BREN Tower facts for kids
The BREN Tower was a very tall metal tower located in Nevada, USA. It stood at 1,527 feet (465 meters) high. "BREN" was short for "Bare Reactor Experiment, Nevada." The United States Department of Energy owned this huge structure. It was maintained by National Security Technologies. The area around the tower was closed off from July 2006. No official reason was given for this closure. The tower was also in a special restricted airspace (R-4808N). This was because it was part of the Nevada Test Site.
History of the BREN Tower
The Dresser-Ideco Company built the BREN Tower in 1962. It was made for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The tower was first put up in Yucca Flat, an atomic bomb test area. Its main purpose was to help scientists understand radiation effects. This research was important for studying events like the atomic bombings of Hiroshima. A special nuclear reactor could be moved up and down the tower. Scientists built Japanese-style houses near the tower's base. They then exposed these houses to different levels of radiation.
After the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, open-air nuclear tests were stopped. So, the BREN Tower was taken apart. Even though it was very large, it was moved to Jackass Flats. This new location was in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site. Here, it was used for a project called Operation HENRE. HENRE stood for "High Energy Neutron Reactions Experiment." This project involved many radiation measurements. It used a small linear accelerator to create neutrons for the experiments.
Tower Specifications
The BREN Tower was made from 51 sections of strong steel. Each section was 30 feet (9 meters) long. The total height of the tower was 1,527 feet (465 meters). This made it taller than the 1,472-foot (449-meter) Empire State Building. The tower was held up by 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometers) of strong guy wires. These wires were designed to keep the tower stable in winds over 120 miles per hour (193 km/h). The tower had an outside hoist to lift scientific equipment. It also had a two-person elevator inside. This elevator could move at 100 feet (30 meters) per minute. The entire tower weighed 345 tons (313 metric tons).
Demolition of the Tower
The BREN Tower was taken down on May 23, 2012. The National Nuclear Security Administration gave reasons for its removal. They said it was a safety concern for nearby workers. It was also too expensive to fix and keep working. Finally, it was a hazard for air traffic in the area.
