HVAC ductwork installed in world-class nanotechnology research centre

The new building will house the School of Electronics and Computer Science and the Optoelectronics Research Centre and is equipped for work in bio-electronics, nano technology, lasers and silicon fabrication.

Research and engineering at the sub-atomic level demands cleanrooms with exceptional air purity and environmental control. Enclosed workstations – known as ‘tools’ – for sub-atomic research and engineering, are located within the cleanrooms.

Within a contract worth more than £1.5m (€1.9m), Hargreaves has been responsible for the major air supply and extract ductwork systems. This included make-up air systems fabricated to DW144, thermal extract and stainless solvent extract ductwork from the ‘tools’ within the cleanrooms and fresh air and exhaust ventilation ductwork for laboratories, seminar rooms, offices and toilets.

The cleanrooms are suspended between the structural floors with accessible service voids above and below. Air is drawn through grilles in the cleanroom floor into the floor void and rises through a room wall cavity. Here it is mixed with pre-filtered and tempered air from the make-up air system before being drawn through cooling coils into the sealed ceiling voids. It is then introduced into the cleanrooms via ceiling-mounted fan-assisted HEPA filters. All extract from the cleanrooms is through the ‘tools’. Control systems monitor temperature, pressure and humidity to keep these factors constant.

HVAC ductwork construction is in fully flanged and heavy gauge galvanised and stainless steel. Extreme care was taken to preserve the hygienic integrity of the input air ductwork during the installation.

Bovis Lend Lease acted as the principal contractor for the project and installed the make up air units. Environmental and process ventilation system design was via consulting engineers CH2M Hill, who were also the overall design consultants on the project. The cleanroom was built by CH2M Hill IDC Clean Rooms.