The University of Arizona Hazardous Waste Facility

The University of Arizona Hazardous Waste Facility, located on the campus of the University of Arizona, provides a central location for the collection, consolidation, and short-term storage of hazardous waste generated at multiple locations across the university campus. The challenge of this project was creating a safe environment for the handling of chemicals within a dense campus environment. To accomplish this, a completely new facility was constructed that separated office type environments from hazardous environments. The project’s success was dependent upon M3 understanding the function and risks associated with creating an environment to handle such materials.

The hazardous environments had to conform to the strict requirements of the International Building Code’s ‘Hazardous’ occupancy designation. This was manifest in the utilization of explosion control, specialty fire suppression systems, spark-proof electrical construction, and containment pits to hold accidental hazardous waste spills and fire water. The completed project combines both life safety and functionality to create a facility that allows the workers to operate in a safe environment and maximize their operational efficiency.

  • CLIENT The University of Arizona