- Construction of major science facility 7,400ft underground.
- Unique geotechnical, structural, mechanical, and fire/life safety engineering challenges.
A former gold mine in South Dakota was selected as the site for the US National Science Foundation’s proposed Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). The mine consists of an extensive series of drifts and shafts extending deep underground.
The development for DUSEL will expand the space and upgrade the infrastructure to prepare the site for research and operations at the surface, at 300ft (shallow), at 4,850ft (mid-level) and at 7,400ft (deep campus).
Infrastructure and laboratory design
As the prime consultant in charge of underground infrastructure and laboratory design, Arup has been involved in the project throughout, defining the scope of consultants and helping to develop a work breakdown structure and project management tools.
Arup also helped prepare the project schedule for the construction of laboratory levels at 4,850ft and at 7,400ft below ground.
Premier science facility
DUSEL will be a premier underground research facility, the deepest in the world, serving major scientific fields including physics, geology, hydrology, geo-engineering, biology, and biochemistry. The underground environment is ideal for scientists to explore phenomena that can only be studied away from cosmic rays.
The 150,000ft2 facility will include large laboratories, caverns and cleanrooms, as well as a surface facility with further laboratories, operations facilities and a public outreach centre.
The mid-level campus will comprise three lab modules and three 50m-diameter by 65m-high caverns, designed to accommodate the world’s largest neutrino detectors. The deep campus will hold three additional laboratory modules and a deep drilling research station.