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The Tradeline BLOG is an online exchange of quick bits of breaking information, intelligent “briefs”, promising technologies, emerging trends, HOT concepts “overheard” at Tradeline conferences, and some rare, practical stats that will help you keep tuned to the capital projects and facility management profession.
Do you have something to add? Please email us at blog@tradelineinc.com
Build it into your research facility.
Double-high space gets used – build as much as possible.
Details of the University of Michigan's high bay addition....
| | 4.29.06
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Facility readiness is key.
Success in recruiting “star” researchers is often determined by how fast you can have a facility ready for them. This speaks for shell & core construction strategy.
- From Tradeline's 2006 Summit on Facilities for the Emerging Sciences. ...
| | 4.27.06
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What is the project challenge?
The project challenge for a nano-bio/nano-med research facility is designing and building a pharmaceutical-grade cleanroom that integrates with a nanofabrication cleanroom – the problem is that biological materials and processes are not compatible w...
| | 4.25.06
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Technical requirements for shared spaces.
In the emerging science arena, count on buildings funded for one purpose having to accommodate significant unanticipated programs with very different and exacting technical requirements – example, a nanotechnology building at UCLA now being fit up t...
| | 4.24.06
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Vertical reciprocating lifts may be what your building needs.
You can save on elevator costs by using a much less costly “vertical reciprocating lift” to transport chemicals and equipment (and not people).
- From Tradeline's 2006 Summit on Facilities for the Emerging Sciences. ...
| | 4.22.06
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Strategies and solutions.
One cost-saving idea when building facilities for vibration-sensitive instruments is to design in the capability of installing spring isolators, but hold off installing springs until you know that you really need them. Additionally, an inexpensive (non-co...
| | 4.21.06
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A strategy for project management.
Address the real world fact of commissioning that you have to commission the building first (a fast process) and then you commission imaging tools (a long process) by having a separate dedicated MEP package just for the imaging suite.
- From Tradeline's ...
| | 4.20.06
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New options for users.
For some of the latest and greatest imaging equipment that features one-atom-at-a-time imaging resolution, instrument sensitivities require instrument operators to be in separate rooms and work via remote control. This makes cost per P.I. even higher, but...
| | 4.19.06
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Microbes, fuels, and the future of science.
There is growing international economic and security pressure to fund a huge genome research effort targeting the use of microbes to create fuels. To see the technology this will involve (download publication), go to www.DOEgenomestolife.org/roadmap.
- F...
| | 4.18.06
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The biggest problem for advanced instrumentation.
One of the biggest advanced-instrument performance problems in all labs (and it is a serious problem) is circulating ground currents on conductive structures (i.e., metal pipes, steel rebar, steel beams, HVAC ducts, conduits, etc.) and net currents on ele...
| | 4.17.06
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A crucial component of research facilities.
The need for extremely large scientific computing capacities is showing up more frequently in newly emerging science programs – with an implication for IT connectivity, energy-consuming server rooms, and large data storage devices.
- From Tradeline...
| | 4.16.06
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Where does your chilled water come from?
You may not want to rely on the campus water system as the source of water for your NMR chillers – have a dedicated chilled water system. The reasoning is that if your NMR center is tied in with the campus chilled water then you are always at the me...
| | 4.15.06
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Are you actually getting the savings you planned for?
It is not common that energy-use-reduction designs are subjected to post-occupancy evaluation or metering to verify energy-use savings are in fact being realized. Conversely, it is common to have metering value-engineered out of project budgets.
- From T...
| | 4.14.06
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Have you decided what facility services you will maintain or cut in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak? What staffing level will be required to maintain these services? Are you prepared to house people on-site? Do your contracts include "critical-p...
| | 4.14.06
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A possible detriment to instrument seals.
There is reason to believe that NMR rooms should be periodically pumped free of stray helium gas – the thinking is that stray helium leaks past instrument seals and degrades the instrument’s vacuum and lead to a quench. It appears that the acc...
| | 4.13.06
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An energy saving strategy.
An occupancy sensor system in a lab building can throttle down VAV exhaust for fume hoods in unoccupied labs to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in energy bills while still meeting codes and safety regulations. Researchers are in their labs on...
| | 4.12.06
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A planning suggestion.
For projects in which biocontainment is only a part, do a separate design-intent document just for the biocontainment aspect.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facilities Conference
Learn how to speed up the design process from ...
| | 4.11.06
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Be prepared for the numbers.
BSL-3 (CL-3) space is more costly to build than most people are prepared for ($600/gsf to over $1,000/gsf). Not planning adequately for these numbers will get you in financial or safety trouble – or both.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International...
| | 4.10.06
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The recipients of the NCI grants.
There are eight NCI-funded Centers of Excellence for the application of nanotechnology to the detection and treatment of cancer called CCNEs (Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence).
1. University of North Carolina2. University of California, San D...
| | 4.10.06
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Signage - is yours accurate?
Absent or incorrect safety signage is a common facility failure with big potential worker injury consequences.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facilities Conference
Click here for firms in Tradeline's Industry Directory t...
| | 4.9.06
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A new solution.
To move lab animals between Class III biosafety cabinets to ABSL-3 holding rooms, the new solution is to use a mobile, docking animal transport cart. So far, examples of these involve custom-designed and fabricated devices.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 ...
| | 4.8.06
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Facility-specific guidelines.
In normal BSL lab operations, the primary containment device is the safety cabinet. In small animal facilities, the primary containment device is the room. In large animal facilities, the primary containment device is the building.
- From Tradeline&rsquo...
| | 4.7.06
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A common misconception.
Whereas it is thought that BSL-3 containment rooms should be sealed tight, you actually need some bypass air for the control systems to operate properly.
What is a constant volume bypass?
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facili...
| | 4.6.06
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Unsuitable for biocontainment facilities.
Do not use cleanroom sealing hardware in biocontainment rooms because cleanroom devices are designed to keep things out, not in. Because of the reverse pressure force, the gaskets will fail early.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainmen...
| | 4.5.06
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An asset in air pressure balancing.
Isolators that get their air from a supply separate from the room supply make facility air-pressure balancing easier and less costly to achieve.
What is a flexible film isolator?...
| | 4.4.06
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Light activated sinks - a good choice.
Light-activated hands-free sinks for hand washing are reliable and are a good feature for eliminating a contamination source.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facilities Conference...
| | 4.3.06
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Results from physical testing analysis.
Physical testing analysis shows that in applying coats of epoxy surfaces, the time between coats is critical to getting a proper bond.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facilities Conference
What is epoxy and how is it used...
| | 4.2.06
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Be one step ahead of the external audit.
For a new facility where you are subject to audit by an independent agency, audit yourself first – you will discover all kinds of documentation and procedural problems.
- From Tradeline’s 2006 International Biocontainment Facilities Conferenc...
| | 4.1.06
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