ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82
June 24 2015
65
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXVIII • No. 13
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
31
45 65 98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
A rendering of the completed Brookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergency department.
Evan Terry Associates rendering
Brookwood to Provide Access to Emergency Care By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
After a lengthy court battle, work has finally begun on Brookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergency department near U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 in North Shelby County. The structure will cost $19 million to develop and was designed to provide better access to emergency care in the area. “The Alabama Department of Transportation scores the traffic on Hwy 280 an ‘F’,” said Stephen Preston, vice president of external affairs of Brookwood Medical Center. “The concern from a patient care perspective is the possible delay in seeking treatment of an illness or injury because of concerns of getting caught up in traffic.” Birmingham’s Brookwood Medical Center received the first Certificate of Need for a freestanding emergency department (FED) in Alabama. Officials have worked closely with the Alabama Department of Public Health to develop rules for the operation of FEDs in Alabama, to ensure patient safety and understanding. The construction follows a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, which determined Trinity Medical Center could not stop the hospital from building the new facility.
Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photo
“Site prep work is under way, and the foundation and structure should be going up shortly,” said Stephen Preston, vice president of external affairs of Brookwood Medical Center.
“Access to emergency care services was the biggest concern residents along the HWY 280/119 corridor shared with us,” Preston pointed out. “The FED will provide comprehensive emergency services. The only difference is that it’s closer to that community than the hospital.”
The freestanding structure will offer 12 exam rooms, including a trauma room, full diagnostic capabilities and will be staffed 24/7 by board-certified ER physicians. An ambulance station and helipad also will be available for patient transport, if necessary. The ambulance is storefront, and all see BROOKWOOD page 2
Page 2 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Work Begins on Freestanding Emergency Department
Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photo
After a lengthy court battle, work has finally begun on Brookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergency department near U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 in North Shelby County. BROOKWOOD from page 1
FAA requirements have to be met for the helipad. “We anticipate opening in September 2015, and will serve the residents and communities in southern Jefferson county, Shelby County and all along the Hwy 280 and Hwy 119 corridors. We are very excited about seeing this project come to fruition. It’s also rewarding that, given the initiative we started some six years ago, two other FEDs are being developed in Alabama.” Hospital officials say life-saving care will be provided in the heart of the fast-growing 280 Corridor, which has long been criticized for its pileups and delays. People in areas like Chelsea, Greystone, Sterrett, Harpersville and Vincent won’t have to battle 280 traffic for miles just to get to Birmingham for emergency care. “Site prep work is under way, and the foundation and structure should be going up shortly,” said Preston. “There’s great anticipation and excitement in the community and from first responders in the area regarding the significant positive impact this project will have on health care services.” Hoar is the general contractor on the project, working with Evan Terry Associates Architects and Capital MedVest Group to build the 23,000-sq. ft. (2,136. 7 sq m) facility. “Currently, we are installing underground utilities to serve the building, and are bringing the site up to the proper grades with heavy equipment,” said Rodney Gilchrist, Hoar project manager. “We have completed all mobilization activities. The foundations will be the next big task. The structural steel is fabricated and ready to ship to the job site.
“Being on time and in budget is the main challenge,” Gilchrist said. “Our four acres were part of a large 40 or 50acre development owned by EBSCO. They had the site to grade, and they have a master plan to have retail space all around our site in the future. “Most of the site was already cleared, but we did have several thousand yards of dirt with trees on the front of the property.” Battling the elements has been the chief concern, so far. “Weather has been a huge factor,” said Gilchrist. “Our start date was February 16, and since then we have had over 40 lost working days due to rain.” Despite that setback, Gilchrist said crews have a common goal. “We must build with the health of the patients in mind, just as the architect must design in this manner.” According to Rusty Ledbetter, Hoar senior project superintendent, steps are being taken to keep the facility clean. “There is a higher standard on cleanliness throughout the construction of a hospital to prevent infectious control issues once the facility is operational.” Equipment being used on the project includes a bulldozer for grading, a track hoe for loading soil, dump trucks for dealing with transport soils and compactors for handling compact soils. Most of the equipment is used for excavating and site work. The site contractor owns all machinery. “Most of the civil work is completed, including the retention pond and site drainage,” said Ledbetter. “The retention pond is on the lower end of the building site to catch water from the site, as well as the storm structure from highway
119. Crews are currently working on the building pad. Several thousand yards of topsoil were removed from the site from prior grade work. “The building pad will require undercutting three feet below existing grade,” said Ledbetter. “Final grade will be two feet higher than the natural existing at the building pad area. Depending on the weather, most likely slab on grade concrete will be poured during pre-dawn hours, so that the temperature of the concrete is better controlled and because of the location of the concrete plant, due to traffic on highway 280.” Materials being used to construct the new building include structural steel with a TPO roof and curtain wall plaster with aluminum composite panels to match the exterior of the Brookwood Medical Center campus seven miles away. Interiors will be acoustical ceilings and metal ceilings. The flooring is VCT and vinyl plank, as well as poured resinous flooring in some areas. Evan Terry Associates LLC, which has an extensive background in health care projects, believes the building should reflect a level of care being provided within the walls. According to president and COO Neil King, Jr., “The specific direction was to create a building that was non-institutional, but instead warm and inviting to staff and patients. The owner was specific that the finished building should reflect the image and character of the main campus as a way of communicating the level of care provided by Brookwood Medical Center. see BROOKWOOD page 6
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 3
You’re interested in performance and productivity. So are your machines.
Smart Works.
Contact your local dealer:
Birmingham, AL 205.841.6666 Madison, AL 256.350.0006 Mobile, AL 251.633.4020 Montgomery, AL 334.262.6642 Oxford, AL 256.832.5053 Pensacola, FL 850.479.3004 Atlanta, GA 404.696.7210 Cowin Equipment Company is a full-service distributor with a deep-seated history of providing customers with complete satisfaction. Invest in superior Volvo Construction Equipment machines with the confidence you deserve and the quality you demand. 1.800.239.2694 www.cowin.com
Page 4 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 5
Page 4 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 5
Page 6 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
New Facility to House Trauma Room, Diagnostic Services BROOKWOOD from page 2
“The main challenge for this building was that it will be operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This required special consideration for how patients arrive and flow into and through the building. A safe and secure environment was important to allow for patients to comfortably use the facility anytime during the day or night. Another challenge was that since this operates 365 days a year, the selection, design and arrangement of building systems were important decisions used throughout the facility. There’s a diagnostic component that operates from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The emergency department will operate 24 hours. This required providing separation from an operational standpoint, but allowing for flow between the two when patients need diagnostic and imaging services.” According to King, “This is the first of its kind. The design of the Brookwood Medical Center freestanding emergency department was rewarding professionally to the design team in that we were working on a new health care delivery method not seen in Alabama. The challenge was to create new cutting-edge architecture, which provided such an important service and purpose to the community. Being involved in the design of a project that brings emergency services to a growing community and potentially saves lives was a challenge we took very seriously, and were honored to be involved.” King said the firm’s philosophy is to always design with an eye toward sustain-
ability. The building includes high-performance glass systems. The design uses clerestory windows over the waiting rooms and ER treatment areas to bring natural light deep into the center of the building. Sustainable finishes using low VOC materials that were recyclable are seen throughout the project. An LED lighting system, which utilities energy-efficient controls and smart technology, is used throughout. The new facility will be one story. In addition to ER exam rooms, there will be a trauma room, MRI, CT scanner, X-ray and other diagnostic services. The building is designed to provide the same services patients would experience in a hospital setting. Material palette includes stucco, clear anodized aluminum, silver metallic panels and dark blue glass. “The design of medical facilities is different from other project types in a number of ways,” King said. “Health care is very highly regulated, and there are strict guidelines focused on patient care and safety. In addition to working with the local regulatory code officials, the project is also reviewed and monitored by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Their focus is on code enforcement and construction standards. There are very specific code requirements as it relates to all systems, materials and equipment used throughout. “Some of the specialty systems include medical gas systems, negative air pressure rooms, nurse call systems and building automation. Patient diagnostic and treatment
equipment such as crash carts, imaging, respiratory and cardiac monitoring add to the design challenges. There are requirements for specialty lighting for both examinations and procedures. Also, there is a growing need for mental health care within our society. Mental health safety considerations in room configurations and furnishings were a part of the medical design challenge.” The regulatory requirements for a freestanding emergency department are no different than that of a traditional emergency room, according to King. “What differs is the added services not found in the traditional emergency department and generally shared with the hospital campus. This includes pharmacy services, laboratory, respiratory, imaging, food services and general stores/receiving. These are found traditionally elsewhere on a hospital campus, but are key services needed for the success of an operational freestanding emergency department. “We draw on our 45 years of health care design experience. We’ve seen facilities transition from inpatient on campus services to a more outpatient setting, taking health care to the communities. We’ve seen surgery centers, imaging centers, urgent care and cancer treatment move from the hospital campus to the communities. The free-standing emergency department continues this movement by bringing cutting edge, lifesaving services to outlying communities.” The design goal of the facility was to reflect an environment free of stress through
the design of spaces, selection of materials and arrangement of spaces. “One of the rules taught in architecture schools comes from a quote from early 20thcentury architect Louis Sullivan, ‘form follows function.’ This is especially true for medical design. Adjacencies of departments, space for specialty equipment, storage of equipment, reduced walking distances for staff and amenities for patients and visitors — all must be decided and laid out before the exterior form takes shape. Such specific functional requirements also dictate interior materials and finishes, which then determine the interior aesthetics. It all began, though, with a fully functional floor plan. “We hope patients and visitors will leave with a feeling they’ve received the best care available in a top-notch facility that was comfortable, inviting and easy to use,” said King. “Patient satisfaction is important to health care providers, and the built environment should be a contributor to patient satisfaction.” Founded by a group of physicians in 1973, Brookwood Medical Center is credited with building Alabama’s first women’s hospital. Brookwood Medical Center is accredited by The Joint Commission and is licensed by the Alabama State Department of Health. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photo
“Currently, we are installing underground utilities to serve the building, and are bringing the site up to the proper grades with heavy equipment,” said Rodney Gilchrist, Hoar project manager.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 7
8018 MINI EXCAVATOR
FEEL THE
POWER OF A JCB
Skid Steer Loader SAE Operating Capacity Hinge Pin Height Reach at Full Height Net Horse Power Hydraulic Flow
JCB 175 1,750 lbs 118 in. 33 in. 59.59 18.5 gpm
Bobcat S550 1,750 lbs 114.5 in. 17 in. 61 17.1 gpm
Deere 318D 1,800 lbs 118 in. 29.9 in. 63 18 gpm
Backhoe Loader Bucket Breakout Force Bucket Digging Force Gross Engine Power Bucket Capacity Heaped Lift Capacity at Full Height
JCB 3CX- 14 13,603 lbs 13,730 lbf 74 hp 1.1 yd3 7,670 lbs
Deere 310K 9,350 lbs 11,106 lbf 70 hp 1.12 yd3 6,600 lbs
CAT 416F 10,772 lbs 12,791 lbf 97 hp 1 yd3 6,751 lbs
Compact Excavator JCB 8018 CTS Kubota KX41-3V Bobcat 324 19.7 hp 17 hp 13.9 hp Gross Engine Power 3,505 lbs 3,620 lbs Bucket Breakout Force 3,642 lbs 2,068 lbs 1,748 lbs 1,778 lbs Arm Crowd Force 8’ 11” 7’ 10” 8’ 6” Max. Dig Depth 8’ 5” 8’ 5” 8’ 8” Max. Dump Height
SALES. ES. RENT TAL. AL. SERVICE. SER However you depend on your equipment, JCB of Alabama has a complete range of machines to help your work day thrive. Our backhoes, excavators, skid steers, compact track loaders, telescopic handlers, teletruks and wheel loaders are engineered and built to handle the most rugged jobs while setting the industry standard for safety, versatility and Tier 4 Final technology. Our extensive line up stands strong against our competitors. Schedule a JCB demo at one of our three locations today, you won’t find a more powerful machine on any job.
www w.jcbofalabama.com .jcb MONTGOMER MER RY 791 Anderson R Road oad Montgomeryy, AL 36110
(866) 954-6522
LEEDS 8920 W Weaver eaver Avenue Leeds, AL 35094
ANNISTON 30 Plunkett Avenue Anniston, AL 36201
(888) 791-3173 (256) 312-4639 3886
Page 8 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide