The shell of Empa’s future laboratory building has reached completion after 15 months of construction. From summer 2024, it will provide space for 30 laboratories and offices on the new Dübendorf research site “co-operate” in the canton of Zurich, launched by Empa and the ETH’s water research institute Eawag. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 5 May 2021. The executing general contractor is Implenia Schweiz AG, while SAM Architekten from Zurich is responsible for planning.
Empa’s research activities pose a particular challenge with regards to construction: the building must be protected against vibrations to prevent the equipment being exposed to even the tiniest vibrations. The rattling of a tram or footsteps in the corridor could affect measurement results, explains Empa in a statement, so a suitable standard for light microscopes with up to 1000x magnification applies to all laboratory rooms above ground.
Even stricter requirements are necessary for the area in the basement, where the most sensitive equipment is installed. "That's the supertanker within our supertanker, as it were," said Kevin Olas, who is leading the project for Empa.
Following extensive measurements in summer 2018, the German structural dynamics specialists Heiland und Mistler gave the go-ahead for the project. According to their findings, the vibrations from nearby railways, the busy road and the future tram line are low enough for the building to be able to absorb them with sufficient mass and rigidity.
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