Frequently changing working practices in the laboratory present an almost insurmountable planning challenge when looking to build new, or refurbish existing, laboratories
Safety considerations and room size as well as distribution of mechanical and electrical (M+E) services, fume extraction, ventilation and layout of furniture are all subject to changes that are difficult to anticipate during the planning phase.
The result can be laboratories that are soon no longer able to offer ideal working conditions to users and thus impair the efficiency and productivity of research work.
The Integrated Service Ceiling (ISC) from Waldner is described as the solution to this problem.
Flexible laboratories are already in demand.
Many users are already increasingly facing problems arising from changing requirements for the working environment in the laboratory: leased laboratories, laboratories for various types of contract research work, or research institutes at universities with changing professorships.
During the building planning stage, all that is known is that the usage will change - but not what the nature of this change will be.
Therefore, the demand is for flexible laboratories with an open space architecture in which the user can quickly and independently modify the structures at little expense.
It must be possible to install walls and to retrofit, modify and upgrade services as rapidly as possible.
At the same time, neither fire-prevention regulations, protection against sound nor modified ventilation requirements may restrict the conversions.
The Integrated Service Ceiling (ISC) from Waldner is the solution for these current interactions, but also for the more demanding requirements in the laboratory environment of the future.
ISC for the first time integrates all common laboratory services such as water, gases, power, data, supply and extract air.
One of the reasons that ISC is so flexible is that M+E services are systematically separated from the furniture and are routed exclusively within the Integrated Services Ceiling.
There is a defined on-site service interface and ISC offers connection points for the laboratory - flexibly distributed over a freely definable area unit - to meet individual laboratory requirements.
This is a new approach which intentionally redefines M+E service interfaces.
Special connection couplings permit extensions of service supplies without the need for cutting or soldering, so that all components can be dismantled easily for use elsewhere.
Another advantage: conversion, extension or upgrading can be performed while laboratory work is in progress, thus saving downtime costs.
It is worth repeating here that supply air and extract air also form an integral part of the Integrated Service Ceiling.
The fume extraction capacity per area unit can also be increased or reduced without difficulty.
New dimension in building design.
The Integrated Service Ceiling opens up completely new dimensions in building planning and utilisation.
One prediction made by the Lab2020 study is that life-cycle considerations will play an increasingly important role in the planning of laboratory buildings.
The trend is toward the construction of larger units, with subsequent segmentation.
The ISC does justice to this trend, because entire floors can be fitted with the Integrated Service Ceiling, and saves costs at the same time: thanks to the grid-like separation of the area units, the costs for reconfiguration of the rooms can be reduced by up to 60% compared to conventional laboratories.
The space-saving arrangement of the integral sections allows for new possibilities in designing the room height, with a reduction in the overall building volume by up to 15%.
This results in a considerable reduction in investment costs, and the attendant annual building costs are naturally also lower.
The Integrated Service Ceiling and its components are prefabricated.
Compared to traditional building installation, around 90% fewer bore holes are needed for suspension of the ceiling.
The process of parallel installation of all services on the floor and then lifting the entire structure to the ceiling greatly reduces the project duration and allows the laboratory to be put into operation much sooner.
In two days, an installation crew can install all services required for an area unit measuring 50 square meters.
