OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION | GRANGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Considering modern methods of construction at the design stage meant Grange University Hospital could open ahead of schedule and respond to rising cases of Covid-19. Aecoms Sarah Gealy explains how offsite efficiencies cut hours worked on the project by 23% EMERGENCY DELIVERY T he Grange University Hospital, in Gwent, was already under construction when the global pandemic took hold in March last year. It was being built using modern methods of construction (MMC), so when Aneurin Bevan University Health Board asked its contractor, Laing ORourke, if it could accelerate the opening of several sections of the scheme, in response to increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in the locality, the project team was able to support the request. A partial opening of the 350m hospital was achieved in April 2020, nearly a year ahead of schedule. The remaining sections opened to patients in November last year, four months earlier than scheduled in a bid to help the health board respond to winter pressures and Covid-19. Early handover was possible because we used MMC from the outset, said Mike Lewis, Laing ORourke project director. In doing so, we were able to deliver 50% of the building a year earlier than scheduled. Using MMC also saved 237,099 working hours, or 23% of the planned programme. The 560-bed hospital provides complex critical care treatment for more than 600,000 people in PROJECT TEAM BDP Crown House Technologies Laing ORourke Arup WSP Aecom Gleeds south-east Wales. It treats the regions most seriously ill patients, or those with significant injuries, and acts as the emergency department (A&E) for everyone living in Gwent. For Aecom, the projects building services engineer, use of MMC required early collaboration with Laing ORourke and Crown House Technologies, the schemes MEP contractor. Building information modelling (BIM) was key to achieving such close collaboration, with BIM workshops and clash detection used to assist decision-making and communication throughout the design phase. Many building services decisions had to be made very early. For example, services penetrations through precast floors and walls were coordinated early on, because these were prepared in the factory. This level of early decision-making would not have been possible without everyone on the project working in a collaborative way. Aecoms designs had to be fixed much earlier than with a traditional build, but BIM facilitated this process. Ongoing collaboration with Crown House Technologies during the production of its BIM installation models was particularly important, as it helped identify and resolve coordination issues. It also ensured any changes would not impact on MEP systems performance and compliance with Health Technology Memoranda (HTMs), the design standards for healthcare facilities. At the onset of the project, we set out our strategy for MMC, says Owain Dobson, project leader at Crown House Technologies. This has been fundamental to Laing ORourkes delivery model for a number of years now, but Grange University Hospital was to use its latest innovations, and learning from previous projects, to maximise impact on site. Early workshops between the client, design team and contracting team enabled the strategy to be developed, providing clarity on how to progress. Certain principles were agreed at this stage, including: where to place MEP services modules and MEP prefabricated risers; which plantroom elements would be assembled off site; which areas would have modular wiring; and where to integrate, install and, in some instances, commission the building services off site. With the strategy agreed, Crown House Technologies and 52 August 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Aug 21 pp52-54 Grange hospital.indd 52 23/07/2021 12:18