Dortek recently completed a project for a major research facility at the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. The RTP is one of the most prominent high-tech research and development parks in the United States. It was created in 1959 by state and local governments, nearby universities, and local business interests. Its 7,000 acres house hundreds of companies, including science and technology firms, government agencies, academic institutions, start-ups and non-profit companies.

Dortek were brought in as consultants to provide access solutions to help maximise functionality and space across the laboratories. The client was dissatisfied with their current hollow metal swing doors, which were very heavy and difficult to operate. The doors also occupied a large area of floor space to open onto, which was wasted due to this.

Dortek designed, supplied and installed custom sliding doors for over 50 laboratory rooms in the facility. The main benefit of the doors was that they required minimal floorspace so the client could make better use of this. This included freeing up space to increase working capacity or being able to add extra equipment within the rooms.

Dortek supplied a stainless-steel wrap around frame so that only existing doors had to be removed and the frames could just be left in place. This facilitated a quicker installation and avoided as much down time for the facility as possible.

A self-latching lock was also installed for contamination control purposes, to stop building occupants from entering clean areas from dirty rooms or corridors.

The smooth and seamless construction of Dortek fiberglass doors means they are free from voids, ledges and right angles where dust or bacteria can be trapped and grow. They are also completely encapsulated which makes them watertight and resistant to the harsh cleaning chemicals used in these types of facilities.