Cleanrooms are a critical element for many life sciences projects. In turn, picking the right cleanroom construction system is a pivotal decision that will affect not only construction, but the experience of the people working in the facility and long-term building operations.

These challenges are compounded in the current fiscal environment where every dollar counts, from the money spent in early-stage construction procurement to ongoing operating and maintenance costs.

“I could compare it to the way a signature musician is key to the sound of one of my favorite rock bands,” said Mike Marston, DPR Construction’s Life Sciences Core Market Co-Leader. “Just as signature musicians and the way they play are a cornerstone to creating the sound and experience they’re aiming for, cleanroom construction approaches play the same role in the success of a larger life sciences research or manufacturing facility.”

It might seem like the delivery system is simply a means to an end and that a finished cleanroom is what to focus on. However, Marston and his team note that picking the wrong cleanroom construction system can have far-reaching effects on speed-to-market, impacts to adjacent spaces, trade partner involvement, facility maintenance and more. Variables related to project size, facility type, location and market conditions also factor in.

“Project teams need to compare each cleanroom system as it applies to their individual projects, minding those variables, to determine which approach is best,” Marston said.

It’s vital for project teams to know there are four primary cleanroom systems and all of them are viable options and that one isn’t necessarily better than another on their own:

• Stick-built – This is the traditional delivery process, where all materials are delivered to a project site and built in linear schedule fashion with the rest of the building. With this, on-site work will include metal stud framing with gypsum board and epoxy paint. Suspended lay-in tiles – gasketed and cleanable – or suspended gypsum board ceilings and more.

• Prefabricated/panelized – In this system wall panels and ceiling panels (walkable or not) are built off-site when labor and materials are available, regardless of the on-site readiness for them. When on-site conditions reach the right point, prefabricated elements are delivered to the site and installed.

• Modules – These are fully-built cleanrooms assembled off-site and delivered to be “dropped in” to a facility. These may include the structural frame of the building, concrete slabs and even exterior cladding and roofing. They can also include HVAC lighting, BAS, Fire Alarm and other building systems as well as process piping and process equipment.

• “Podular (or Pods)” – Something of a hybrid, this means prefabricated finished pods (walls, ceilings, doors) with wall finishes and ceiling construction equal to a prefabricated/panelized system. These can also include building systems, but typically not process systems.

Choosing the best option requires project teams and their customers to answer specific questions about their project:

• What does the labor market look like in the project area? Out of the gate, this is a key question. If craft availability is a concern due to a remote location or simply the ongoing skilled labor shortage, prefabricated/panelized, pods and modules reduce the need for local labor resources and could lessen the impact of craft per diems, travel time and turnover. A self-performing general contractor may be able to self-perform many of the scopes associated with stick-built systems and will provide more influence on schedule, cost predictability, quality and safety.

• Will the new cleanroom be adjacent to existing operating spaces? If the project has operating manufacturing spaces in the facility, prefabricated/panelized, pods and modules can reduce the time (and therefore risk) of doing installation adjacent to existing spaces.

• What does the move-in path look like in the existing facility? If the project has direct access or a large clear pathway to the building’s exterior, pods or modules can be considered. If it does not, stick-built or prefabricated/panelized may be a better solution.

• How much cleanroom space is needed? If space requirements are smaller and exterior access is limited, stick-built and prefabricated/panelized are the best candidates. Additionally, stick-built and prefabricated/panelized are less impacted by economies of scale.

• Is speed-to-market more important than cost? If “yesterday” is the best date for a to-be-constructed facility to be online producing goods, prefabricated/panelized, pods or modules may be the fastest path.

• How does future flexibility factor in? If a project requires modification flexibility in the future, stick-built will be the most accommodating. Prefabricated/panelized, pods and modules can accommodate this, but only to a degree. The more a facility is prefabricated, the more challenging future modifications can become.

• How much flexibility do you need during the project’s design phases? Similar to future modification flexibility, stick-built is the most flexible during the design phases. Prefabricated/panelized, pods and modules can accommodate more minor adjustments like door swings, rearrangement of light fixtures and terminal devices, low voltage components and wall/ceiling mounted utility panels. The further into design and off-site fabrication, the more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive these changes can become. For pods and modules, significant dimensional adjustments, wall layouts and equipment location changes may not be attainable.

These are important questions on any project and there are additional considerations based on whether or not a project is a new build or if it is taking place in an existing structure:

• If required, can the building’s floor-to-floor height accommodate walkable ceilings associated with the prefabricated/panelized, pods, or modules in addition to new ductwork and piping systems?

• Can the building support the loads of pods or modules?

• Is it feasible to remove existing slab at-grade or elevated to allow for placement of pods components? To avoid ramps into and out of pods or modules, they typically need depressed slabs.

“A recent discussion with one of our clients is a great example of putting this approach to work,” Marston said. “Speed to market was critical, seismic constraints for modules supporting HVAC equipment underroof was economically prohibitive and the existing building wasn’t capable of handling the added equipment loading requirements. The resulting solution was an independently floor-supported mechanical mezzanine to carry the HVAC equipment with pods inserted underneath the walkable platforms.”

Client teams depend on a seamless experience; no matter what system has been chosen, planning in early project stages, with full engagement from project partners can unlock success for construction and for operations.