CLIENT NEED

A new building was required for this high-tech client as they expanded their R&D space. In addition to a new class 10 cleanroom, metrology, and chemical gas and liquid storage space, they needed additional office areas, and auxiliary spaces.

DESIGN FEATURES

• Extensive exhaust process piping for new class 10 cleanroom area

• Process piping for cryogenic source nitrogen (using ultra high purity 316L 10 Ra stainless steel piping and components), compressed dry air and vacuum, corrosive, solvent and heat-only exhaust, and acid and solvent waste
• Exhaust system fans selected and arranged for N+1 redundancy with controls and dampers for automatic changeover; design, selection and detailing of bulkhead assemblies
• New central services for dual temperature chilled water plant including low temperature chiller, high temperature chiller, cooling towers, primary pumps, secondary pumps, control valving, future connections, and associated piping and specialties
• Design components for hot water heating plant including redundant hot water boilers, breeching and stacks, primary pumps, secondary pumps, control valving, future connections, and associated piping and specialties as appropriate
• Design and detail air handling equipment including: 14,000 cfm make-up air handling unit with filtration, preheat, two-stage cooling with second stage low temperature chilled water, ultrasonic humidifiers, and direct drive fan; 145,000 CFM of recirculation air handling units with sensible cooling coils, direct-drive fans, prefilters for HEPA longevity, and SCR electric reheat coil control for final temperature trimming
• Design custom engineered air handling and two-stage sound attenuation system for low noise in critical metrology area with up to 49 dBa sound reduction at critical octave bands
• Design of DI 17.5 megaohm electronic grade E2 water production plant including polishing skid, stainless steel pumps, U.V. filters, resin traps, submicron filters, service deionization filters, continuous deionization unit, storage tank, domestic water make-up connection, and associated specialties
• Design and detail new process cooling water system including isolation heat exchanger, circulation pumps, inline submicron filters, expansion tank, air separation, make-up water connection, and looped distribution system
• Detailed layout of all ductwork including cleanroom HEPAs, VAV boxes, slot diffusers, reheat coils
• Preparation of detailed process gas utility, process exhaust, process water matrices

DESIGN BENEFITS

• Critical class 10 cleanroom areas have tightly controlled temperature to ±0.5† F and relative humidity to ±1%

• Critical class 10 cleanroom areas designed to maintain continuous operation under severe adverse conditions including power outage and extreme ambient temperatures and humidity levels that typically exceed standard design values; central system equipment designed with N+1 redundancy to mitigate any single point failure disrupting or shutting down all operations
• Cascade pressure relationship between critical and noncritical areas to prevent infiltration and molecular contamination
• Metrology (SEM) area achieved magnification levels at least an order of magnitude better than the previous facility through improved sound reduction
• Achieved a robust R&D facility that can operate
  continuously, maintaining strict environmental criteria

CLIENT NEED

As part of a multi-year research initiative, this prominent East Coast university needed to build-out a suite of research spaces to accommodate a grant-funded nanotechnology lab.With an impending deadline for completion, schedule became the driving force to complete the design process and get long-lead items on order early in the project, which forced a cohesive basis of design be developed very early in the project.

DESIGN FEATURES

• Conversion of a 1550 sq ft space from lab/office area to a 390 sq ft 209E Class 10 cleanroom, a supporting Class 100,000 450 sqft space with adjoining service chases.

• Make-up air and distribution to support 40,000 CFM clean spaces through direct HEPA connections and Cleanpak fan filter units.

• New 20 hp air dryer/compressor and dual 3 hp vacuum pumps for cleanroom services. New 99.9995% HP N2 distribution system sized for clean process requirements.

• Retrofit existing 750 sqft lab area with new piping services: 25 psi air, CDA, gas, process hot and cold water, semiconductor grade (18Mohm or better) deionized water, HP N2 and process vac. Acid waste and venting was provided for both the lab and clean spaces.

• Two 15-hp exhaust fans were designed for N+1 redundancy. Each was capable of maintaining a 6” w.c. static, 8,000 CFM system. Design included stack/nozzle flow calculation for proper jet and diffusion from the stack outlet and motorized isolation for changeover.

• Lab and cleanroom lighting design including end-user process needs, energy code compliant and clean space flow concerns. Occupancy lighting sensors were incorporated for energy savings.

• Electrical bus duct tap designed to support the clean space with 225A service.

DESIGN BENEFITS

• Converted dirty space into multiuse Class 10 and 100K space with tight +/-2 deg F and 40% Rh +/- 5%.

• Mitigated demolition of existing services and retrofitted piping and HVAC system for cost savings.

• Cascade pressure and containment design maintained clean space and minimizes infiltration from dirty areas.

• Sizing and specifications for high purity process gas and liquids sufficient for client’s needs.

This quickly expanding research university had embarked on a multi-phased expansion project for its health sciences departments. This newest building, dedicated to biological-based research, required strictly controlled spaces for a variety of research activities, necessitating multiple mini-environments contained within one building envelope.

DESIGN FEATURES

• Cooling, heating and humidity for a VAV system with +/-2 degree F, and +/- 10% RH for 2000 sf [A]nimal [C]are [F]acility Supply air needs were relatively small, but designed to deliver the correct required air quality for the animal area specifications while adjoining areas posed infiltration issues

• Pressurization for mixed use floor space with offices, mechanical space, waste containment, gowning and ACF areas

• Dedicated filtered exhaust for AC Corridors.

• HEPA filtered supply air for AC Corridors and areas.

• Selected and engineered CRAC’s for cooling a 4500 sf data center with N+1 cooling built in.

• New fire protection design including design for gas suppression system in the data center.

• Lab gas piping design and routing for CDA, NG, CO2, VP. Compressed dry air compressor sized for 600 gal tank capacity and 146 scfm of flow. 100 scfm capacity vacuum pumps were sized and distribution pipe routed to support the facility lab spaces.

• Lab water and clean steam engineered to support cage wash, sterilizer and bench needs.

• Detailed riser diagrams with drop component requirements and material standards.

• Detailed exhaust requirements for fume hoods, cagewashers and biocontainment cabinets.

DESIGN BENEFITS

• ACF designed with a commitment to the required environmental specifications for the animals. Biocontainment safety cabinets, lab benches and cagewash facilities designed to NIH and local standards/codes. Designed hood performance to ANSI 29.5 and ASHRAE 110. Distribution air adhered to ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 in lab spaces.

• 30,000 sqft of mixed use space designed to control mini-environments such as animal care and quarantine areas. Adjoining office and common space was pressurized to avoid cross contamination and testing corruption.

• Critical lab and animal care environments were carefully designed to promote consistent working conditions including lab process piping coordination, strict adherence to Rh and temperature specifications, and exhaust requirements promoting a contained environment within the building