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Photographs of the lab rebuilding process

On Memorial Day, 2007, the cosmogenic nuclide lab was severely damaged by an electrical fire. Redesign started shortly after. Rebuilding began in December, 2007 with demolition and encapsulation of the soot-covered walls. Construction concluded by mid-June 2008 and commissioning began shortly after. In October 2008, we received a Certificate of Occupancy and began moving back into the lab and ordering all new equipment in preparation for redeveloping methods compatible with the new space. By October 2009, we had redeveloped, tested and proofed all of our methods and were again running samples.

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The view from the production lab toward the entry after encapsulation and before walls went up. 1/28/08.

The meteoric lab and write up area before the walls went up. The drain stub in the floor is for the sink in the write up area. 1/28/08

The shell of the rebuilt production lab with bales of insulation in room. 2/5/08

Instead of boron-containing fiberglass, we are insulating with mineral wool. 2/5/08

The write up area. 2/5/08

The meteoric extraction lab. 2/5/08

Mineral wool insulation installed in the now roughed-in high level lab. Automatic door headers installed. 2/12/08

Looking toward the write-up area, one can see the electrical rough-in as it nears completion. 2/12/08

Luke examines clean-wrapped supply ducts ready for installation in the production lab. 2/19/08

Trunk lines for the clean air supply installed in the production lab. Note non-fiberglass insulation. 2/19/08

The lab construction zone is isolated and kept at lower pressure than the building to prevent fumes from escaping. 3/7/08

Wall blocking has been installed to support Millipore polishing units equipped with Boron-specific resins. 3/7/08

Crane lifting structural steel support for the lab air handler onto the roof.
3/11/08 (photo by Steve Rowe).

The structural steel support for the wall in mid-air as it is carried to the roof.
3/11/08 (photo by Steve Rowe).

Air handler structural steel support being placed onto the roof by the crane.
3/11/08 (photo by Steve Rowe).

Installation of new stainless steel exhaust ductwork on the roof of Delehanty Hall.
3/11/08 (photo by Steve Rowe).

Electrical rough in (check out all the conduit) is now complete and the inspector has signed off. 3/14/08.

Most penetrations have now been sealed with fire-stopping material that also served to aid lab pressurization. 3/14/08.

Internet and telephone cables have been pulled into the lab an are ready for installation. 3/14/08.

Plumbing rough in is just about done with fus-seal acid resistant waste pipes and HPDE DI supply lines visible. 3/14/08.

Clean-room wall panels, sealed in plastic to keep them clean, stacked in production lab space awaiting installation. 3/14/08.

Up on the roof, new steel going in to support the new air handler while the doghouse is reused for heating coils. 3/14/08.

The building deionized water piping has now been roughed in to all the fume hoods and sinks in the lab. 3/17/2008.

This plywood blocking has been installed on the face of the studs so that clean-room wall panels can be screwed down. 3/17/2008.

Here is the first aluminum clean-room wall panel ready to be cut prior to installation. 3/17/2008.

First few clean-room wall panels going up in production lab. To right is Steve Rowe, the man who makes this happen. 3/19/2008.

Here's a view from the write up area with its panels now installed to the production lab. 3/19/2008.

This is some of the teflon coated stainless duct work on the roof of Delehanty Hall. 3/19/2008.

Clean-room wall panels are up in most of the lab, extending from floor to deck above. Green panel for the high-level lab. 3/21/08.

Blue clean-room panels indicate that this is the production lab where the acid hood will sit. 3/21/08.

Looking toward the vestibule with white clean-room panels in the production lab. 3/21/08.

The panels on the inside of the write-up area are finished now; the lab viewing window remains open. 3/21/08.

The soffits that will encase the hood ducting are now going up along with the ceiling grid. 4/1/08

Here is a close-up view of the soffit and ceiling grid over the site where the column hood will soon sit. 4/1/08

This is the area where the lab coats and goggles will hang at the lab entrance. The write up area is just beyond. 4/1/08

The automatic lab doors have now been installed. View toward the production lab from the vestibule. 4/1/08

Here's the new floor drain in the vestibule looking toward production lab. Let's hope it catches any leaks! 4/1/08

The ever-present HEPA vacuum is positioned in the lab coat hanging area. 4/1/08

These are the ceiling grids and the foam insulated ducts in the write-up area. 4/4/08

Plumbing work following installation of wall panels in the high-level lab. 4/4/08

Stainless exhaust ducting on the west side of Delehanty Hall running past the dog house. 4/7/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

Drain pipes stubbed out through the northern wall of the production lab. 4/7/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

TFI hood bases as well as wooden base cabinets ready for installation in production lab. 4/8/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

Bases for the TFI hoods sitting in the production lab space just after delivery. 4/9/08 (photo by Jen Larsen)

Tops of two TFI hoods in the production lab in front of the write up area. 4/9/08 (photo by Jen Larsen)

Cabinets are being set in the production lab with hoods now installed. 4/10/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

TFI hoods in the corner of the production lab. Drain stubs in foreground are for peninsula sink. 4/10/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

TFI hood in the high-level lab ready to be plumbed with base cabinets nearby. 4/10/08 (photo by Steve Rowe)

The base cabinets installed on the western wall, now waiting for a counter. 4/11/08

View over the peninsula cabinets toward low-level hood which is being plumbed. 4/11/08

View of the low-level hood and its air intake as well as gauges and flow alarm. Soffit fit to hood top, 4/15/2008.

Looking north toward the washing, column, and acid hoods with peninsula in foreground. 4/15/2008.

HVAC installed in the write up area with Armorflex (fiberglass free) duct insulation. 4/15/2008.

Ceiling grid in vestibule showing electrical conduit, tel-com cables, and sprinkler mains. 4/15/2008.

View into the production lab from the vestibule showing column and acid hoods. 4/15/2008.

View west into the write up are before cabinets have been set and ceiling tiles installed. 4/15/2008.

Looking east over the peninsula toward the washing and low-level hoods. DI water feed for Millipore on wall. 4/30/2008.

Acid storage cabinet on the west wall adjacent to the acid digestion hood. 4/30/2008.

Lights, insulated HVAC ducts, smoke sensor, a few tiles, and sprinkler in the write-up area. 4/30/2008.

Looking north toward the acid and column hoods with the island in the foreground. 4/30/2008.

Looking southwest in the meteoric lab. Glassed ultrasound cabinet is next to the fume hood. 4/30/2008.

Vestibule sink with foot pedals and view northeast toward the production lab. 4/30/2008.

View south toward the write up area from the production lab. Ceiling tiles are stacked ready to install. 4/30/2008.

Mike Stevens, UVM Project Manager, looks south over island in production lab. 4/30/2008.

Matt Jungers (barista-extraordinaire) in the nearly completed write-up area plays the air-espresso machine. 5/01/2008.

Matt Jungers at the island in the production lab thinking about running one more sample. 5/01/2008.

View southeast in production lab. Ceiling, lights, and electrical fittings all now in place. 5/01/2008.

Looking south toward production lab exit with lights and ceiling in place. It's almost done! 5/01/2008.

Here is the main exhaust for rest of Delehanty Hall traversing the wall on its way to the exhaust fans. 05/05/08.

The exhaust system is nearing completion on the roof with the final installation of stainless pipe. This is the scrubber. 05/05/08.

Mike and Steve are discussing the fine points of cabinet work as the counter tops are installed. 05/06/08.

This air handler came a long way on its own truck. All the way from Oregon and now ready to be lifted. 05/07/08.

Here's a side view of the rigging after installation and before lifting. 05/07/08.

The air handler is now starting its journey to the top of Delehanty Hall. 05/07/08.

Rigging the air handler took quite a while before it was lifted off the truck by the crane. 05/07/08.

Here's the view from the parking lot on a perfect day to lift a very heavy object. 05/07/08.

This is the view from below as the air handler reaches roof level. 05/07/08.

The crane is gently lowering many tons of air handler onto the roof. 05/07/08.

This is our first view of the air handler on the roof as it moves over the structural steel rack. 05/07/08.

Watch those fingers...guiding the air handler into place onto the rooftop steel supports. 05/07/08.

Here is the air handler for the lab being nudged into place on the roof. 05/07/08.

The air handler is now resting on the steel support on Delehanty Hall's roof. 05/07/08.

This the new steam humidifier up in the penthouse is being installed and is in the way. 05/07/08.

It's early morning and the crane is appearing on site to carry air handler to the roof. 5/7/2008.

View from the top of the Delehanty penthouse to the lab exhaust ducting. 5/7/2008.

View beyond the lab exhaust ducting to the parking lot below and the air handler. 5/7/2008.

Air handler in the air on its way to the roof of Delehanty Hall. 5/7/2008.

Air hander aiming for the structural steel supports. 5/7/2008.

Air handler coming in over the roof and almost set down on the structural steel supports. 5/7/2008.

This is the high-level lab after a little countertop magic to give us more space in front of the hood. 05/07/08.

This is the high-level lab with the countertops in. 05/07/08.

There is the island between the washing hood and the low-level hood. 05/07/08.

More counters and lights have gone in. The view southeast toward the production lab exit. 05/07/08.

The counters are in! View south from production lab into the write up area. 05/07/08.

Flooring in progress in the production laboratory, looking north. Note coving to contain any spills. 5/14/2008.

Flooring with contrasting hazard zone in front of the acid hood in the production lab. 5/14/2008.

Looking south in the production lab toward the exit with low-level hood to the left. 5/14/2008.

Roof work. Here is Aaron doing the roughing in heat and chilled water to the new Cleanpak air handler. 5/16/2008.

View north in the production lab showing the acid hood and the island as well as the peninsula. 5/20/2008.

View east showing the washing up hood and the low-level hood as well as the peninsula in the production lab. 5/20/2008.

Looking south over the peninsula and toward the exit of the production lab. 5/20/2008.

Looking west across the production lab and over the island. 5/20/2008.

View of the southeast side of the production lab and the low level hood. 5/20/2008.

View from the write up area out the window and into the production lab. 5/20/2008.

View from the write up area into the production lab. 5/20/2008.

View from the write up area into the vestibule. 5/20/2008.

View from the write up area into the production lab. 5/20/2008.

View from the write up area into the high-level lab. 5/20/2008.

View west down the third floor hall. The construction wall is gone and the lab doors are visible! 5/23/2008.

The light has returned! The new window has been installed and soon we'll have our lunch table back. 5/23/2008

Jennifer admiring the new doors into the cosmogenic nuclide lab suite and vestibule. 5/23/2008