Technology, Prefab Deliver New CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline Patient Care Tower

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. recently completed the CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – Shoreline, new patient care tower, located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The new tower, which broke ground in July 2016, was completed 41 days ahead of the contracted completion date. Part of the hospital’s master facility plan, the new 400,000-square-foot, 10-story tower significantly adds to the hospital’s capability in providing care for patients.

The tower consists of a new expanded emergency department and Level Two Trauma Center – the only one in a 12-county area – including four ultramodern trauma bays, imagining facilities, 200 new patient rooms, endoscopy suite, full dietary services, graduate residency spaces, as well as other clinical and procedural departments. In addition to the tower, a new central utility plant and multiple renovation areas totaling over 12,000 square feet were completed with this phase of the master facility plan.

McCarthy’s use of best practices and client service ensured the success of this multi-building, multi-phased project. Teams spent a significant amount of time coordinating with all partners to meet the project goals. Teams utilized Building Information Modeling and colored coordination drawings to help crews understand production goals and coordinate work within the building. Further, months of planning, testing and construction verifications were conducted by the project team to prepare the new tower for the Texas Department of Health inspection. McCarthy and its trade partners conducted multiple pre-testing scenarios to ensure all testing would be accepted. In addition, one last round of visual inspections was conducted to ensure there would be no issues discovered during the final inspection. Through all this preparation, the inspection process was efficient and effective.

During construction, McCarthy utilized the following technology:

Laser scanning

  • In renovation areas prior to start of work to locate existing utilities and integrate existing conditions into coordination model.
  • In critical areas such as the operating rooms, documented the as-built condition of the new space before closure of walls and ceilings.
  • Prior to concrete placement to document exact rebar locations, confirm plumbing/electrical sleeve locations and embed placement before each deck pour.
  • Documented concrete placement flatness and levelness through laser scanning.

Infrared scanning

  • Thermal imaging on existing hospital exterior enclosure to confirm conditions and note any potential issues for repair before start of work.

BIM/VDC

  • Utilized BIM for mechanical, electrical and plumbing coordination, which allowed for prefabrication elements. Prefabrication allowed for the fast-track schedule and enhanced the safety and quality aspects of the installation.

Virtual reality

  • Utilized virtual mock-ups using Revit and 3D goggles prior to building, allowing user groups to get a feel of the space before building physical room mock-ups.

Perkins + Will served as architect on the project.

Photos courtesy of James Steinkamp Photography.

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Posted April 10, 2019

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