Engineering
The Lead
2013 Laboratory of the Year: Creating collaboration across geographic and scientific borders
June 6, 2013 11:23 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
The Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, established by the National Research Foundation and funded by the National Science Foundation of Singapore, houses a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers with the goal of stimulating innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship through interaction and collaboration.
2013 Laboratory of the Year High Honors: Sustainable building reflects the science within
June 6, 2013 11:12 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory (CNES) began with a...
2013 Laboratory of the Year Special Mention: Daylighting and design rescue noted biochemistry building
June 6, 2013 10:38 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
At the time of its completion in 1981, Harvard University’s Sherman Fairchild biochemistry...
Study of “living roof” to collect performance data
April 29, 2013 12:27 pm | News | Comments
Amherst College in Western Massachusetts has installed a series of research-grade, Web-based...
Updated heat gain in newest ASHRAE Handbook
June 17, 2013 2:20 pm | News | CommentsOutdated internal equipment heat gain data can result in oversized systems and higher operating costs, yet it is one of the most difficult areas for engineers to define. To assist the building environment industry in defining these loads and designing more cost-efficient systems, internal equipment heat gain and load density data have been updated in the newest edition of the ASHRAE Handbook.
Laboratory Design Newsletter April Issue Milestones
April 5, 2013 12:13 pm | News | CommentsLord, Aeck & Sargent has promoted Lauren Dunn Rockart, AIA, LEED AP to Principal. Rockart has 19 years of experience specializing in management, design direction, and decision-making for higher education projects, including residence halls, academic facilities, and research laboratories.
2013 R&D 100 Awards: Entry deadline extended
April 1, 2013 12:51 pm | News | CommentsThe editors of R&D Magazine have announced an extension to the entry submission deadline for the annual R&D 100 Awards competition. The final day for sending in your entry is April 30, 2013. The new deadline gives participants extra time to complete their entry form.
I2SL call for papers ends March 22nd
March 15, 2013 4:31 pm | News | CommentsThe 2013 I2SL Annual Conference call for abstracts is now open, and all members of the sustainable laboratory and high-tech facility community are encouraged to submit, whether a veteran presenter or new to the industry.
Super Bowl blackout shines spotlight on smart grid technologies
February 19, 2013 12:31 pm | News | CommentsThe 34-minute delay during Super Bowl XLVII was explained by energy provider Entergy New Orleans as the result of sensors detecting "an abnormality in the system." While they continue to investigate the root cause, the issue of reliable and efficient electrical technologies has reached the populace.
Surprising breakthrough could bolster lighting devices, solar cell efficiency
February 19, 2013 12:07 pm | News | CommentsScientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other laboratories have demonstrated a process whereby quantum dots can self-assemble at optimal locations in nanowires, a breakthrough that could improve solar cells and lighting devices.
The 10-Second Race: Better Eyewash Stations Reduce Injury
February 14, 2013 4:21 pm | by Imants Stiebris, BS, MBA and Steven H. Miller, CDT | Articles | CommentsChemical eye burns don't stop burning. Unlike an impact or abrasion, where damage is done in an instant, chemical burns keep on doing harm until the hazardous substance is removed from the eye. Minimizing injury is, therefore, a race against time. That's why the standard for eyewash stations1dictates that they must be accessible within 10 seconds of places where accidental exposure may be expected.
Five steps to successfully commissioning complex building types
February 8, 2013 11:53 am | by Jim Contratto | Articles | CommentsWhether it’s a new, greenfield hospital, renovation of an existing laboratory, or expansion of a manufacturing facility, complex building systems in complex building types are designed to perform at high levels. However, if not commissioned properly, the high-performing facility you thought was being built could be severely underperforming.
February 2013 Laboratory Design Newsletter Issue Milestones
February 8, 2013 10:39 am | News | CommentsAcentech Inc., Cambridge, Mass., has hired Jay Epstein, RCDD, ESS, as an information technology and security system designer in its systems design group. The company is a multidisciplinary acoustics, AV systems and information technology design and vibration consulting firm. Previously, Epstein was a senior technology systems consultant and project coordinator at Bard, Rao + Athanas, Watertown, Mass.
Technological innovation sets world PV record
January 23, 2013 8:56 am | News | CommentsA new solar cell developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo., represents a breakthrough in photovoltaic efficiency. The cell "outsmarts the solar spectrum" with a record 44% efficiency at 947 suns, and was recently recognized with a coveted R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine.
Public Health Ontario, Toronto Public Health Laboratory
January 23, 2013 8:46 am | News | CommentsProject consists of a fit-out of the top four floors of rentable space in the MaRS Centre Phase 2 Tower in downtown Toronto. The facility will allow the agency to accommodate modern testing platforms, and to improve capabilities for molecular diagnostic testing and research.
R&D funding forecast predicts Asia growth
January 8, 2013 3:09 pm | News | CommentsFirms involved in designing and building laboratory and science properties might be looking east in the next few years, if seeking growth markets. According to the 55th annual "R&D Funding Forecast," a joint project of R&D Magazine and Battelle, combined government and industrial R&D organizations of the U.S. and Europe will fail to even match their inflation rates.
Chemists say their technology will help building efficiency
January 8, 2013 2:56 pm | News | CommentsA new report by the International Council of Chemical Associations indicates that innovations in chemistry (particularly in the area of lower-carbon fuels) could lead to a 41% reduction in energy use and a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
NREL’s novel air conditioning design receives plaudits
December 18, 2012 12:44 pm | News | CommentsThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed DEVAP, a desiccant-enhanced evaporative cooling system. This novel idea, potentially representing a major breakthrough in air conditioning technology, has been honored with an R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine.
California proposition will mean big bucks for green retrofits
December 18, 2012 12:33 pm | News | CommentsAs part of the November elections, California voters passed Proposition 39, closing a tax loophole for out-of-state corporations and generating a projected $1.1 billion a year. Half the money has been earmarked for green upgrades to public buildings, including HVAC, windows, insulation, lighting, and other measures.
ASHRAE proposals focus on fixtures, chillers
December 18, 2012 12:15 pm | News | CommentsAn addendum to ASHRAE's green building standard would limit full-flush volume for all toilets to 1.28 gal per flush, and limit kitchen faucet capacity to 1.8 gal/min. ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.10, "Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings," covers toilets already, but the proposed addendum v would dictate the low-volume toilet standard rather than dual-flush toilets.
Awards recognize the best in sustainable labs
December 12, 2012 2:50 pm | Articles | CommentsI2SL, in partnership with R&D Magazine and Laboratory Design, is pleased to acknowledge the winners of the fifth annual Go Beyond Awards. Go Beyond Award winners show their commitment to the goals of excellence in sustainability in laboratory and other high-technology facility projects by going beyond the facility itself.
Web-based energy monitoring stretches research dollars
December 12, 2012 2:31 pm | by Tim Angerame | Articles | CommentsIn today's difficult economic climate, when financial savings are critical to every facility, laboratory owners and administrators demand even more from their energy systems while looking to spend less. With new laboratory facilities, generating ongoing energy savings can be achieved through a comprehensive monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) process to ensure that all building systems remain "in tune."
Abstracts highlight laboratory sustainability conference
December 12, 2012 2:06 pm | by Phil Wirdzek | Articles | CommentsIn 2012, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) continued to enrich and expand the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) Annual Conference, made possible through its co-sponsorship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Developing a standard structure for energy auditing using BIM at Penn State
December 12, 2012 2:00 pm | by Craig R. Dubler and Tabitha Sprau Coulter | Articles | CommentsWith buildings accounting for ~39% of total energy consumption, it is important that they be maintained to continuously operate efficiently. Pennsylvania State University has more than 1,780 buildings. During the 2011-12 school year, these buildings emitted ~550,000 MTCO2e, which is a 27.5% reduction from what the university anticipated had it not implemented its reduction strategy plan.
Reduce energy costs with standby laboratory exhaust fans
December 12, 2012 1:51 pm | by Victor Neuman | Articles | CommentsThe biggest user of energy in a laboratory is the HVAC system. Few techniques have been applied to saving energy and operating cost in the chemical exhaust portion of the air-conditioning system. The current practice is to have two chemical exhaust fans for each exhaust duct.
Laboratory Design Newsletter November/December Milestones
December 12, 2012 1:32 pm | News | CommentsTreanor Architects, P.A., Lawrence, Kan., has consolidated its offices. Perkins+Will has moved to a new office. The U.S. Dept . of Energy has appointed Ian LaHiff as its 2012-13 Building Energy Codes ASHRAE Fellow. Mithun, Seattle, and Daniel Solomon Design Partners, San Francisco, have merged.
Laboratory Design Newsletter Info Resources November/December
December 12, 2012 1:08 pm | News | CommentsLaboratory Design newsletter announces its new dedicated Website. Formerly a sub-site within its parent publication, R&D Magazine, the new site offers expanded, easier-to-navigate coverage of all aspects of laboratory design, engineering, planning, and construction, including news, feature articles, new products, projects, awards, educational events, and more.
Modular sustainability: A plan for the Marine Research and Education Center
December 12, 2012 12:07 pm | by Daniel Addis, Jensen Ying, and Eui Song "John" Kim | Articles | CommentsWhen considering the program for the proposed Salt River Bay Marine Research and Education Center on St. Croix, as part of the International Sustainable Laboratory Student Design Competition, we immediately encountered a few factors that directly relate to sustainability and carbon footprint.
Using BIM for BAM to create higher-performing buildings
December 12, 2012 11:56 am | by Renee Azerbegi, CEM, LEED-AP | Articles | CommentsAs we move toward carbon-neutral buildings by 2030, optimizing all aspects of energy usage, including the programs that we use to model building performance, will be key. Part of the answer to creating carbon neutral buildings will be the widespread adoption of building analytical modeling (BAM) to create higher-performing buildings using Building Information Modeling (BIM).
