Project Description

The redevelopment of this state-of-the-art healthcare facility spans two sites, featuring a new Acute Hospital and a new Mental Health Unit adjacent to the existing Edith Cavell Hospital, as well as a new Integrated Care Centre on the current District Hospital site. Multiplex led a consortium of architects, health planners, and engineers, known as Progress Health, to bring this ambitious development to fruition.

The Mental Health Unit includes a central, two-storey administration block surrounded by single-storey pavilions, offering a comprehensive and supportive environment for mental health care. The Integrated Care Centre provides non-acute and intermediate care within the community, designed in a non-hospital setting. This building employs a hybrid reinforced concrete and structural steel frame.

The new Acute Hospital and Mental Health Unit were meticulously designed to ensure the existing hospital remained fully operational throughout the construction and commissioning of the new facilities.

Added Value

At Robert Bird Group, we played a crucial role in enhancing the project's value by designing the structure to meet the stringent serviceability criteria of a modern hospital. Various structural frames were evaluated before selecting the Corus-developed ‘Slimdek’ system, a composite of steel and concrete. This innovative system facilitated unobstructed services distribution and installation while reducing foundation loads compared to a conventional flat slab. The use of shallow pad footings instead of piled foundations further streamlined the construction process and mitigated ground impact.