CHAPTER I, SECTION 1

siderable credit is due the Transportation Sec-

tion, JTF-7, for its success in obtaining additional, unallocated lift; the cooperation of all
parties to the agreement led to the success in
meeting operational dates.

SIGNIFICANT ENGINEERINGCONSTRUCTION.
The major items of construction requiring

careful scheduling were as follows:

(1) Shot-island camps.
(2) Permanent base structures.
(3) Large concrete test structures.

(4) Steel shot towers.
(5) Vacuum pipe arrays.
(6) Man-madeislands and causeways.
(7) Communication installations.
Because construction of shot-island camps
was to be simple and inexpensive in view of their

intended short use, and since standard designs
for most of the expendable buildings were available, the responsibility for the design of these
camps was delegated to the Field Engineering
Force. This permitted the efforts of the Home
Office Engineering Staff to be directed toward
close liaison with the scientific agencies and the

design of complex scientific structures. Early in

the Operation, the Contractor had been authorized to station representatives at both LASL

and UCRLto assist in expediting design criteria.

The engineering necessary for the shot-island camps included an evaluation of each site
to determine the most suitable location for a

camp, preferably adjacent to an accessible part
of the beach in order that landing facilities
could be provided with a minimum of cost,

channel excavation, and shore transport. The

camp was also to be in a location least likely to
interfere with scientific requirements. Each
camp was laid out to be self-contained. Power,

fresh and salt water systems, sewage disposal,

and recreation, medical and communication fa-

cilities were provided. Each camp was provided
with an area for landing helicopters and/or L-20

type aircraft and facilities for handling materials
and personnel from small marine craft. Because

Elmer and Nan, the main bases of operations

for their respective Atolls, were provided with
considerable warehouse space, only limited ware-

housing for receiving materials was provided at
the shot-island camps.

The construction of the shot-island camps
was fairly routine. The procedures and techniques for this type of work had been well established through the years of previous experi-

ence at the Proving Ground. Prefabrication at
established bases was used extensively for building trusses, wall panels, and assemblies of plumbing items. From the initial undertaking in April
1955 until late October, at which time test facility drawings began arriving at the Jobsite, the
construction effort could be directed towards
completing these camps as scheduled. Men and
equipment were adequate during this period, and
schedules, with few exceptions, were essentially
met. Shortages of certain construction items in
the electrical and plumbing fields prevented 100
per cent completion of a few projects as scheduwled, but in all cases the buildings or facilities
were ready when needed for operational requirements.

Most of the construction of the permanent

base (P&E) projects included in the Fiscal Year
1955 Budget was accomplished without unusual
incident during the interim period following
CASTLE. In order that those projects which
were urgently required for REDWING andinitially included in the FY 1956 Budget could be
completed in time, it was necessary that ma-

terial procurement be started as early after 1
July 1955 as possible. Therefore, authority was
granted the Contractor on 25 May 1955 to perform advance planning and design so that the
necessary approvals from User Agencies could
be obtained and purchase orders awarded as
early as possible. Preliminary estimates and requisitions for building materials were prepared
in June 1955. Funds were made available, and
purchase orders for building materials were
awarded on 11 August 1955. Approval for site
grading and concrete foundations for some of

the buildings were received in advance of the approval of completed design, and this preliminary
work was undertaken. The approval of the com-

plete designs was received in late September
and in early October. About this time it became

evident that, due to the expanding test program
and the resulting increase in participating personnel, additional billeting facilities and other
miscellaneous items beyond those originally
contemplated for Elmer would be necessary,
and these were then authorized. Though unavoidable under the budgeting program and design approval process, the construction of per-

manent base projects beginning in late 1955
presented a real problem. Planning of this work

anticipated that these projects could be integrated into the over-all construction program
and would be accomplished concurrently with

scientific structures. Due to the urgency that
developed for the construction of these scientific
structures, it became necessary to shift men and

equipment to this work and to defer those per-

manent base projects that were not vital to the

REDWING Operation. Therefore, the over-all
progress attained on these projects was not
generally in phase with the predicted progress.
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