The university must ensure that research/lab equipment is housed and operated in a safe environment. Prior to any purchase, please review UBC Finance’s purchasing guidelines and ensure your equipment meets Canadian and Provincial regulations and standards.
To minimize risk to your equipment and research in the long term, it is important to review our recommendations for things to consider when purchasing research equipment — infrastructure, electrical, plumbing, and maintenance needs, etc.
For assistance in your planning, please contact your Facilities Manager.
Recommendations & considerations
The information below is a summary of infrastructure requirements that we recommend researchers and department administrators consider when purchasing or relocating research equipment and computer server equipment.
This list, while it includes some fairly obvious points, should be useful as reference to help proactively identify building system modifications that may be required to accommodate new or relocated equipment. This should help to prevent last minute surprises and the associated frustration and delays caused when equipment cannot be accommodated within existing building infrastructure. Please also ensure you train departmental personnel in the required protocols for safely managing critical research experiments and equipment in planned and unexpected outages.
Architectural modifications
Will renovations to the space be necessary to accommodate the equipment? This may include custom millwork, enclosures, partitions, and / or code upgrades such as new exits or fire separations. For information on space modifications, please visit Renovation or maintenance.
Standby power needs
Is it critical that the equipment remain operational during a power outage? If back-up power is required, it is important to understand what emergency power systems exist within the building and whether spare capacity is available for connection of the new equipment. There are many factors when installing a new emergency generator or adding additional capacity to an existing generator. Some buildings may not have capacity due to the age of the building or infrastructure.
For questions and support, our Facilities Managers can help connect you to the appropriate technical specialist to advise you with procuring the correct systems and capacity on a customer funded basis. For information on standby power, please visit Electrical power at UBC.
Building modifications to accommodate equipment
If it is determined that building modifications are required to accommodate specific equipment, please contact your Facilities Manager, or visit the section > Renovation or maintenance. Costs associated with modification work are the responsibility of the department.
Energy efficiency
We ask that energy (and water) efficiency be included as a criterion for selection of new equipment. This is not only good for the environment, it saves the University money which can be directed back into research and learning activities.
Electrical requirements
Does the planned location for the equipment have electrical service at the required voltage and amperage? Does the existing building electrical system have sufficient capacity to handle the load of the new equipment? Does the equipment have proper electrical certification for use in Canada? Given that specialized equipment is often imported from overseas manufacturers, this point is particularly important to consider. There are many factors when installing a new emergency generator or adding additional capacity to an existing generator. Some buildings may not have capacity due to the age of the building or infrastructure.
For questions and support, our Facilities Managers can help connect you to the appropriate technical specialist to advise you with procuring the correct systems and capacity on a customer funded basis. For information on electrical power, please visit Electrical power at UBC.
Equipment size and access
Moving new equipment into place can be a challenge. A clear plan is needed for delivery of the equipment to the designated location. Can the equipment fit through building doorways, into the elevator, and into the final designated location? When the equipment is in its final position is there adequate perimeter space for maintenance access and air circulation?
Security requirements
Does your equipment require a special locking hardware, access control system or alarm system required to protect this equipment?
Space planning
Has the proposed space for the new equipment been approved by your Dean? Have you consulted with Facilities Planning in Infrastructure Development to confirm that the proposed space is allocated to your department? Is the proposed space currently occupied? If so, will the current occupants require relocation? For information on space planning, please visit Renovation or maintenance.
Special environmental requirements
Does the equipment require stringent temperature, humidity, and air quality conditions? Is additional ventilation or cooling required to dissipate heat generated by the equipment? Is a fume hood or vent system required to remove noxious fumes? Is soundproofing required?
Structural requirements
How heavy is the equipment? It is important to determine whether the existing building structure can support the weight of the equipment. Some equipment is sensitive to vibration and must be placed on special isolators or located in basement areas to avoid structural vibrations. For information on structural modifications, please visit Renovation or maintenance.
Uninterruptible power needs
Is the equipment sensitive to power disruptions and voltage fluctuations? Some research equipment can be thrown out of calibration or damaged by power spikes, bumps and sags. If this is sensitive equipment an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) will be necessary. There are many factors when installing a new emergency generator or adding additional capacity to an existing generator. Some buildings may not have capacity due to the age of the building or infrastructure.
For questions and support, our Facilities Managers can help connect you to the appropriate technical specialist to advise you with procuring the correct systems and capacity on a customer funded basis. For information on UPS, please visit Electrical power at UBC.
Water Supply, Sewage & Drainage
Are plumbing connections required? Does incoming water need to be purified to a specific standard? Does wastewater need to be specially treated prior to rejection to sanitary sewer?