The new north block expansion to the existing Bon Secours Hospital, College Road, Cork includes the construction of hospital accommodation on six floors with top floor plant room, enclosed bridge link connections to the existing hospital, related support services and all associated and ancillary site & landscaping works including construction of a new bin store to the east of the hospital. Overall floor area is circa 12,000m².
The new development includes a new Critical Care Unit, Inpatient Wards, Oncology Day Ward, an additional four Operating Theatres and Recovery Room as well as 81 new Private Rooms. A new Radiotherapy Centre (in partnership with the University Pittsburgh Medical Centre) is also part of this development.
The building was designed as an in situ concrete frame, which we converted to a combination of precast vertical elements with in situ concrete floor slabs. This includes two linear accelerator bunkers with elements of them in high density concrete.
The project also includes the internal refurbishment works of ICU and staff accommodation in the existing building. Extensive ground works include the installation of secant piling and ring beam retaining structure on the south and part of the west sides of the building and installing CFA foundation piles across the footprint of the building and to support bridge link connections to the existing building.
Challenges – the site is part of the existing BSH hospital. The hospital remained live during construction. The main challenges associated with this was managing public access, managing site construction traffic (access to the site involved the installation of a temporary bailey bridge over the River Lee), restricted storage areas and working hours, liaising with the BSH hospital management and infection control management.
