Cutting edge construction at the home of innovationadmin2019-01-29T10:17:18+01:00 Cutting edge construction at the home of innovationNew methods of cooperation, advanced technical solutions and user immersion with virtual reality. Construction of the new Building 310 at the Technical University of Denmark – DTU is groundbreaking in several ways. Artelia has a history of being co-creator in building the Technical University of Denmark. One of the most recent ventures is Building 310. At around 9,300 m2, it will be a large research centre and a laboratory unit for DTU Energy and 3D Imaging Center. A breakthrough in the value chain The project was procured through competi-tive dialogue, where all stakeholders were involved from an early stage and negotia-tions on the type of construction were held throughout. The idea is to draw both the con-tractor’s and consultant’s skills into the design phase. This can be a great advantage for complex constructions, such as Building 310, which has many interfaces and technically complicated solutions, says project leader Peder Schiønning: “The team clarified the interfaces and solutions at an early stage in the process. As engineers, we have been able to present technical re- quirements and propose solutions, whilst the entrepreneur has been able to offer input using their detailed expertise. For example, this can cover the contractor’s preferred choice of fire dampers, steel stairwell or external façades.” Peder SchiønningProject ManagerLaboratories & Health5D and virtual reality A great deal of the cooperation takes place in the digital world. The BIM models contain large amounts of information and, as such, we are dealing with a 5D project, where time and economy represent the other two dimen-sions outside standard 3D geometry. The models are utilised for pricing, quantity extraction and scheduling. As Peder Schiøn-ning puts it: “Our approach is to integrate all informations in the model.” User input is also relevant. The team has used virtual reality, allowing future users to evaluate the interior design of the rooms from an early stage. This can be a huge advantage, since it can be relatively challenging to move a simple sink or gas outlet in a building full of instal-lations, numerous connections and highly desirable wall space. Vibration requirements and temperature stability The 3D Imaging Center is one of the new user groups and it demands certain technical requirements. The research uses x-ray and neutron cannons to illuminate different surfaces. Take a windmill blade, which has withstood wind and weather conditions outdoors. With 3D imaging, it is possible to look at how the material behaves at nano-level. For this to be effective, there cannot be the slightest hint of vibration in the rooms. To meet these high demands for vibration (com-pliance with VC-D), the structural engineers have designed powerful machinery bases with unique structures, not in contact with other structural elements and thus completely independent from the overall building. At the same time, climate conditions must also be kept very stable, so as not to affect the objects during experimentation. Therefore, the installation team has designed a highly advanced ventilation system, which can recir-culate, dehumidify and regulate the tempera-ture in two stages via hot and cold surfaces in order to obtain the desired air supply. This takes place in combination with cooling limits and extractor vents to provide the correct dis-tribution across the room. Radiation also requires the right safety measures This includes both shields and special installation ducts into the rooms, so that the ventilation canals do not become a weak point in the construction. 30 different gasses Another large user group is DTU Energy, which researches energy conversion methods, such as fuel cells. This involves all types of gasses, including flammable and poisonous ones, which must be treated with the highest level of precision and caution in the design phase. “Just keeping track of 30 differ-ent types of gas is something of a challenge to the installa-tions. Especially since many of the gasses need to be treated differently. Several gasses also need to be disposed of in a special way, using ventilation systems and direct extraction, whilst taking the tightly-knit DTU campus into consideration. On top of this, our electri-cal engineers have developed a special gas alarm system, which alerts users and shuts down the systems as soon as it detects just a few gas molecules,” explains Peder Schiønning.
