Topping off ceremony marks BSEL's progress
The highest point on the steel skeleton of the new Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, or BSEL, received an American flag during a topping off ceremony in October.
A construction tradition, the ceremony marks the reaching of the highest structural point in the building.
PNNL's Dave Koppenaal, interim chief research officer, spoke at the ceremony, calling the building a "driving force for energizing the economy" of the Tri-Cities, with the combined effort of PNNL and Washington State University researchers expected to create a bioproducts industry in the region.
Other guests attending the ceremony were WSU Chancellor Vicki Carwein, WSU Tri-Cities Advancement Director LoAnn Ayers, U.S Rep. Doc Hastings, state Rep. Shirley Hankins and state Sen. Jerome Delvin.
One hundred and fifty days into construction, BSEL is on schedule and on budget. With the steel beam skeleton in place, the building's outer walls are scheduled for completion next fall.
BSEL marks the first of five new facilities planned through PNNL's Capability Replacement Laboratory project. To learn more about BSEL click here.
Topping off ceremony Enlarged View