The Applied Research Building, which opened in 2023, commissions the research facility’s crown jewel
The University of Arizona recently unveiled the Applied Research Building’s (ARB) Thermal Vacuum (TV) Chamber, the world’s largest of its kind housed within a collegiate research facility. Weighing 40 tons and extending 30 feet, the TV Chamber is designed for testing nanosatellites under replicated atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions found within the space and near-space environment. The TV Chamber provides incredible accuracy in simulation, ensuring the greatest confidence in materials testing.
“The thermal vacuum chamber is a key asset that positions the University of Arizona to continue leading in space exploration and strengthens our collaborations with industry and government partners,” said Elliott Cheu, interim senior vice president of research and innovation. “With the chamber now operational, we are ready and excited to support advanced testing of spacecraft systems and components, ensuring they can withstand extreme conditions in space.”
“This incredible chamber lets us test components and full missions in exactly the conditions that they will experience in space,” said Erika Hamden, director of the University of Arizona Space Institute. “It’s the next best thing to space, and our capability at the University of Arizona is unique in terms of size. It is the largest TVAC at any university in the world. You have to go to NASA or industry to get something bigger. We are really excited to use it for our own missions and instruments, as well as those of our partners.”
This state-of-the-art technology represents one of the primary features within the ARB. With the complexity of the TV Chamber, the design-build team sequenced the building’s construction around the chamber, bringing in KFI Engineers as the mechanical and electrical (MEP) engineering partner and controls integrator to ensure successful installation and commissioning.
“The thermal vacuum chamber at the University’s ARB has some of the most unique capabilities in the world,” said Keith Nordquist, senior project manager for KFI Engineers. “It took close collaboration with university staff to set all the goals and conditions this chamber needed to simulate. Being able to see the chamber operate has been a significant milestone and took a full design-build team effort. This project paves the way for the University to be a worldwide leader in space research.”
With testing capacity for objects as large as a pickup truck, the TV Chamber can perform tests ranging from one day to two weeks in duration. Its capabilities mimic deep space with fluctuating pressure and the ability to cool to the temperature of liquid nitrogen (-315 degrees Fahrenheit).
The chamber arrived on site with minimal detailed drawings, adding to the challenge of planning and execution. McCarthy’s in-house virtual design and construction (VDC) team employed building information modeling (BIM) to laser scan the chamber and develop a three-dimensional model for use in coordinating its installation.
Depicting the chamber’s base isolators, as-built conditions, and the various MEP scopes needed to tie-in and support the chamber, the virtual model allowed for enhanced collaboration during ARB’s design phase which occurred remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coupled with structural engineering support, the model also ensured thorough planning for installation and building sequencing.
“The thermal vacuum chamber distinguishes the Applied Research Building for the university as one of the most capable and complex space research facilities in the world,” said McCarthy Project Director Mike Lee. “Which meant that our planning and collaboration was crucial to ensuring the success of the project and the accuracy of the research performed within. This ribbon cutting is a testament to the many key players that comprised this team, employing new innovations and strategies to ensure the chamber’s success.”
To ensure the smoothest installation, the team hired Stafford Crane and Rigging to increase stability and mitigate risk. With careful planning, the major installation was executed in a matter of hours with zero complications.
The ARB, a highly specialized, one-of-a-kind facility pairs new applied research capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment, technology, and innovative research laboratories to advance research in space exploration, advanced manufacturing, and imaging technology. Just over a year since its opening, ARB is already advancing the university’s reputation as a global leader in space research.
The $85 million ARB represents a one-of-a-kind advanced research facility that further solidifies and advances the University’s reputation as a global leader in space research. Located at the southeast corner of Helen Street and the Highland Corridor and constructed utilizing a progressive design-build partnership between integrated design firm SmithGroup and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies Inc., the three-story 89,000-square-foot ARB is the new home of applied physical sciences and engineering, connecting faculty across four colleges and eight departments—College of Engineering (Aerospace & Mechanical, Electrical & Computer, Material Science & Engineering and Systems & Industrial); College of Science (Astronomy, Lunar & Planetary Lab); College of Optical Sciences; and the College of Medicine—enabling cutting-edge space science and exploration, advanced manufacturing and imaging technology research essential to storied missions like the Giant Magellan Telescope and Mars Exploration Rover.
ARB has been recognized as Engineering News Record’s 2023 Best Higher Education and Research project in the Southwest Region. Earlier this year, it was recognized by the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) as the 2024 Project of the Year for the Western Pacific Region. It has received a DBIA National Award of Merit among Educational Facilities, qualifying the facility for the National Award of Excellence to be awarded in November.
The ARB aims to further establish the University of Arizona as one of the primary exploration contributors while directly supporting the University’s Grand Challenge Pillar to drive research revenue.
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