of environment, management, and sani- 
tation as they influence mastitis. Other 
research involves the susceptibility and 
resistance of individual animals to 
mastitis; methods by which causative 
agents enter the animal’s body; and the 
mechanics of infection. 
Animals that die in the quarantine 
area are transported to a small post 
mortem building, where the cause of 
death is determined. Then carcasses are 
burned in an adjoining incinerator. No 
animals from the research buildings are 
ever brought to this post mortem build- 
ing, which is outside the compound. 
An area for raising and holding clean 
animals is located about 1 mile outside 
the center. 
Pastures 
About half of the 318 acres in the 
center is in pastures. This section is lo- 
cated between the compound area and 
the perimeter fence. Some disease-free 
animals will be raised here. 
Service Buildings 
The service buildings are designed for 
safety as well as efficiency. Standby 
service systems have been built into the 
research center, so that routine opera- 
tions will not be interrupted by equip- 
ment failure. Diesel generators are 
available as an emergency source of 
electricity. 
A resident engineer directs all services 
required for day-to-day operation of the 
laboratory’s 223,000 square feet of floor 
space. 
The power plant is the center of serv- 
ice and maintenance. An _ enunciator 
panel board indicates whether any of the 
critical services in the laboratory—water 
and sewage lines, air compressors, lights, 
fuel oil—are functioning improperly. It 
14 
also registers temperatures in walk-in 
refrigerators. Three gas-fired boilers 
can each produce 43,000 pounds of steam 
per hour, at 110 pounds of pressure. 
Two are sufficient to operate the plant; 
the third is held for reserve use. 
The waste treatment plant is the point 
for collecting, processing, and decontam- 
inating sewage. Before sewage from the 
laboratory is discharged into the Ames 
sewerage system, it is chopped into one- 
fourth inch particles, steam-sterilized to 
kill bacteria, and cooled. 
The laboratory’s 150-foot water tower 
contains a water supply of 500,000 gal- 
lons. The normal water supply flows 
into the Federal center through a 14-inch 
main. 
An 1,800-ton air-conditioning system 
provides temperature- and humidity-reg- 
ulated air for the principal buildings. 
Air brought into the administration 
building and the main laboratory is 
washed and filtered to remove dirt, 
heated or cooled, and then circulated 
through the intricate air duct system. A 
delicate balance is maintained, so air 
flows only from clean to contaminated 
areas. It is exhausted—never recircu- 
lated—after it has been drawn through 
bacterial filters to remove disease agents. 
The main laboratory undergoes a con- 
tinuous change of 160,000 cubic feet of 
air each minute. 
The vehicle decontamination building 
is used to clean and disinfect trucks when 
necessary. 
The shops are located north of the ad- 
ministration building, in an area outside 
the compound. The laboratory has ma- 
chine, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, 
carpentry, welding, refrigeration, instru- 
mentation, auto repair, and paint shops. 
Vehicles also are stored in the building. 
