Building Systems

Innovative modules for Jubilee hospital

The adoption of light steel frame building technology proved optimal for the execution of an urgent Covid-19 facility at Jubilee Hospital in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, underscoring the advantages of alternative construction systems.

Jubilee Hospital’s 10 new modular units have added a further 300 beds to meet the care for Covid-19 patients. These comprise five 25-bed intensive care unit (ICU) modules – complete with a twobed isolation ward – and five 35-bed highcare modules.

Rui Santos, senior contracts director at Concor, said the brief from the implementing agent – the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development – called for alternative construction materials to reduce the project timeframe. After considering different options, Concor decided on Futurecon’s light frame steel with prefabricated panels.

“To assist in the fast-tracking of the process, the panels were cladded on-site and were quickly followed by roof truss installation,” Santos explains. “This opened up the opportunity to get the services installed much earlier than would have been possible using conventional brickand-mortar methods. This process was facilitated by a specialised team making up the frames on-site and erecting them there and then, allowing for greater control of sequencing and pace of work.”

Concor successfully completed a fast-tracked Covid-19 facility at Jubilee Hospital using innovative building technology The new facility comprises 10 modular units

To assist in fast-tracking the process, the panels were clad on-site and followed by roof truss installation

Module layout

The ICU and high-care modules each consist of two separate wings with a central nurse’s station, sluice and ablutions, with central utility areas for offices, storage areas and a waiting area. It was vital for the rapid roll-out of the project that the appropriate wet services and ventilation systems were selected to allow for all mechanical services to be commissioned on a stand-alone basis. They also needed to accommodate future expansion, as required.

The design brief incorporated a combination of field hospital standards and the usual Infrastructure Unit Support Systems requirements. According to Courtney Hart, architect at Osmond Lang Architects & Planners, the new modules were also designed with their future use in mind. “While satisfying the need for a 300-bed Covid-19 facility, the facility can be used for more general hospital purposes going forward,” says Hart. The current design prioritises the intensive care that Covid-19 patients will require, and the ways that clinicians must conduct their procedures, including visual and physical access to the patients.

Keeping up the speed of construction meant implementing a double-shift schedule, ensuring work continued almost 24 hours a day. To maintain the necessary momentum, Concor strengthened its core complement of employees – making for an on-site workforce at peak, including subcontractors – of 350 to 400 people. Moving materials and panels was facilitated with a couple of telehandlers, but the results were achieved with little need for specialised construction equipment or cranes.