C.1 Reference Codes and Standards
C.2 Preliminary Planning Criteria
C.3 Site Design

C.1 Reference Codes and Standards

The following standards should be followed when constructing new structures on NIH campuses located in Montgomery County, Maryland:

• NIH Campus Master Plan in locating new campus facilities
• NIH Master Utility Plan in locating existing campus utilities
• NIH Tree Inventory
• Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration Standard Details for installation of storm drains
• Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission for installation of domestic water and sanitary sewer
• Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Standard Details for Roadways, for installation of roadways, parking, and miscellaneous appurtenances
• Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), Standard Details for Sediment Control and Storm Water Management

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C.2 Preliminary Planning Criteria

Existing utilities shall be located from the NIH Master Utility Plan. Locations should be verified with frequent test pits using vacuum dig techniques to avoid disruption to the campus. New buildings or additions should be coordinated with the Office of Facilities Planning and located in conformance with the NIH Campus Master Plan to minimize disruption to existing campus operations including utilities, traffic, parking, pedestrian access, and mature trees. Vehicular and pedestrian access should blend with existing traffic patterns. Access for emergency vehicles, including fire and police, must be provided.

Borings and geotechnical reports should be obtained from a qualified geotechnical consultant licensed to practice in the State where the work is to be implemented and the report should include a preliminary recommendation for sheeting and shoring. All existing underground steam and condensate piping to be disturbed should be tested for asbestoscontaminated insulation. Existing natural features such as trees, slopes, and drainage
characteristics should be preserved whenever possible. The construction of large and significant projects that impact day-to-day NIH activities should be phased to minimize disruption to the campus.

Contractor staging areas should be identified as early in the project as possible and reasonable space provided for contractor parking, trailers, cranes, delivery vehicles, maneuvering, and other site-specific factors. The staging areas should be surrounded by a temporary 1 800 mm chain-link fence with brown plastic screening material.

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C.3 Site Design

C.3.1 Parking and Paving: Parking for vehicles shall be coordinated through the Office of Facilities Planning and provided in conformance with the NIH Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Montgomery County. The size and types of parking spaces should be in conformance with Montgomery County regulations. Handicapped spaces should be adjacent to buildings whenever possible.

Roadway and parking lot paving sections shall conform to the following:

Table C.3.1 Parking Lot and Roadway Paving

C.3.1.1 Sidewalks, Curbs, and Curbs/Gutters: Optimum sidewalk width is 1 830 mm, with 1 525 mm being the minimum. Concrete should be a minimum of 90 mm, 25 MPa, 6 to 8 percent air entrainment, 1 kg of powdered carbon black per 1.3 m³ (or at the rate of 19 L of liquid carbon black per 12 m³) of concrete and sealed with clear curing compound.

C.3.1.1.1 Material Exclusions for Common Pedestrian Sidewalk Areas Subject to Use by Snow Removal Equipment: The following materials are not permitted on any NIH projects because of intensive maintenance requirements or safety concerns:

• Cobblestones
• Asphalt hex pavers on asphalt base
• Exposed aggregate concrete
• Any type of paver material on gravel/sand base course
• Pavers on plastic blocks
• Precast concrete interlocking pavers on sand base
• Granite, brick, or slate on concrete base (because snow-melt compounds cause “popup”)

C.3.1.1.2 Material Exclusions for Curbs and Curbs/Gutters: Granite curbs are not permitted on any NIH projects because they are vulnerable to damage by snowplows, create unsafe conditions for pedestrians, and are expensive to replace.

C.3.1.1.3 Sidewalks to Major Building Entrances and Major Building Feature Areas: Durable, air-entrained, colored (other than carbon black), stamped concrete may be used for these areas.

C.3.2 Loading Docks and Delivery and Service Areas: All new campus buildings and buildings subject to major retrofitting require the installation of loading docks. The primary purpose of the loading dock is to facilitate movement of materials into and out of buildings. Loading docks should be located in areas of the building that are separated from normal daily pedestrian and vehicular traffic and should be sized for safe maneuvering as well as for loading and unloading equipment such as pallet trucks.

Loading docks should be sited to prevent the entry of pests and designed to create an effective barrier between the outside of the facility and the interior. Loading docks are a functional extension of the facility and should be designed and managed to facilitate proper and efficient movement of materials into and out of the facility along with a dockyard that is easily cleaned and maintained. Current and future facility needs should be taken into consideration when planning and designing allocated space for loading docks. Facilities expand, needs change, and docks should be conceived with long-term viability in mind.

For additional information, see General Design Guidelines, Section: Architecture, and Section: Structural. For additional loading dock requirements specific to animal facilities, see Animal Research Facilities, Section: Programmatic Goals and Objectives.

C.3.2.1 Shipping and Receiving Areas: Shipping and receiving marshalling space should be adjacent to the dock. The dock area also requires an office and telephone for the dock manager, toilet facilities, and an area to house vending machines. Vending areas must be designed to promote proper cleaning and sanitation. Materials used throughout these spaces should be durable enough to withstand high personnel use and regular cleaning activities. The loading dock berths, dock area, and adjacent functional areas should be securable after hours and should be designed to minimize the harboring of pests.

C.3.2.2 Waste Management Areas: Separate spaces should be provided within the dock area for holding and disposing of medical pathological waste, hazardous waste, radioactive waste, mixed waste, general waste, and recycling waste. Waste should not be staged for removal inside the receiving area of the loading dock. The dock entry points used for materials receiving or personnel must be isolated from the solid waste compacting,
handling, and storage operations, as solid waste operations can be attractive to pest species that are invasive to the facility.

C.3.2.3 Trash Dumpsters and Compactors: A separate area for a minimum of one dumpster should be programmed within the loading dock space. This area shall be constructed of a 200 mm-thick reinforced concrete pad at least 9 150 mm in length. The dumpster should not block the loading dock, but access for disposal of trash to the dumpster should be directly from the loading dock. Whenever possible, compactors should be used to promote good sanitation and to minimize attraction to pests. Compactors should be sited and designed to facilitate proper use and cleaning.

C.3.2.4 Access and Truck Size: Access to loading docks will be directly from NIH campus roads. No access through parking lots will be permitted. Roadways leading to loading docks and adjacent tarmacs should be of sufficient size and configuration to accommodate vehicles of various sizes up to and including tractor-trailer class.

C.3.2.5 Overhead Protection: Loading dock designs should allow materials to be protected from inclement weather conditions while loading and unloading vehicles. Any overhangs or canopy projections in the vicinity of the loading dock must be of a sufficient height so as to provide necessary truck clearances, including allowing for the removal of refuse containers. Review of these design features by the Environmental Protection Branch is required prior to finalizing design.

C.3.2.6 Loading Dock Berths: A minimum of two loading dock berths per building should be provided. Some buildings require additional berths depending on the function of the facility. For facilities housing animals, a dedicated animal berth that is visually protected for security should also be provided in addition to the two berths previously identified. This berth must be physically segregated from other dock berths and dock support functions. This includes vehicle docking and materials/supplies staging. Loading dock berths should be equipped with hydraulic load levelers, and at least one should be equipped with a hydraulic scissors lift capable of carrying a 1 016 kg load as a minimum.

C.3.2.7 Parking and Wheel Chocks: Tarmacs on grade must have wheel chocks available that meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. Adequate shortterm parking should be available for courier service vehicles.

C.3.2.8 Dock Protection: Protective metal dock plates at the edge of the dock should be provided. Commercial-grade dock bumpers (shock-absorbing design, manufactured of pliable rubber) should be mounted under load levelers. Barriers that can prevent a truck from damaging the load leveler when backing to the leveler should also be provided.

C.3.2.9 Drainage and Grading: Adequate drainage should be provided by use of trench drains or positive drainage away from the dock, with a minimum gradient of 1.0 percent.

C.3.2.10 Service Ramp: A ramp with a gentle grade should be provided near the loading berths to allow small deliveries via lightweight equipment, such as two-wheeled hand trucks or four-wheeled platform trucks, and to allow personnel to reach grade from the loading dock.

C.3.2.11 Snow-Removal Areas: Areas for piling snow from snow removal operations are desirable and should not block the dumpster or the loading dock. Heated pavement is not permitted for snow removal because of maintenance and energy concerns.

C.3.2.12 Screening: Visual screening of all loading areas is desirable to minimize audible and visual disruption to the NIH campuses and surrounding communities. Screening can consist of fences, walls, landscaping, and so on. Landscaping in the area of loading docks should minimize cover and harborage for birds and rodents. Ivy and other low-growing, dense ground cover in the vicinity of loading docks are not recommended. Screening should
be carefully coordinated with security and closed-circuit television requirements.

C.3.2.13 Telephone/Doorbell: Notification of delivery to dock service personnel should be via a doorbell and “house” telephone located on the exterior of the loading docks. Provisions for installation of a pay telephone inside the building, within the dock shipping and receiving area, should be considered.

C.3.2.14 Lighting: Exterior building lighting in the loading dock area should be indirect to the loading dock to reduce the attraction of flying insects. Do not use wall-mounted lighting and do not install lights directly above receiving or personnel doors.

C.3.2.15 Dock Washdown: Facilities should be provided for loading dock washdown and cleanup activities.

C.3.2.16 Surface-Mounted Elements: There should be no exposed conduit, piping, ledges, equipment, wall-mounted lights, and so on in and around the area of the loading dock bays. These elements provide loafing and nesting sites for nuisance birds and are difficult to clean.

C.3.3 Grading: Proposed grading plans should be coordinated with ORF. Maximum slopes on lawn areas should be 3:1 to permit safe mowing. If slopes are required to be steeper than 3:1, a retaining wall with a top railing should be investigated. Minimum slopes on lawn areas should be 2 percent positive slope away from buildings. Maximum slopes of sidewalks shall not exceed 8 percent unless approved by the ORF. Railing should be installed when the slope exceeds 5 percent. Slope limitations and rest points for the disabled shall be in accordance with the UFAS/ADAAG requirements.

A 1 000 mm-wide by 150 mm-deep pea-gravel barrier with a physical weed geotextile should be provided around all new or newly landscaped buildings for pest management. Aluminum or steel edging should be used around the barrier. All planting beds should begin outside the gravel strip.

C.3.4 Landscaping: The site grading and selection of plant materials should be coordinated with ORF during the early design stage, and strive to select plant material native to the Mid-Atlantic region and avoid invasive exotic material. The following list includes trees and shrubs compatible with existing NIH plantings and standard practices.

Table C.3.4 Trees and Major Shrubs

All disturbed areas not paved or landscaped shall be restored with State or local jurisdictionapproved certified sod on a minimum of 75 mm of topsoil. Landscape planting, for both aesthetic and functional needs, can impact the number and types of pests found in the exterior of the building envelope. See General Design Guidelines, Section: Pest Management, for additional landscape requirements.

Lighting of exterior areas of the campus is critical to campus security. The design of landscaping and lighting should minimize areas suitable for hiding and avoid any dark areas. An average 50 lux light level shall be maintained for all areas.

C.3.5 Utility Service: Centrally supplied services for the following utilities are available on the NIH campus with the following minimum criteria:

Table C.3.5 Utility Services - Size and Material

C.3.5.1 Utility Service Computer Modeling: The NIH has developed extensive computer modeling for existing utilities. Expansion of these utilities requires the use of the following programs for analysis:

Table C.3.5.1 Required Computer Modeling

C.3.6 Sediment and Erosion Control: Sediment and erosion control drawings must be prepared for any construction that results in ground disturbance in States or local jurisdictions where they are required. For NIH projects in the State of Maryland, where a project nears or exceeds the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) threshold (disturbance of 465 m² of existing ground or the movement of 76 m³ of soil), an MDE permit for sediment and erosion control is required. It is strongly recommended that a permit be requested for any NIH project that disturbs 370 m² of existing ground. Sediment and erosion control projects with greater than 4 000 m² of disturbance shall comply with MDE General Permit Number 97-GP-0004, which requires additional inspections. Additional fees, recordkeeping, and other requirements may also apply.

It is NIH policy to control sediment and erosion control to the maximum practicable extent. Therefore, any construction that results in ground disturbance will be subject to NIH sediment and erosion control protection policy. This will be project specific, and usually the minimum will be required. The Project Officer shall contact the Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) for specific guidance.

Erosion and sediment control permit drawings shall be prepared by the architect/ engineer (A/E) and submitted through the Project Officer to the DEP for review. The A/E will make a submission to the MDE or other States where they are required when it has been determined by DEP that the documents meet MDE or other State requirements. Please note that it is highly recommended that MDE review be made through the use of an MDEapproved “expedited” reviewer. No site work is to commence prior to holding a sediment and erosion control preconstruction meeting with the MDE inspector when a permit is required. When a permit is not required, the installation of sediment and erosion controls required by DEP must be in place before site work begins.

C.3.7 Stormwater Management: All construction must meet the requirements of the MDE and the NIH Master Plan for stormwater management.