Global Health Research Complex (Biocontainment Research Facility)

Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas

To address threats from emerging diseases, Texas A&M University developed the Global Health Research Complex. The $86 million, 102,000 SF state-of-the-art facility and core laboratory will serve as a system-wide resource. Merrick provided design review, commissioning services, and commissioning agent services for this new research, education and training facility that will support cutting edge diagnostic technologies, therapeutics, and prevention methods. This facility is designed to accommodate BSL-2, ABSL-2, BSL-3 and BSL-3Ag research for large to medium sized animals. The facility also houses an ACL-2 and ACL-3 insectary space to address mosquito and other vector borne diseases of high interest locally and globally.

Texas A&M selected Merrick to provide not only four multi-disciplinary reviews (POR, schematic design, final design, and contract documents), but to attend design meetings and provide guidance on biocontainment design development and systems approach. Merrick also provided review of the designer’s approach to static component, static room, and dynamic mock-ups. Merrick developed and utilized a design compliance matrix to APHIS/CDC biocontainment criteria that will be useful to CDC/APHIS select agent registration.

Commissioning activities included the develop of the commissioning plan that included roles, systems, certification requirements, test procedures, pressure decay testing and document reporting. Merrick drafted a dynamic report outline for final commissioning/certification documents intended for submission to CDC/APHIS for select agent registration. The team provided commissioning specifications for 65% design development contract documents for General Commissioning, Commissioning for certification/registration, Containment Boundary Integrity Leak Testing, Cx Document Control and Cx Reporting. As Cx Agent during construction, Merrick coordinated the Cx process including Cx meetings, issues and tracking resolutions and Merrick develop between 180 and 200 SOP- standard operating procedures (technical and scientific) for the facility.

Services

Commissioning; Design Review (architecture, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering); Commissioning Services; Commissioning Agent
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