HCA Kingwood Medical Center ICU Vertical Expansion
HCA Kingwood Medical Center ICU Vertical Expansion | Kingwood, TX
Detailed coordination and planning, combined with extensive use of prefabrication and a high level of BIM coordination, were integral to the success of the HCA / Kingwood Medical Center ICU vertical expansion project near Houston, Texas. DPR delivered the project under budget, with zero safety incidents and on schedule, despite impacts from Hurricane Harvey – a record shattering storm that ranks as the largest recorded rainfall event in U.S. history.
Partners
Proactive
Planning
The project added a fourth and fifth floor totaling 60,000 square feet to the existing South Tower of the hospital, including 38 fully prefabricated ICU and intermediate care unit patient rooms. To support the expansion the project also added capacity to the central plant including chiller, cooling tower, boiler, water softener, heating hot water, medical air and medical vacuum systems. DPR self-perform crews installed all the prefabricated components as well as drywall and ceiling scopes.
DPR worked in close collaboration with the owner and entire design and construction team to execute the construction phase over 14 months, following an extensive preconstruction phase. The team devised a highly detailed site utilization plan and strategies for everything from temporary waterproofing to the most effective way to “jump” the elevators by two floors, all while minimizing unintended impacts to hospital’s ongoing operations. They successfully completed the project in mid-2018.
“Clinical or facility operations were never impacted by construction activities, and the field team’s exceptional communication skills kept the clinical staff and administration informed of upcoming activities, noise levels and risks."
Jenna Taylor
Director of Construction | HCA
The
Challenges
The National Hurricane Center called Hurricane Harvey “the most significant tropical cyclone rainfall event in United States history, both in scope and peak rainfall amounts.” The hurricane hit the Houston area just as the HCA / Kingwood Medical Center ICU vertical expansion project was in the midst of structural and skin scopes of work. It delivered over 60 inches of rainfall in just four days.
DPR project manager Patrick Gorman said because the building was not dried in yet, “there was a tremendous amount of planning and coordinating the temporary waterproofing to minimize water intrusion into the facility.” The challenge was immense.
Photo: The project team installed temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations, minimizing water intrusion.
Another outsized challenge for the team on this project was “jumping” the elevators up two floors above the existing three-story building, an effort that required extensive coordination to ensure there were no water intrusion issues with the existing elevators and no unintended elevator downtime.
Photo: A challenge for the team was “jumping” the elevators up two floors above the existing three-story building.
All construction activities occurred over an active NICU and postpartum departments. Strategic medical air, gas, and vacuum tie-ins required temporary local units and back feeding the live lines to ensure no critical disruptions at any point.
Photo: All construction activities occurred over an active NICU and postpartum departments.
The
Challenges
The National Hurricane Center called Hurricane Harvey “the most significant tropical cyclone rainfall event in United States history, both in scope and peak rainfall amounts.” The hurricane hit the Houston area just as the HCA / Kingwood Medical Center ICU vertical expansion project was in the midst of structural and skin scopes of work. It delivered over 60 inches of rainfall in just four days.
DPR project manager Patrick Gorman said because the building was not dried in yet, “there was a tremendous amount of planning and coordinating the temporary waterproofing to minimize water intrusion into the facility.” The challenge was immense.
Photo: The project team installed temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations, minimizing water intrusion.
Another outsized challenge for the team on this project was “jumping” the elevators up two floors above the existing three-story building, an effort that required extensive coordination to ensure there were no water intrusion issues with the existing elevators and no unintended elevator downtime.
Photo: A challenge for the team was “jumping” the elevators up two floors above the existing three-story building.
All construction activities occurred over an active NICU and postpartum departments. Strategic medical air, gas, and vacuum tie-ins required temporary local units and back feeding the live lines to ensure no critical disruptions at any point.
Photo: All construction activities occurred over an active NICU and postpartum departments.
The
Solutions
The project team took a proactive approach to preparing the building for the extreme weather, installing temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations. The planning paid off; water intrusion was minimal from the hurricane.
Photo: The project team installed temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations, minimizing water intrusion.
The project team also prepared a site utilization and site logistics plan aimed at preserving public safety and minimizing the impact of construction operations on the still operational facility, working closely with the owner to coordinate phasing and staging of the work.
Photo: The project team prepared a site utilization and site logistics plan aimed at preserving public safety and minimizing the impact of construction operations on the still operational facility.
Prefabrication was another key solution that greatly benefitted the project’s schedule, safety and quality control. DPR estimated they were able to accelerate the project schedule by eight weeks by utilizing modular and prefabricated components, compared to what it would have been with a traditional approach.
The prefabricated components included 34 modular patient bathrooms, 5 public/staff restrooms, headwalls, and sink walls; 36 footwalls; and 18 charting stations. All of these units were built off site and utilized a just-in-time delivery to coordinate with the overhead MEP installation. In addition, the building’s exterior skin was constructed using prefabricated exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) wall panels for the majority of the building envelope, totaling 17,850-sq.-ft. of finished exterior wall panels. These panels were similarly fabricated off site and then shipped to the job site where they were hoisted into place.
Photo: All prefabricated units, including 34 patient bathrooms, were built off site and utilized a just-in-time delivery to coordinate with the overhead MEP installation.
In order to address the NICU department proximity, the project team had multiple meetings with the entire hospital staff and nurse leaders for each unit to coordinate the shutdown. A true example of the great teamwork and collaboration between DPR and the facility.
Photo: The project team had multiple meetings with the entire hospital staff and nurse leaders for each unit to coordinate the shutdown.
The
Solutions
The project team took a proactive approach to preparing the building for the extreme weather, installing temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations. The planning paid off; water intrusion was minimal from the hurricane.
Photo: The project team installed temporary roofing and flashing at all tie-in locations, minimizing water intrusion.
The project team also prepared a site utilization and site logistics plan aimed at preserving public safety and minimizing the impact of construction operations on the still operational facility, working closely with the owner to coordinate phasing and staging of the work.
Photo: The project team prepared a site utilization and site logistics plan aimed at preserving public safety and minimizing the impact of construction operations on the still operational facility.
Prefabrication was another key solution that greatly benefitted the project’s schedule, safety and quality control. DPR estimated they were able to accelerate the project schedule by eight weeks by utilizing modular and prefabricated components, compared to what it would have been with a traditional approach.
The prefabricated components included 34 modular patient bathrooms, 5 public/staff restrooms, headwalls, and sink walls; 36 footwalls; and 18 charting stations. All of these units were built off site and utilized a just-in-time delivery to coordinate with the overhead MEP installation. In addition, the building’s exterior skin was constructed using prefabricated exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) wall panels for the majority of the building envelope, totaling 17,850-sq.-ft. of finished exterior wall panels. These panels were similarly fabricated off site and then shipped to the job site where they were hoisted into place.
Photo: All prefabricated units, including 34 patient bathrooms, were built off site and utilized a just-in-time delivery to coordinate with the overhead MEP installation.
In order to address the NICU department proximity, the project team had multiple meetings with the entire hospital staff and nurse leaders for each unit to coordinate the shutdown. A true example of the great teamwork and collaboration between DPR and the facility.
Photo: The project team had multiple meetings with the entire hospital staff and nurse leaders for each unit to coordinate the shutdown.
The
Result
DPR absorbed 25 weather days during the project, including two weeks from Hurricane Harvey, as well as a freeze – and still achieved on time completion. At the end of the project, the team was able to return $1 million in savings to the owner and finished with zero recordable, lost time or first aid safety incidents.
Photo: At the end of the project, the team was able to return $1 million in savings to the owner and finished with zero recordable, lost time or first aid safety incidents.
The
Result
DPR absorbed 25 weather days during the project, including two weeks from Hurricane Harvey, as well as a freeze – and still achieved on time completion. At the end of the project, the team was able to return $1 million in savings to the owner and finished with zero recordable, lost time or first aid safety incidents.
Photo: At the end of the project, the team was able to return $1 million in savings to the owner and finished with zero recordable, lost time or first aid safety incidents.
“I work with many project teams across the country, and DPR’s professionalism far surpasses others. The team embraces schedule and cost certainty and when issues arise, I am confident they will bring multiple solutions to the table and not just obstacles. DPR keeps patient and staff safety top priority when planning construction activities. This well thought out execution plan provides us a better-quality product.”
Jenna Taylor
Director of Construction | HCA
We think you'll like this, too.
