NIH Design Requirements Manual
Section 2.4
Nov 28, 2012
Section 2.4
Animal Research Facility Design
2.4.0 General
This section outlines requirements for the design phase of an animal research facility project. Refer to Room Data Sheets and discipline specific chapters of the DRM for additional information. For general design parameters, reference Section 2.2 (link). For ARF specific requirements, abide by this section.
2.4.1 Design Requirements
Design of an animal research facility must address organizational, operational and infrastructure issues. Organizational issues that affect the design include:
· Functional zoning of primary components including administrative areas, animal holding and procedure areas, vivarium support areas, logistical support areas and building support areas.
· Interrelationship of functional components within each zone
· Relationship of the ARF to other building functions
· Blocking and stacking of program elements
Operational issues that affect the design include:
· Circulation of visitors, staff, materials, animals and waste among different functional zones
· Workflow
· Standard operating procedures for personnel gowning and cage processing, and contamination control
· Equipment through-put
· Logistical support
· Security
· Occupational safety
Infrastructure issues that affect the design include:
· Capacities, location and size of primary utility systems
· Utility distribution methodology
· Maintenance access methodology
Conceptual design alternatives must address the proposed approach to each of these issues in order to confirm validity and allow for comparative analysis.
2.4.2 Modular Design
Animal facilities encompass a variety of fundamentally different space types that may not conform to modular design. Nevertheless, significant portions of the facility comprised of holding and procedure areas can be organized in a modular pattern. Since many facilities are located in laboratory buildings, the animal facility module must often be reconciled with the structural grid established for laboratory modules on other floors. . The modular design and structural grid should work together to the greatest extent possible. The planning team shall develop alternatives for typical modular holding and procedure rooms illustrating possible caging and equipment layouts for multiple species. Alternatives shall illustrate all items present in the room, including hand wash sink, carts, feed bins, animal change equipment, etc. When holding rooms are required to accommodate fixed or mobile large animal cages that require in-place cleaning, hose station, floor slopes and drains shall also be shown. Alternative modules shall be evaluated based on flexibility, housing density, and ergonomics.
2.4.3 Materials and Finishes
This section applies to all areas of the animal facility except administrative offices.
a) General Detailing: Surfaces, joints, casework, equipment, exposed mechanical and electrical devices, and other elements within animal facilities shall be constructed of smooth, impervious, easily sanitized materials and configured without recessed areas and voids that are difficult to access for cleaning and pest control.
b) Penetrations and Sealants: All penetrations into and through partitions, floors and ceilings shall be sealed to enhance sanitation. Piping, ductwork, electrical boxes and other penetrating items shall be firmly anchored to resist excessive movement that could damage seals. Seams between walls, floors and ceilings, and between all dissimilar materials shall be fully sealed. Partitions tops shall be sealed to exclude pest infestation. Sealant at movement joints shall be applied after installation of high performance finishes to resist cracking. Sealants shall comply with the NIH Sealant Table, Exhibit X4-2-A. <LINK>.
c) Partitions: Partitions shall provide suitable substrates for application of high performance finishes. Large animal holding facilities shall be constructed of masonry, seamless FRP panels, or other impact, hose spray and chemical resistant system. Special consideration for reinforcing wall finishes is required in rooms where walls form a portion of the animal pens. Small animal holding facilities may be constructed of abuse and water-resistant gypsum wallboard provided that rails are used for protection.
d) Wall Protection: Corridors, cage wash areas, and other spaces that are subject to contact with mobile caging, racks and equipment shall be protected by crash rails and corner guards.
e) Ceilings: Ceilings shall be constructed of water resistant and seamless material such as water resistant gypsum wallboard, seamless FRP panels, or other system. Access panels, if required, shall be fully gasketed around the entire perimeter, and constructed of stainless steel. If access requirements warrant the use of a panelized system, a fully gasketed FRP suspended panel system may be used. The system shall be designed with hold-down clips that compress the gasket around the entire perimeter and allow for panel removal and reinstallation without damaging components.
f) Floors: Floors shall be monolithic with integral coved base (6” minimum height), chemical resistant and impervious to water. Flooring finishes shall be extended wall-to-wall under equipment and casework systems. Floors in all areas equipped with hose stations shall be positively sloped to drains (1/8” per foot minimum). Floor slopes shall be coordinated with door sills to prevent uneven threshold conditions. Greater slopes of 1/4" per foot should be considered in large animal holding areas to facilitate cleaning and prevent ponding. Floors shall be skid resistant without excessive abrasiveness that damages mops and resists sanitation.
g) Finishes: All finishes shall be seamless, impervious, smooth, easily sanitized and resistant to degradation from chemicals, disinfectants and decontaminants used within the animal facility.
h) Doors: Doors that serve areas of cage and rack transport shall be 42”W x 90” H (minimum). In large animal facilities, minimum door size shall be 48”W x 90”H. Door sizes shall be reviewed with facility managers to ensure coordination with proposed caging systems. Doors shall be solid or foam filled and constructed of fully sealed FRP with stainless steel frames. Jamb guards shall be provided in doors that serve areas of cage transport. Doors serving high-use caging transport areas such as cage wash, cage storage, and selected corridors should be equipped with automatic openers to facilitate operations and reduce impact damage. Paddle or proximity type switches are often more practical than sensors as they limit incidental operation in busy areas Animal holding room doors shall be tight fitting with Bristol type sweeps to inhibit pests and contain escaped animals. Animal holding room doors shall be equipped with view windows to allow for observation without entry, and latching shutters to obscure the view window and maintain diurnal lighting conditions. In small animal facilities, translucent red film that limits transmission of the spectrum visible to rodents may be substituted for window shutters if allowed by the veterinarian.
i) Casework: Wall-mounted cantilevered counter tops or movable tables and mobile base cabinets shall be provided to enhance flexibility, sanitation and pest control. Countertops and shelving shall be constructed of materials that are smooth, impervious to water and resistant to degradation from harsh chemicals used for sanitation and decontamination such as epoxy, stainless steel or phenolic impregnated panels.
2.4.4 Security
See General Design Guidelines, Section????: Security, for general design guidance. The security strategy shall safeguard research animals, staff, equipment, and data. A layered approach is required with increasingly restrictive levels.
· At NIH owned or leased facilities, the first level of security may be the campus or site, which may be open to the public or have controlled access depending on the location.
· The second level of security is the building. Access to the building must be managed. Air intakes and central utilities must also be secured.
· The third level of security is access to the animal research facility within the building. Access to the administrative area is typically required for facility staff, maintenance personnel, vendors and visitors. The administrative area should function as a gatekeeper to other areas of the animal research facility. Deliveries may also go directly to the loading dock, which also requires secure access.
· The fourth level of security is into the animal facility barrier from the personnel support/administrative zone or the loading dock/logistics zone.
· Finally, individual spaces within the barrier often require secure access. These typically consists of animal holding rooms, special use suites, hazardous areas (irradiator rooms, biocontainment zones, pharmacies, etc.) and areas housing specialized equipment.
2.4.5 Design Considerations
2.4.5.1 Animal Holding Rooms
a) Caging and Equipment Coordination: A minimum 36” wide aisle shall be provided between racks or cages from the rear of the room for emergency egress; however, wider aisles may be necessary for cage change equipment, or to provide proper safety clearances when housing more hazardous species such as non-human primates. In large animal holding rooms, gated aisles can be used to create socialization and exercise areas. When double-sided cage racks are used, sufficient space must be provided in secondary aisles between racks to ensure uniform lighting to each cage and allow caretakers to access and observe each cage. 30” minimum is recommended.
High-density caging systems are available that eliminate aisle space between racks by utilizing carousel or library style caretaker access. Caging systems must be evaluated by the planning team on a case by case basis to ensure that the overall room ergonomics and environmental parameters are acceptable.
Free-standing cage racks are often mobile, ventilated units with either self contained blowers or manifolds designed for connection to the house HVAC system. The layout of ventilated racks must be coordinated with electrical and HVAC utility services. Ceiling mounted exhaust drops shall be stainless steel. Electrical outlets provided for rack blowers shall be mounted above 6’-8”, or in the ceiling. Both ventilated cage racks and static cage racks using micro-isolator caging typically require the use of laminar flow change stations to keep animals clean during cage change-out. Room layout must account for this equipment, which may be either fixed or mobile depending on the system employed.
b) Lighting: The lighting layout shall provide even illumination to animal cages. Lighting fixtures shall be sealed and caulked to prevent vermin pathways. If surface-mounted lighting fixtures are used, they shall be sufficiently high to clear caging, including top mounted rack motors. Fixtures in rooms equipped with hose stations shall be suitable for wet locations, and direct hose spray. Finishes shall be compatible with sanitation and decontamination methods designated by SOP. Discussions shall be held with the veterinarian and researchers regarding the required light spectrum. Red lighting may also be required to allow investigators to work during simulated night time conditions.
Controllable diurnal lighting cycles are required in all animal holding rooms to simulate natural photoperiods. Intensity levels vary by species, but low ambient levels with timed overrides for a higher level during periods of caretaker and investigator activity are typical. Whenever possible, lighting shall be centrally controlled with capability for individual programming for each room.
c) Environmental Monitoring and Control: Animal rooms shall be equipped with individual temperature control. Depending on research requirements, individual or zoned humidity control may also be required. Centrally controlled systems are preferred. Monitoring is required for temperature, humidity, lighting, and airflow.
d) Plumbing: All small animal holding rooms shall be equipped with hand wash sinks. Hands free operation should be considered. Large animal rooms are not required to have a sink; however; a sink must be located nearby and wherever SOPs require gloves to be changed or removed. Large animal holding and aquatic holding rooms shall be provided with drains. Small animal cage racks are not hosed down, so drains should be avoided; however, users should be consulted to verify if drains are desired for future flexibility. When drains are provided, consideration should be given to appropriate size of drain lines, maintenance of traps, strainers, drain caps, flush systems, and floor slopes.
e) Animal Watering: The type of animal watering system shall be determined during programming (automatic or bottled). If automated watering is not desired at the onset, consideration should be given to possible future needs. Consideration should also be given to the quality of water required. In some situations, purified water such as reverse osmosis (RO) may be required. In many cases there is an additional requirement for the treatment of automated animal drinking water prior to distribution (i.e., chlorination, acidification, or neutralization). Remote monitoring of the water treatment process is required. Design of automated drinking water systems must be closely coordinated with specific manufacturer requirements.
2.4.5.2 Procedure Rooms
General use procedure rooms should be designed utilizing the same modular size, finishes and general layout as animal holding rooms to allow for flexible conversion to animal holding. Consideration should be given to utilizing movable tables in lieu of fixed casework for most procedure room countertops to enhance flexibility.
2.4.5.3 Cage Wash Area
Cage processing typically includes break-down of caging components, soiled bedding disposal, cage and rack pre-treatment, auto-watering manifold flush, automated wash in tunnel and/or rack washers, drying, bedding dispensing, bottle filling, caging reassembly, bedding dispensing and, when required, sterilization of clean caging.
Cage wash areas shall be subdivided into separate clean and dirty rooms to facilitate cage processing workflow and contamination control. Cage wash room doors shall be equipped with automatic operators to facilitate cage and rack transport. Eyewash and drench shower shall be provided in both the clean and dirty cage wash areas.
Cage wash area partitions and finishes shall be designed to withstand impact from cage racks, loaded carts, and direct hose spray. Masonry or FRP construction is recommended. Floors are often wet, and shall be slip resistant. Cage wash rooms shall be equipped with hose stations and floor drains to facilitate sanitation procedures. Trench drains are recommended in larger facilities, and should be equipped with basket strainers to capture debris that could clog drainage systems. Wet areas shall be sloped to drains to prevent ponding. Oversized, acid-resistant waste piping is required to accommodate corrosive detergents, minimize clogs and facilitate cleaning.
a) Cage Wash Equipment: Design submittals shall include the basis of design and manufacturer’s data for each type of equipment identifying required options. Alternate manufacturers shall be listed to ensure non-proprietary procurement. Drawings shall indicate both fixed and loose equipment such as load carts, cage marshaling, waste containers, etc. Minimum service clearances shall be indicated for fixed equipment. Through-put calculations shall be updated as the planning and design process progresses. Clean and dirty side canopy hoods shall be provided for wash and sterilization equipment. Canopy hoods shall gutters and piping to route condensate to drains. Soiled bedding waste disposal equipment shall be provided that contains odors and aerosols.