DEC. 1–ALBANY, N.Y.–The University at Albany’s latest building project, the NanoFab 300N is likely the most robust for miles around, says Tom Yurkewecz, UAlbany’s director of programs, who is responsible for overseeing its construction.

Extra strength is needed to isolate the building from the vibrations of both Interstate 90 and Washington Avenue Extension, which run parallel to the site. There are 1,200 pilings drilled 70 feet deep and injected with cement supporting the whole structure.

“You really need to build a facility that has an unbelievable level of stiffness,” Yurkewecz told The Times Union of Albany.

The 225,000-square-foot, three-story structure Modern features a 35,000-square-foot cleanroom on the second floor.

The frame is a series of concrete grids stacked one atop another, made by putting rebar — long steel rods — in forms and lifting them into place.

The price tag for all that concrete: $10 million, about 7 percent of the building’s $150 million cost.