Elevating Laboratory Design: Insights on Customizing and Maintaining Elevator Systems for Research Facilities
Steve Robertson
Steve Robertson recently joined vertical transportation consulting services company ATIS, coming on board with 38 years of experience in all facets of the elevator industry, including design, manufacturing, sales, installation, maintenance, and modernization of equipment. With 10 years of elevator consulting experience, Steve specializes in working with architects and engineers on new construction and building renovation projects. He holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.
Lab Design News spoke to Steve about his background in the elevator industry, his advice on adhering to safety regulations, and the reasons why elevators in research facilities may differ from business and residential building elevators.
Q: What is your background in elevator installation and maintenance in laboratory or science/tech environments?
A: ATIS has over 300 employees with a wealth of knowledge in the elevator industry. I’ve had 38 years of experience in the elevator industry; designing several hospitals with custom sized service and freight elevators for the material movement and vivarium areas. Projects include Grady Cass in Atlanta, GA; NIH in Bethesda, MD; Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD; UPMC in Pittsburgh; and UVA in Charlottesville, VA. As a subcontractor my experience includes multiple hospitals and a semiconductor cleanroom facility.
Q: What are the key differences between installing elevators in standard buildings versus specialized facilities like laboratories or life science buildings?
A: As design professionals, we’ll coordinate with the owner and architect to understand the requirements and operations of the specific laboratory building. We consider all the employee and visitor requirements, day-to-day operation processes and material movement, laboratory equipment that needs to be installed and replaced, building maintenance requirements, and process times. We’ll perform a traffic analysis to recommend the elevator equipment to meet the needs of the entire operation.
Q: How do you ensure that elevator systems comply with safety regulations and industry standards, particularly in a laboratory setting?
A: [We] will produce comprehensive specifications for each group of elevators in the building, based on all of the current codes and design guidelines. We will also review elevator approval drawings for compliance to the specifications and regulations. During the installation process we’ll conduct site visit to ensure that the elevator being installed per the requirements.
Q: Can you explain the maintenance procedures you follow for elevator systems in high-tech facilities?
A: [We] will produce an Elevator Maintenance Agreement in conjunction with the owner for process and procedures that need to be followed. The elevator maintenance company’s mechanics that are servicing the equipment will need to be trained for proper access to the equipment. The building maintenance staff will also understand their responsibilities.
Q: What types of elevator systems are most suitable for laboratory environments and why?
A: This will vary depending on the requirements and size of the facility. Typically, a combination of passenger, service elevators, and freight elevators would be utilized. Elevator manufacturers that provide non-proprietary and customizable equipment should be selected for the greatest design flexibility.
Q: Are there vibration concerns when installing an elevator in a lab building?
A: Steps can be followed to mitigate the elevator equipment vibrations being transferred to the building structure. Installation of elevator equipment in an existing facility can be a disruptive activity, and schedules and work methods would need to be address in the design process and incorporated into the contract documents.
Q: Are there concerns about lab downtime or research stoppage/interference when performing maintenance on an elevator system?
A: Redundancy should be considered when designing new buildings and elevator systems. Maintenance agreements need to be drafted so that preventive maintenance is performed on a regular basis, and service calls are answered within a specified time period. Elevator manufacturers that provide non-proprietary controllers and equipment should be selected to enable maintenance by any reputable service provider.
Q: If a new laboratory facility is being built or if a current lab is being renovated, how early in the process are you involved in order to ensure an efficient elevator system?
A: We should be involved at the very onset of building design to help choose and layout the elevator equipment.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: Consideration should be given to elevator clean down as necessary based on the locations in the building. NEMA 4 water resistant elevator components can be specified.
