April 1, 2026 in News
Making Electrical Waves – Presbyterian Ladies’ Coll...
When the founders of the Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) welcomed the first cohort of 60 students to their East Melbourne school in 1875, they co...
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL)
The Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) underwent a refurbishment to achieve an upgrade that upheld latest code authority requirements.
A.G. Coombs partnered with Johnstaff Projects to deliver end-to-end project services for the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of the VIDRL refurbishment.
A section of the level 1 car park was transformed into four PC2 labs and a meeting room; new PC2 and PC3 labs were installed on level 2; and a PC3 lab on level 2 was refurbished. Plant upgrade was also undertaken on the building’s roof to service the entire site. Upgrades included:
- A new gas fired external heating water heater and circulating pump.
- A new gas fired steam boiler.
- New compressed air plant.
- Reverse Osmosis Water systems. Exhaust Ventilation Systems.
Air Handling Units (AHUs).
Gas tight dampers.
The scope of works also included:
- Extension of existing chilled water, heating water, natural gas and steam reticulation pipe works.
- Modification of Laboratory Gases and extension of CO2 and compressed air reticulation systems to nominated laboratory outlets.
- Refurbishment of mechanical service systems to comply with the latest codes and standards.
- Upgrade of the building management system (BMS) to provide automatic control of the supply and exhaust systems including the decontamination / fumigation process.
