Noise and Vibration

Noise and vibration are essential environmental conditions that must be monitored in laboratory design. Professional laboratory construction should be situated far from factories with noise and vibration and generally should not be scheduled for construction on a regular basis. This is because the strong vibrations caused by passing heavy trucks on the street can impact the foundation of the laboratory building, affecting the testing environment. The ambient noise level in laboratories is typically required to be below 65 dB. For laboratories with special requirements, such as those measuring the noise levels of household appliances, the environmental noise level should not exceed 40 decibels. The street noise directly adds 20 to 30 decibels, making it difficult to meet the strict environmental noise requirements of the laboratory. Designers must consider this factor carefully when planning the functionality of the laboratory.

2. Building Load Design

Before designing a laboratory, the various functional areas should be planned and designed with a forward-thinking approach, taking into account the ground load. For example, heavy, oversized, and tall testing equipment, such as refrigeration units and large environmental test chambers, should be placed below the laboratory. Due to limited space at the bottom of the laboratory or special needs between functions, heavy equipment must be placed on the upper levels. Before constructing the laboratory, it is essential to consider the ground's load-bearing capacity, construction must be carried out as required, and a load margin should be left to avoid future renovation issues. This is one of the reasons why laboratory design should precede civil engineering construction.

3. Instrument Installation and Area

Prior to constructing the laboratory, designers must determine the placement of equipment based on the laboratory's workflow, plan the locations of power and water supply interfaces. The reasonable area required for each zone should be determined by the number and configuration of the equipment. Therefore, the equipment procurement bidding process must be completed before laboratory design and construction, ensuring accurate equipment placement, space-saving, and achieving a safe and aesthetically pleasing outcome.