CampbellReith was delighted to join Birkbeck Univeristy of London, contractor Overburry and other consultants on the 11th June to celebrate the completion of the main works to the new Electron Microscope Lab for the School of Biological Sciences.
CampbellReith was appointed in 2017 by Birkbeck University of London to provide structural engineering services for the refurbishment project, which involved structural works to the basement of an existing building, to provide the facility for a new state of the art electron microscope (EM).
Particular challenges of the project included the lack of structural information of the existing building and the strict requirements on loading, vibration and installation from the electron microscope’s manufacturer to ensure maximum performance. The works included searching through archive information, scoping site survey and opening up works, in order to collect sufficient information for the structural assessment and design for strengthening of the existing building. The EM specification was carefully reviewed with the manufacturer to ensure the design satisfied all the manufacturer’s requirements.
CampbellReith worked closely with the contractor during the construction period helping the project to be completed within just 14 weeks, ahead of the agreed delivery date for the electron microscope and its associated equipment. The laboratory will be fully operational for the beginning of the academic year in September.
At the gathering event on the 11th June, the client shared test samples produced by the new EM with the project team, which confirmed the necessary level of performance had been achieved. CampbellReith was fortunate to be part of this important project, which built a facility that will greatly help the scientists to further advance their research activities in the future.