The ILC engineering design phase: Towards the production of an engineering design report

In August 2007, the International Linear Collider-Global Design Effort (ILC-GDE) published the ILC Reference Design Report (RDR) which contains a description of the design of the linear collider and a ''value'' cost estimate. The RDR was developed over a 2 year period starting in August 2005 with the creation of the GDE at the Second ILC workshop, held at Snowmass, Colorado. The design described in the RDR and its associated estimate allow the GDE to plan and prioritize the next phase of the ILC, the creation of an Engineering Design and the production, by mid 2010, of an Engineering Design Report (EDR). The EDR will contain, in addition to a more mature design and an updated value estimate, a plan for executing the ILC Project. The purpose of the EDR is to facilitate formal international negotiations at government level on siting, funding, organization and execution of the ILC project with a timescale consistent with the start of construction in 2012. The creation of the ILC Engineering Design will include: (1) Basic R and D to demonstrate that all components can be engineered; (2) R and D into alternative solutions to mitigate remaining risk; (3) An overall design to allow machine construction to start within 3 years following its completion; (4) selection between high tech options to allow industrialization efforts; (5) A comprehensive value-engineering exercise; (6) A complete value cost estimate for the machine, including a funding profile consistent with the project schedule; (7) A project execution plan including a realistic schedule; (8) Designs for facilities shared between different ''area systems'', and for site-specific infrastructure. The designs must include the level of detail needed for regions to estimate the cost to host; and (9) All necessary information must be provided to regions to evaluate project technical and financial risks in support of a bid to host. With the completion of the EDR, the ILC-GDE leadership will be able to seek approval of the ILC project from governmental agencies