015

In black and white

Soon to reach 60 metres, the pillars of the Assembly Building loom over the Tokamak Seismic Pit below. Photo: Christian Lünig/ VG Bild und Kunst

30 May 2015

Assembly of roof structure underway

As the pillars of the Assembly Building rise, work is underway in parallel to assemble the roof structure. In August, the roof assembly will be lifted in one piece by way of hydraulic jacks and cables.

27 May 2015

One more level to go

On the north side of the Assembly Building basemat, four vertical pillar segments out of five are in place (appr. 48 m). Visible in the picture: the metal balcony that will support rails for the overhead assembly cranes.

27 May 2015

Soon to be the tallest structure

When completed, the Assembly Building will stand 60 metres tall (nearly 200 feet).

27 May 2015

For the feet of giants

On the Assembly Building basemat, workers pour concrete into the areas reserved for the largest assembly tools. The tools themselves will be fixed to the floor by steel plates and rails. Photo: F4E

05 May 2015

The largest assembly tool

The steel "footprint" (at right) gives an idea of the largest tool for ITER assembly - the 22-metre-tall, 800-tonne Sector Sub-Assembly tool. Two of these giants, operating side by side in the Assembly Building, will equip the sectors of the vacuum vessel before their installation in the machine. Photo: F4E

05 May 2015

Fourth-level colums and work on the roof

As the fourth level columns are installed (bringing the structure to 48 metres), work has started on the ground to assemble the structure of the roof, which will be lifted and set into place in one piece.

28 April 2015

Up to the third level

The Assembly Building construction project, on a clear day in April.

08 April 2015

12 ... 24 ... 36

The first third-level pillar is up, and the metal structure of the building is now 36 metres tall.

12 February 2015

Ten in a row

Double pillars stand aligned on the Assembly Building basemat. An eleventh pillar will take its place (at left) when the Tokamak Complex walls reach the same level. Photo: F4E

11 February 2015

See the building from above!

Progress on the Assembly Building pillars is easily measured from above.

03 February 2015

Tightening the bolts

For each pillar assembly, a two-person team manually tightens the bolts on columns weighing 23 tonnes (exterior) or 11 tonnes (interior).

02 February 2015

Beginning on the other side

The first pillar is in place on the opposite of the Assembly Building basemat.

02 February 2015

The Assembly Building worksite in January

As the Assembly Building's steel skeleton is progressively bolted into place, the massive size of the construction becomes more and more evident.

16 January 2015

Reaching the sky

When finished, the Assembly Building will reach the height of the tallest crane.

18 December 2014

Starting on the second level

On one side of the Assembly Building basemat in December, work begins on the second level of pillars.

18 December 2014

First level finished on one side

In December, the first level of steel pillars is completed along one side of the Assembly Building basemat; work begins on level two before the end of the month. Six thousand tons of steel will be needed for the building's structure. Photo: F4E

01 December 2014

Another 48 metres to go

The first level pillars for the Assembly Building measure 12 metres in height. Four more 12-metres sections will be installed on this base to complete the 60-metre structure. Photo: F4E

20 November 2014

Beams going up

The erection of 12-metre beams continues along the northern side of the Assembly Building basemat. Photo: F4E

20 November 2014

Pillar parts

Stored near the worksite where the pillars are being assembled are the plates, bolts and bars of the pillar assemblies.

18 November 2014

The footprint of a large tool

In this area of the Assembly Building basemat, large custom-built tools will be anchored.

18 November 2014

Two of the tools will be twice this height

These 12-metre columns are tall, but let's put them in perspective. The two tools that will manage vacuum vector sector sub-assembly will stand 22 metres tall in the Assembly Building—or nearly twice the columns pictured.

28 October 2014

Heavy bolts

A parallel row of columns will support the Assembly Building roof from each side of the basemat. Pictured, the support braces that tie the rows together.

28 October 2014

Piece by piece

An inspection of one of the 12-metre column sections that will be assembled as part of the steel "skeleton" of the Assembly Building.

28 October 2014

Work begins on the Assembly Building

Another seven double pillar assemblies like those pictured here will complete one side of the supporting structure for the Assembly Building, before workers begin erecting pillars on the opposite side. The 12-metre columns are one-fifth of their final height. One year of construction will be necessary to complete the Assembly Building. Photo: Engage

20 October 2014

Twice as high as the Cryostat Workshop

The Assembly Building will rise 60 metres, or more than twice as high as the Cryostat Workshop seen in the background.

01 October 2014

The first pillars

Late September, the first pillars of the Assembly Building were installed. Eleven main pillars, and 11 supporting pillars, will be erected along each side of the basemat.

01 October 2014

How it will look

The 60-metre tall Assembly Building is the antechamber to the Tokamak Building. Its overhead cranes (in yellow) will run the full length of both buildings to deliver pre-assembled components for in-pit assembly. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)

01 October 2014

Enter through this door!

The Assembly Building and the Tokamak Building (in solid white) will stand 60 metres tall on the ITER platform. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)

A busy workshop

This vast workshop will host custom-made tools as well as two 750-tonne cranes that will travel the length of the building to pre-assemble components for the ITER Tokamak. Image courtesy of Groupement VFR (Vinci - Ferrovial - Razel)

Pre-assembly operations will happen here

The Assembly Building—a vast antechamber to the Tokamak Complex—will house the specialized assembly tooling required for pre-assembly operations. The 6,000 m² basemat of the Assembly Building won't be visible for long: construction begins this year on the walls of the facility, which will rise 60 metres above the platform.

17 June 2014

Assembly Building: heavy tools to come

The Assembly Building basemat will support the load of the heavy custom-built tools that will pre-assemble vacuum vessel components. The openings in the concrete, visible in the image, are reserved for the embedded plates that will fix the tools to the basemat.

21 March 2014

Assembly Building: walls will rise in June

Work on the steel frame of the Assembly Building is scheduled to begin in early July.

12 February 2014

The platform at the of 2013

Technical galleries are underway all around the Assembly Building. The building should begin to take form at the same time as the adjacent Tokamak Complex.

29 November 2013

Latest aerial photograph

A view from the sky of the Tokamak Complex worksite, where walls will begin to rise next year, and the completed basemat of the Assembly Building (foreground).

11 September 2013

Last bits

Finishing, cleaning and testing works are carried out on the Assembly Building slab in July.

20 July 2013

A platform for assembly

Overhead cranes running the length of the Assembly and Tokamak buildings will operate like a pair of safe hands to move the heavy components to the Tokamak Pit and position them during assembly. Photo: GTM Bâtiment VINCI

20 June 2013

Space left for tooling

On the completed Assembly Building basemat the footprints of three large assembly tools are visible. Here anchor plates will provide the interface between the tools and the concrete basemat.

18 June 2013

Basemat done, spaces remain for the anchoring of large tools

On the completed Assembly Building basemat, three segments (or box-outs) remain unpoured. The largest assembly tools will be anchored here; some interfaces between the anchor plates and the tooling remain to be defined. Photo: F4E

28 May 2013

A train station?

Spaces are maintained between the different segments of the basemat to accommodate the tracks of a small ITER "railroad." The four large cryostat segments--cylinders measuring 30 metres in diameter—will travel from the Cryostat Workshop to the Assembly Building by rail.

21 May 2013

Last pouring day

Work begun in November 2012 is concluded in May 2013 with the last pour for the Assembly Building basemat.

21 May 2013

The centre of it all

The heart of construction activity will take place here in the next years: the Tokamak Complex and Assembly Building. Both structures will rise above the tallest cranes to reach 60 metres. Photo: F4E

07 May 2013

Basemat now finished

Space has been reserved within the basemat of the Assembly Building for the passage of electrical cables. Photo: F4E

07 May 2013

Basemat 85% completed

The basemat of the Assembly Building is nearly finished. Beginning next year, work will begin on the metal frame of the 60-metre-tall building, which will house two overhead cranes capable, together, of manipulating loads up to 1,500 tonnes. Photo: F4E/Engage

23 April 2013

The cranes are back

From the top of the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility, the progression of the Assembly Building slab is evident: the last segment will be poured in May 2013. On the left, the first crane is positioned for foundation work in the Seismic Pit. Photo: F4E

14 March 2013

Two pieces

Each concrete plot is poured in two segments with a joint between them that will be filled in once the concrete is dry. This technique avoids cracking.

14 February 2013

Pouring continues

Work begins at sunrise on another slab of the Assembly Building basemat. Currently 70 workers are active in this area of the platform.

14 February 2013

An antechamber to the Tokamak Complex

On the 6,000 m² footprint of the Assembly Hall, it's easy to see the portions of the foundation that are completed. Photo: F4E

01 February 2013

Another segment poured

Concrete pouring shall continue into April. Photo: F4E

11 January 2013

The pedestal for a tall building

A building 60 metres high will rest on these foundations which, in some areas, attain 2.2 metres in thickness. Photo: F4E

11 January 2013

Rebar stirrups

Part of the 1,400 tonnes of steel planned for the Assembly Building basemat, these rebar stirrups will link the upper and lower rebar layers. Photo: F4E

11 January 2013

Tailored reinforcement

Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building will be completed by the time pouring begins for the adjacent Tokamak Complex in spring 2013. The rebar has been tailored to meet the building's complex system of galleries and penetrations. Photo: F4E

19 December 2012

Ankle-deep in fresh concrete

Another "plot," or section, of the Assembly Building basemat is poured. Photo: F4E

19 December 2012

The smooth floor of the Assembly Building

Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building floor continues, section by section. The total surface area to treat is 6,000 square metres. Photo: F4E

19 December 2012

A sea of iron

Fourteen hundred tons of steel are now distributed in an area measuring 60 x 100 metres. The building's foundation will have a thickness of 1.2‒2.2 metres. Photo: F4E

19 December 2012

Looking north

In the distance, the snowcapped Montagne de Lure (alt. 1,600 m) and its small family ski resort.

18 December 2012

Progress on the Assembly Building basemat at year-end

Seventy people are involved in reinforcement and concrete pouring works for the Assembly Building basemat in December.

18 December 2012

Smack in the middle

In the very centre of the ITER platform: the Assembly Building worksite.

06 December 2012

Hills and vales of steel

On the 6,000 square-metre site of the future Assembly Building, a complex grid of rebar is taking shape.

28 November 2012

Here will stand the tooling

The basemat for the Assembly Building will be finished in March. The anchor plates for 4 large assembly tools will be cemented into the concrete. Photo: F4E

16 November 2012

As smooth as glass

The concrete poured for the Assembly Building is of the finished variety: the finished product will be the actual floor of the tall workshop. Photo: F4E

16 November 2012

Complex rebar shapes

The foundation for the 60 metre-tall building ranges in thickness from 1.2‒2.2 metres. In between the metal rebar cages, space has been reserved for the electrical galleries, drainage, piping and tunnels that will service the neighbouring Tokamak Complex. Photo: F4E

16 November 2012

Surface area: 5,400 square metres

Concrete pouring for the Assembly Building slab has been progressing segment by segment since November. Photo: F4E

16 November 2012

The centre of it all

The Tokamak Complex and the Assembly Building will form a "T" in the middle of the platform (with the Assembly Building in the supporting role). Photo: F4E

12 October 2012

A few metres away

The five poloidal field magnets that will be fabricated in the on-site Winding Facility (in red) won't have far to travel to the Assembly and Tokamak buildings. Photo: F4E

12 October 2012

A complicated geometry

Space has been reserved in the foundations for tunnels to house electrical galleries, drainage and piping. Photo: F4E

12 October 2012

Supporting the load ...

The foundation slab will vary in thickness from 1.2-2.2 metres. Parts of the foundation will support the embedded anchor plates of the building's large and heavy custom assembly tools. Photo: F4E

12 October 2012

Mapping out the steel

On top of the blinding layer of concrete, 1,400 tonnes of steel rebar will be placed according to a very specific diagram. Photo: F4E

15 September 2012

Rebar activities begin

The 5,400 square-metre area of the Assembly Building is covered with a layer of blinding concrete, to prepare for the reinforcement activities to come.

13 September 2012

Tooling power supplies will run through here

An excavator is at work on an 7x8 metre gallery that will serve as an entry point for most of the electrical cables for the assembly tools and devices.

22 August 2012

That's a lot of digging

With all of the digging operations for the Assembly Building foundations, the deep underground drainage networks and the establishment of Contractors' Area #2, the tour buses on the site these days are limited to the periphery.

24 July 2012

Back to the bulldozers

Excavation works for the Assembly Hall aren't as spectacular as those for the Seismic Isolation Pit: only 10,000 m³ needs to be removed.

28 June 2012

Vast antechamber to the Tokamak Building

The Assembly Building will occupy an area of 6,000 m² to the south of the Tokamak Complex. The vast hall will house the specialized tooling that will accomplish pre-assembly activities for the Tokamak components.

28 June 2012

500 holes

As part of excavation work for the future Assembly Hall, 500 holes have been drilled down to 7 metres to profile the rock substrata.

30 May 2012

Near the machine pit

From 2015 forward, the doors to the Assembly Building (foreground) will regularly open to admit Tokamak components for pre-assembly. From there, it is only a short distance to the machine pit. Image: ITER Organization

Where assembly begins

60 x 97 x 60 metres: the vast antechamber to the Tokamak Building will be equipped with specialized pre-assembly tooling and mammoth overhead cranes for manoeuvring the heavy components. Image: ITER Organization