On the Tempe, Ariz., campus of Arizona State University, McCarthy Building Cos. is building Biodesign Institute C, a facility to house the world’s first compact X-ray laser. The new device shrinks the size and cost of an X-ray laser from a 1-mile-long, $1-billion mechanism to a $25-million piece of equipment the size of a tabletop, thus making the technology far more cost-effective and accessible to scientists.
Constructing the building that will house the new laser involved intricate concrete work, requiring slab foundations up to 6 ft thick to reduce vibration and prevent contamination with low magnetization rebar in the basement. Outside, contractors erected columns of white concrete that provide a lateral bracing system and an elegant aesthetic.