This walkway provides access to the HIFAR reactor top plate, where operations such as fuel loading and experimental rig placement were carried out.
Above, the polar crane dominates the space, running along a circular track that makes it the largest circular crane in the southern hemisphere. It was used for precise handling of reactor components and heavy shielding flasks.
The building itself is designed as a large pressure vessel, with a circular layout and a domed roof. This structure was engineered to contain pressure changes in an emergency, though such an event never occurred throughout HIFAR’s operational history.
This print is ideal for those interested in industrial engineering, nuclear history, and the structural design of containment buildings.