Offsite construction specialist the McAvoy Group has craned the final modules into position for a new wing at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington.
McAvoy has a £15m contract to build the 6,500m2, three-storey building.
The building was craned into position as 294 steel-framed modules in a build programme that took less than 12 months – half the time of a traditional build.
The bespoke modules are larger than normal – up to 14.85m long – and have been specially engineered to provide a structural flooring solution that seamlessly integrates with the existing hospital building, removing the need for ramps and steps.
Mechanical ventilation, heating and cooling systems have been installed in the ceiling voids in the McAvoy factory, in what is thought to be an industry first in the healthcare sector.
Raymond Millar, construction director of the McAvoy Group said: “This is a very challenging project on a live hospital site. We are integrating with the design of the existing hospital and using offsite construction to deliver the building to a short programme, achieve exceptional value for money and to the required quality standards. The installation of the final modules is a major milestone for the project and a significant achievement for the project team in the middle of winter and on such an exposed site as this.”
The first floor of the new wing will be fitted out as part of this contract to accommodate one of the UK’s first purpose-designed ambulatory care units, with the other two floors fitted out in the next phase of the development.
