Constructing a highly serviced PC2 laboratory with complex authority connections and specialised laboratory environments.

SA Water Corporation engaged SHAPE to build their new Australian Water Quality Centre Laboratory in Melbourne, an industrial water testing facility supporting their operations in Victoria. After securing a contract with Yarra Valley Water, the SA Water team required more space for their growing team who would be moving over from their existing labs at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The PC2 laboratory required significantly complex services integrations and necessitated the team dealing directly with Authority Services (Electrical, Water, Sewer & Natural Gas), which proved challenging to plan as the time frames given by the authority were indicative, and included various stakeholders. This required constant follow up and communication with these authorities to get these services installed in time.

The final scope included the mezzanine floor, chemistry & biology labs, clean & dirty cool rooms, negative pressure PC2 rooms, safety showers & eyewash, five fume cupboards, authority services integration, chemical resistant joinery, staff meeting room & work station area, vinyl flooring throughout, new plant room & mechanical equipment, acid dosing unit, MilliQ unit (DI water), laboratory gases (Nitrogen, Helium, Natural Gas, Compressed Air, suction), UPS power, new comms room, BMS Controls & MFB 187.

With a wealth of experience working in PC2 labs, the team were able to effectively use the ECI period to provide value engineering advice to the design team and ensure there were no scope gaps, resulting in a smooth construction period.