Laboratory Design, Construction, and Implementation Guide - Nanjing Expansion Technology Co., Ltd.

Laboratory renovation differs significantly from ordinary building decoration. In addition to aesthetics, it must strictly adhere to three key principles: functionality, safety, and comfort. As the implementing body, the contractor must strictly follow the specifications and drawings, relying on scientific process control to fully ensure project quality. Nanjing Expansion Technology Co., Ltd. as Professionally engaged in laboratory design, laboratory construction, laboratory renovation, and laboratory remodeling, integrating various professional designs, renderings, construction drawings, and process floor plans. We can tailor-make designs according to user requirements. With years of industry experience, we provide users with professional services, reliable product quality, and considerate service. Below, we will outline the key steps from a construction perspective to provide a practical guide for laboratory construction.

I. Construction Preparation Stage: Pre-emptive Guarantee for Needs Implementation

(1) Multi-dimensional Needs Alignment

The construction team should conduct special discussions with the design team, the owner, and equipment suppliers. Through on-site surveys and distribution of functional questionnaires, the specific positioning of the laboratory should be clarified, such as whether it is a biosafety laboratory, a chemical testing laboratory, or other types. The following content should be emphasized:

• Functional Zoning Planning According to the experimental process, clearly divide the areas into clean areas, contaminated areas, equipment areas, etc., and clarify the isolation requirements between each area;
• Equipment Parameter Recording Record in detail the key data of large-scale instruments, such as size, load, and power consumption, and reserve installation interfaces in advance;
• Special Index Determination For example, constant temperature and humidity laboratories have strict requirements for temperature and humidity accuracy (generally ±0.5℃/±2% RH), and clean rooms need to clarify environmental parameters such as cleanliness level (e.g., ISO 5 level).

(2) On-site Inspection and Condition Confirmation

Arrange technical personnel to use professional tools to conduct comprehensive surveying and mapping of the site, focusing on checking these core elements:

• Building Structure Conditions Accurately confirm the specific location of load-bearing walls, clarify the load limit of the floor (for example, in areas where precision instruments are placed, the floor load needs ≥500kg/㎡), and measure the floor height and net height (to prevent conflicts during the installation of ventilation ducts later);
• Existing Facility Conditions For renovation projects, carefully check whether the existing water and electricity lines are safe and the corrosion resistance of the wall materials. Finally, form a "Site Condition Assessment Report" to effectively avoid rework risks. 。

(3) Design Drawing Compliance Audit

Refer to GB 50346 "Biosafety Laboratory Standards", GB 50016 "Building Fire Protection Standards", and other authoritative standards to focus on reviewing the design drawings:

• Process Reasonableness Review For example, check the distance between the fume hood and the experimental bench in the chemical laboratory to see if it meets the needs of daily operation flow;
• Material Compatibility Review Confirm whether the selection of floor materials is appropriate. For example, anti-static materials should be used in electronic laboratories, and acid-resistant and alkali-resistant materials should be used in chemical laboratories;
• Fire Safety Evacuation Compliance Review Check whether the width of the safety exits meets the standards, whether the layout of emergency lighting is reasonable, and whether it complies with relevant regulations. Then, form a "Drawing Review Record" and provide professional optimization suggestions. 。

II. Construction Implementation Stage: Standardized Operations for All Professions

(1) Demolition and Environmental Control for Renovation Projects

If it involves old laboratory renovation projects, advanced noise reduction and dust prevention technologies should be used:

• Zoning Construction Operations Set up strong, hard isolation barriers to physically separate the demolition area from the areas still in operation, preventing mutual interference;
• Environmental Protection Measures Use professional vacuum cleaners to collect dust generated during demolition (strictly control PM2.5 concentration to ≤50μg/m³), and classify the treatment of construction waste (such as concrete blocks) and hazardous waste (such as cabinets containing chemical residues) to avoid environmental pollution.

(2) Key Points of Infrastructure Construction

1. Building Decoration Engineering

• Floor Treatment Process Accurately select floor materials based on the different types of laboratories. Electronic laboratories are suitable for using anti-static raised floors (the system resistance usually requires 10⁶ - 10⁹Ω), while chemical laboratories need to use epoxy resin self-leveling floors (compressive strength ≥80MPa, with good acid and alkali corrosion resistance). Before construction, the base layer must be carefully leveled to ensure that the flatness error is ≤2mm/m;
• Wall and Ceiling Construction Walls and ceilings should use materials with fire and moisture-proof properties, such as Class A color-coated steel plates or environmentally friendly latex paint. The yin and yang corners should be rounded (radius R≥50mm) for easy daily cleaning. During ceiling construction, equipment inspection openings should be reserved as required, and their size is generally ≥600×600mm.

2. Electromechanical System Installation

• Water, Electricity, and Gas Layout Planning ：
  • Water Supply System Use PPR antibacterial pipes to ensure water quality safety; the drainage system should have an independent water trap to effectively prevent backflow of waste gas;
  • Electrical System Power electricity (generally used for High-power equipment (400V) and low-voltage control circuits (220V) must be installed in separate conduits. A dual-power switching device must be installed (switching time ≤ 0.1 seconds) to ensure stable power supply.
  • Gas Piping : Selection of 316L stainless steel gas piping. After welding, a strict airtightness test must be performed, and the pressure drop must be controlled to ≤0.05MPa/30min.
• Ventilation System Installation : The core equipment of the ventilation system is the fume hood and piping. Installation must strictly follow the design air volume. For example, the air exchange rate in a chemical laboratory usually requires ≥10 times/hour, and a variable air volume (VAV) valve must be installed for precise air volume control. The piping must use sound-absorbing and heat-insulating materials. After completion, the air speed must be tested to ensure that the main pipe air speed ≥8m/s, and the branch pipe air speed ≥5m/s.

(III) Functional Area Equipment Setup

1. Laboratory Bench Installation Standards

The laboratory bench body uses an all-steel structure (with epoxy resin spray coating) . The countertop is configured according to different functions. The chemical experiment area should use solid phenolic resin (can withstand 200℃ high temperature), and the biological experiment area is suitable for using stainless steel countertops (convenient for daily disinfection). The countertop height is designed according to ergonomics, generally 850±50mm, and an operating distance of ≥1.2m must be reserved.

2. Safety Facility Configuration Requirements

Within 10 meters of the laboratory bench, an emergency shower and eyewash must be installed (water pressure ≥0.2MPa). Two dry powder fire extinguishers (fire extinguishing level ≥3A) must be installed for every 50㎡ of area. The illuminance of emergency lighting must reach ≥10lx to ensure lighting needs in emergencies.

III. Acceptance and Delivery Stage: Full System Function Verification

(I) Equipment Interconnection and Debugging

Conduct comprehensive testing of the entire system with equipment suppliers:

• Water and Electricity System Test : Conduct a 24-hour water pressure test to ensure no leakage; full-load power-on for 48 hours, during which no tripping can occur.
• Ventilation System Test : Simulate the operation of the ventilation system under different conditions, including low, medium, and high air volumes, and test the exhaust efficiency to ensure that the concentration of harmful gases ≤ occupational exposure limit.
• Experiment Equipment Test : Carefully check the grounding resistance of the instruments (required ≤4Ω), and perform a leak test on the gas path connections, using professional methods such as helium mass spectrometry leak detection, to ensure qualification.

(II) Quality Acceptance and Rectification

Strictly follow national standards and conduct acceptance work in stages:

• Hidden Engineering Acceptance : For hidden engineering such as pipeline routing, photographic and video materials must be kept, and material inspection reports, such as floor anti-static performance test sheets, must be properly preserved.
• Functional Index Acceptance : For different types of laboratories, test the corresponding functional indicators. For example, chemical laboratories should test whether the air exchange rate reaches the design value, and clean rooms should test whether the dust particle count meets ISO grade standards.
• Safety Facility Acceptance : Test the response time of the sprinkler system (required ≤1 second startup), and check the fire alarm linkage (the fan should switch to emergency mode within 10 seconds). For problems found during acceptance, rectification must be carried out promptly. After rectification, re-inspection must be carried out until 100% qualified.

(III) Clean Delivery and Document Archiving

• Environmental Cleaning Work : Thoroughly remove construction waste, wipe the countertop with deionized water, and perform 4 hours of ultraviolet disinfection (sterilization rate ≥99%), creating a clean laboratory environment.
• Material Exchange Process : Provide the owner with complete as-built drawings, equipment operation manuals, and inspection reports (such as lightning protection grounding resistance test report, required ≤1Ω) and other materials to complete the dual delivery of on-site objects and document materials.

Laboratory construction is a technology-intensive project. The contractor must adhere to the principle of "safety first, function-based". From requirement implementation to final delivery and acceptance, each stage must strictly follow relevant regulations. It is recommended to choose a professional team with both building decoration and electromechanical installation qualifications, and create a high-quality laboratory environment that fully meets scientific research needs through refined process control.

*The above content is for reference only. Specific construction plans need to be customized according to the actual on-site situation.