Facility History
Through 1966
This document provides an interesting history of the Salt Lake Center ARTCC through 1966. This was the height of the Cold War and construction of the facility included protection against radiation in case of a nuclear attack. I received this document as hard copy and spent a few hours scanning and cleaning for posting here.
On June 20, 1960, ground was broken at the site of the six million dollar earthquake and radiation proof FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center at 21st West and 6th North.
The foundation engineering and construction of this building was unique in that no excavation was involved. The building is supported by 367 friction pilings, average depth 53 feet, and the ground level was raised to cover the basement floor through the use of over 130,000 cubic yards of fill. Over 50 miles of reinforcing steel was used in the building, ranging from three eights of an inch to one and one half inches in diameter.The foundation engineering and construction of this building was unique in that no excavation was involved. The building is supported by 367 friction pilings, average depth 53 feet, and the ground level was raised to cover the basement floor through the use of over 130,000 cubic yards of fill. Over 50 miles of reinforcing steel was used in the building, ranging from three eights of an inch to one and one half inches in diameter.
During the construction, the contractor poured more than 5200 yards of concrete. Around the control room there is a wall made up of "Lincoln Logs" of reinforced concrete. Each "log" is two feet by one and one half feet, and twenty feet long, so laid as to make a wall eight feet high from the control room floor. This shield of reinforced concrete is designed to protect the "heart" of the Center from radiation due to nuclear fall-out. The insulated terneplate roof has been equipped with a washdown system, capable of supplying l,000 gallons of water per minute, to remove radioactive fall-out particles in the event of nuclear attack. A separate eight-inch water main supplies water for the system. Emergency drinking water is supplied from a radiation-proof underground system, that can provide a total of 4,000 gallons of water. Automatic humidity and temperature controls have been installed for the comfort of the personnel in the windowless operating and equipment area and to cool down and protect the electrical equipment that must be operated 24 hours a day.