Morgan Sindall has completed work on the £5.5 million construction of a nuclear research centre in West Cumbria for The University of Manchester.

The Dalton Cumbrian Facility (DCF) is located at Westlakes Science and Technology Park near Whitehaven and will support world-leading research and education in radiation science and nuclear engineering and decommissioning.

The project included the construction of a concrete-walled research hall, clad in zinc, which will house a 5MV ion beam accelerator for materials research when it is transported from the United States in November 2012. The 45-week construction project also delivered an adjoining two-storey office and laboratory building, with a black mirrored finish, as well as car parking and landscaped areas designed to allow the facility to blend into its surroundings.

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The DCF is the result of a £20 million joint investment by the University of Manchester and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). It will be operated by the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute and will have close links with the existing National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield.

Morgan Sindall worked closely with the team from the University's Directorate of Estates and Facilities, project managers Drivers Jonas Deloitte and Wilson Mason Architects on the project.

Dave Smith, managing director, construction at Morgan Sindall, said: "This project combines two of Morgan Sindalls' specialisms - energy and education, and we’re delighted to have handed it over on time and to budget.

"The DCF represents another significant investment in Cumbria’s nuclear expertise and further evidence that the North West of England is becoming synonymous with innovative nuclear research."

(CD)