Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility

HThe Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility

The Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility is our nation’s central repository for highly enriched uranium, a vital national security asset.

HEUMF is a massive concrete and steel structure that provides maximum security for the highly enriched uranium material that it protects. Approximately 300 feet by 475 feet, HEUMF has areas for receiving, shipping and providing long-term storage of the enriched uranium, as well as an adjoining equipment and administrative area.

HEUMF’s design is consistent with the latest graded security protection guidance. The facility is constructed of reinforced concrete floors, walls, and roof; it sits on a 30-ft-thick mass concrete fill attached directly to bedrock.

The exterior building structure is designed specifically to withstand

  • Flooding (catastrophic failure of two nearby storage tanks)
  • Lightning strikes
  • Seismic events (7.7 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 280 mi away)
  • Severe tornadic winds (F3 Category/200 mph gusts)
  • The impact in excess of a general aviation aircraft

Advanced exterior and interior safeguards and security systems further ensure protection of the uranium materials inside HEUMF. Security doors are the latest in door system technology and meet all applicable protection requirements.

HEUMF is the first major accomplishment in Y‑12’s gaining national and international recognition as the Uranium Center of Excellence. When the adjacent Uranium Processing Facility is complete and both facilities are operational, they will house most of the operations required to support our nation’s uranium storage and weapons components manufacturing missions.