Bedding of building services systems at ETH Zurich in Basel

Protection against vibrations is an important argument for the bedding of technical building equipment, especially in research facilities. With the new BSS building for the "Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering" in Basel (Switzerland), ETH Zurich has created a modern research centre. Staff started to move in at the end of 2023 and the building was officially opened in March 2024. Here, research is being conducted into the biosystems of the future, new insights into the functional mechanisms of our cells and genes are being revealed, and scientific discoveries are being driven forward. In doing so, the highest technical standards must be adhered to. The foundation stone for the BSS building was laid in September 2018. The pentagonal structure has around 18,900 m2 of usable space, with all the research, teaching, event and catering areas being directly connected. It consists of two basement floors, a mezzanine floor, five upper floors and a technical centre on the roof. The new building is intended to be sustainable. It was therefore designed in accordance with the "Minergie-ECO" and "Good indoor climate" building standards and according to target A of the SIA Energy Efficiency Path (SEE). The building is also to be certified to the DGNB/SGNI (German Sustainable Building Council/Swiss Sustainable Building Council) Gold level.

As highly sensitive devices, such as electron scanning microscopes, are used in the research facility, any vibrations must not be transmitted. "One particular challenge was the building services systems, which include a wide variety of vibration-generating machines, located in the immediate vicinity of a clean room. It was also important to ensure that the technical centre on the roof had no impact on the microscopy workstations located directly underneath," explains Dr Daniel Gsell, structural dynamics engineer at Ziegler Consultants AG. There are also three large recoolers on the roof that provide fresh and cooled air to the building. Inside them are compressors and large fans – sources of significant vibration. For this reason, it was necessary to have a bedding system that was tailored to the equipment. Ziegler Consultants AG, the appointed planning consultants, decided in favour of Isotop® products from Getzner. Other systems in the building were also provided with elastic bearings. The refrigeration centre, which hosts several compressors, was placed on separate concrete foundations with appropriate elastic bearings, as were a number of pumps. It was also possible to decouple the machine frame of the chiller using Isotop® products.

As an additional measure, the sensitive equipment in the research facility was placed on foundations that were also fitted with elastic bearings. "For this project, we had to eliminate all disruptive vibrations as far as possible. The correct design – which depends on the natural frequency of the ceiling, the relevant excitation frequency and the weight of the equipment – is of immense importance in this respect. PU metal elements or pure PU bearings from the Isotop® product range are our first choice. They impress with their outstanding performance, and during the design phase enable us to select the products that best satisfy the project requirements. Unique product features and a professional level of service provide us with the best possible quality," explains Daniel Gsell.