Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University Pell Lab

University Park, PA

    • Biocontainment
    • ABSL-3 Laboratory for Advanced Biological Research

The Pell building is a self-contained, 22,000-square foot, three-level, stand-alone facility with a 6,000+ SF Biocontainment Zone. The facility houses ACL-3 Insectary, BSL-3, ABSL-3, and ABSL-3+ lab spaces. The facility also offers a BSL-2 lab, holding rooms, procedure rooms, airlocks, staging area, shower/entry, and associated spaces.

The lower level houses mechanical and electrical systems and an effluent decontamination system (EDS), while a full penthouse level houses mechanical and electrical equipment, biocontainment lab support equipment and allows for the biocontainment space to be serviced from outside of the containment barrier. Cornerstone’s commissioning included room integrity tests, zone testing, ANSI / BMBL compliance, integrated systems tests.

Long Term Success

As a direct result of the successful delivery of this project, Pennsylvania State University has subsequently contracted Cornerstone Commissioning to perform Annual Performance Verification (APV) within the Pell ABSL-3 Lab, to maintain optimal building performance for this mission critical biocontainment research facility. The facility continues to meet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandated criteria.