The University of Iowa worked with Ryan Companies to develop a new building on their Oakdale Campus to house a Biomedical research lab incubator. This building provides biomedical researchers with a class A laboratory facility to develop their projects into viable consumer products. The building also provides a three-story spec lab building available for lease to established companies.
The building structure was designed to accommodate a lab environment. KJWW established a floor vibration criteria that would be acceptable for research lab equipment. There are many pieces of lab equipment that are sensitive to floor vibrations caused by occupants walking in the room. KJWW analyzed the floor vibrations of our structural design to ensure that the steel structure would perform to the lab environment expectations.
To provide a versatile lab space which could accommodate many different research and lab functions, KJWW selected a structural steel framing system using a composite metal deck floor system. This structural system helped the project achieve three of the primary project goals: provide an economical structural system that could be built at an accelerated project delivery schedule; provide future versatility; and maintain control of the potential for floor vibrations.
The original project schedule required that the structural steel be delivered to the site two months after the design was completed. This schedule required that the steel fabricator be brought on to the project team before the final design was completed. An interview and bid process lead to the selection of LeJeune Steel Company of Minneapolis, MN to act as the steel fabricator. The fabricator needed to have an immediate start on the steel acquisition and shop drawing process. KJWW then used an integrated steel delivery process to provide LeJeune with a 3D structural model as soon as the project documents were completed. This allowed the fabricator to save four weeks off the project delivery process.
KJWW also worked closely with the fabricator to develop connection detailing that would reduce fabrication and erection costs.