Inova Loudoun Hospital North Patient Tower
Inova Loudoun Hospital North Patient Tower | Leesburg, Virginia
Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA welcomed the first patients to its new seven-story, 385,000-sq.-ft. North Patient Tower in April of 2020, unveiling a state-of-the-art addition and renovation that is a showcase of quality, innovation and patient-centered design and construction.
Partners
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Client Inova Loudoun Hospital
Project Details
Designed by HDR Architecture, Inc. and built by DPR, the North Tower features a dramatic new main entry canopy and drop off concourse that connects all major service lines of the new ground level and expanded first floor. It is linked to the adjacent parking garage by a covered pedestrian bridge.
Representing a key phase of the hospital’s $300 million master plan expansion of facilities and services, the patient tower largely consists of in-patient bed units and complimentary healthcare functions. These include: diagnostic services, imaging and laboratories on the first floor; labor and delivery (L&D) services including 12 L&D rooms and a 24-bed NICU on floor 2; 24 post-partum rooms and 24 medical /surgery rooms on the fourth floor; 48 beds of intermediate care medical and surgical patient rooms on the fifth floor; and shell space slated for 96 total additional beds on floors six and seven. The project also includes a mechanical penthouse with a future helipad above and an above-grade basement.
ENR Mid-Atlantic Best Healthcare Project Award of
Merit
The Inova Loudoun North Patient Tower was honored with an ENR Mid-Atlantic's Best Health Care Project Award of Merit in 2020.
High Degree of Quality Control
In addition to the new construction, DPR performed numerous renovations throughout the existing hospital in order to seamlessly connect the new tower to the existing facility. Many of these renovation work areas were adjacent to the active hospital functions and patient care areas, requiring special measures to mitigate impact to ongoing operations.
The project team overcame myriad challenges as they worked to maintain a high degree of quality control, meet the owner’s cost goals and achieve the aggressive 26-month schedule. The team and owner embraced a “one list” mentality, using one BIM 360 list to track all quality issues. They implemented a host of innovative construction technologies such as sensors to monitor concrete strength, drone technology for logistics planning and quality control, QR codes to track quality control on specific components and 3D printed models to help align trade partners for the concrete work, to name a few.
DPR delivered the project below budget and ahead of schedule in December 2019, enabling the facility to open its doors for patients the following spring.
The Challenges
Achieving Goals in an Active Environment
Achieving the owner’s cost, schedule and quality expectations was an overriding challenge on this project. The team faced logistical challenges in constructing a new main entrance directly next to an active hospital; they needed to minimize any impacts to ongoing hospital operations while maintaining an aggressive schedule. With multiple tie-in points, the team had to adjust working hours and closely consider all design decisions with an eye on how they would impact operations of the active hospital.
Photo: With multiple tie-in points, the team had to adjust working hours and closely consider all design decisions with an eye on how they would impact operations of the active hospital.
Coordinating Seismic and Sound Impacts
In addition, the project site’s location on top of a Jurassic age diabase—one of the hardest rocks on earth—required extensive blasting, which meant the team needed to closely coordinate seismic and sound impacts with hospital staff. The team blasted for 48 consecutive working days and worked closely to revisit the type and elevation of the foundations to streamline the process. Because dealing with rocks and excavation opens the door to many unknowns and financial risks, the team had to develop an allowance for over-blasting and a risk matrix for the work.
Photo: The team blasted for 48 consecutive working days and worked closely to revisit the type and elevation of the foundations to streamline the process.
Prioritizing Safety in Hospital Construction
Connecting the new 228-bed patient tower to the existing hospital, directly in front of an active medical center, posed significant safety challenges, especially with the extensive rock blasting required for foundations. With numerous trades on site simultaneously, site-specific safety plans were essential to maintaining an incident free environment. The project team piloted HammerTech, a comprehensive safety platform that tracked safety data sheets, site specific safety plans, job hazard analysis, daily reports, hot permits, pre-task plans, orientations, and company, contact, and emergency information all in one place.
Photo: The project team piloted HammerTech, a comprehensive safety platform that tracked safety and emergency information all in one place.
The
Challenges
Achieving Goals in an Active Environment
Achieving the owner’s cost, schedule and quality expectations was an overriding challenge on this project. The team faced logistical challenges in constructing a new main entrance directly next to an active hospital; they needed to minimize any impacts to ongoing hospital operations while maintaining an aggressive schedule. With multiple tie-in points, the team had to adjust working hours and closely consider all design decisions with an eye on how they would impact operations of the active hospital.
Photo: With multiple tie-in points, the team had to adjust working hours and closely consider all design decisions with an eye on how they would impact operations of the active hospital.
Coordinating Seismic and Sound Impacts
In addition, the project site’s location on top of a Jurassic age diabase—one of the hardest rocks on earth—required extensive blasting, which meant the team needed to closely coordinate seismic and sound impacts with hospital staff. The team blasted for 48 consecutive working days and worked closely to revisit the type and elevation of the foundations to streamline the process. Because dealing with rocks and excavation opens the door to many unknowns and financial risks, the team had to develop an allowance for over-blasting and a risk matrix for the work.
Photo: The team blasted for 48 consecutive working days and worked closely to revisit the type and elevation of the foundations to streamline the process.
Prioritizing Safety in Hospital Construction
Connecting the new 228-bed patient tower to the existing hospital, directly in front of an active medical center, posed significant safety challenges, especially with the extensive rock blasting required for foundations. With numerous trades on site simultaneously, site-specific safety plans were essential to maintaining an incident free environment. The project team piloted HammerTech, a comprehensive safety platform that tracked safety data sheets, site specific safety plans, job hazard analysis, daily reports, hot permits, pre-task plans, orientations, and company, contact, and emergency information all in one place.
Photo: The project team piloted HammerTech, a comprehensive safety platform that tracked safety and emergency information all in one place.
The Solutions
Cost Saving Strategies
To meet the owner’s cost, schedule and quality goals, the project team engaged in an extensive value engineering exercise at the start of the project—and, as a result, shaved approximately $3.5 million from the CD level documents. One of the most significant cost saving strategies was changing the façade material from ultra-high-performance concrete panels to terracotta. The black aggregate sand-blasted terracotta panels, which the manufacturer said was the first of their kind, became a defining feature of the façade.
Photo: One of the most significant cost saving strategies was changing the façade material from ultra-high-performance concrete panels to terracotta.
Innovative Construction Solutions
The project team embraced innovation, working to deliver innovative construction solutions and to elevate the patient experience by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like dimmable LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers into patient rooms. In one pilot application, the project used sensors to monitor concrete strength maturity, temperatures and relative humidity, gathering and analyzing data in hopes of understanding the advantages of this technology for future use.
Photo: The project team elevated the patient experience by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like dimmable LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers into patient rooms
Advanced Technological Applications
The team leveraged drone technology to provide visual progress, updates, logistics planning and quality control. To align trade partners prior to the concrete work, DPR created a 3D printed model which helped them visualize the areas of work. They used an array of applications, including BIM 360 Field to manage Inova’s quality control processes. QR codes were used to track and perform quality control on doors and hardware. Additionally, mock-ups played an outsize role in maintaining quality and were employed for the building façade, patient rooms and toilet and bathrooms.
To cope with a challenge involving the floor-mounted / rear-discharging toilets in the patient rooms, the team coordinated this scope of work early on and devised a 1:1 mock-up. The mock-up saved rework by helping the design and construction team decide to depress the entire footprint of the bathroom and adjust the rebar layout.
Photo: Mock-ups played an outsize role in maintaining quality and were employed for the building façade, patient rooms and toilet and bathrooms.
Safety is Everyone’s Job
To ensure a safe and efficient work environment, the team implemented several innovative strategies:
- Implementing the HammerTech platform for everyone on site to report safety issues and perform inspections.
- Recognizing and rewarding positive safety practices by nominating “safety workers of the week.”
- Continually seeking safer work methods, including using precast stairs instead of steel pan stairs to maintain floor without using ladders or scaffolds.
These efforts collectively contributed to a safer and more productive construction process.
Photo: To ensure a safe and efficient work environment, the team implemented several innovative strategies, including the HammerTech safety platform, rewarding positive safety practices by nominating “safety workers of the week" and continually seeking safer work methods.
The
Solutions
Cost Saving Strategies
To meet the owner’s cost, schedule and quality goals, the project team engaged in an extensive value engineering exercise at the start of the project—and, as a result, shaved approximately $3.5 million from the CD level documents. One of the most significant cost saving strategies was changing the façade material from ultra-high-performance concrete panels to terracotta. The black aggregate sand-blasted terracotta panels, which the manufacturer said was the first of their kind, became a defining feature of the façade.
Photo: One of the most significant cost saving strategies was changing the façade material from ultra-high-performance concrete panels to terracotta.
Innovative Construction Solutions
The project team embraced innovation, working to deliver innovative construction solutions and to elevate the patient experience by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like dimmable LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers into patient rooms. In one pilot application, the project used sensors to monitor concrete strength maturity, temperatures and relative humidity, gathering and analyzing data in hopes of understanding the advantages of this technology for future use.
Photo: The project team elevated the patient experience by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like dimmable LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers into patient rooms
Advanced Technological Applications
The team leveraged drone technology to provide visual progress, updates, logistics planning and quality control. To align trade partners prior to the concrete work, DPR created a 3D printed model which helped them visualize the areas of work. They used an array of applications, including BIM 360 Field to manage Inova’s quality control processes. QR codes were used to track and perform quality control on doors and hardware. Additionally, mock-ups played an outsize role in maintaining quality and were employed for the building façade, patient rooms and toilet and bathrooms.
To cope with a challenge involving the floor-mounted / rear-discharging toilets in the patient rooms, the team coordinated this scope of work early on and devised a 1:1 mock-up. The mock-up saved rework by helping the design and construction team decide to depress the entire footprint of the bathroom and adjust the rebar layout.
Photo: Mock-ups played an outsize role in maintaining quality and were employed for the building façade, patient rooms and toilet and bathrooms.
Safety is Everyone’s Job
To ensure a safe and efficient work environment, the team implemented several innovative strategies:
- Implementing the HammerTech platform for everyone on site to report safety issues and perform inspections.
- Recognizing and rewarding positive safety practices by nominating “safety workers of the week.”
- Continually seeking safer work methods, including using precast stairs instead of steel pan stairs to maintain floor without using ladders or scaffolds.
These efforts collectively contributed to a safer and more productive construction process.
Photo: To ensure a safe and efficient work environment, the team implemented several innovative strategies, including the HammerTech safety platform, rewarding positive safety practices by nominating “safety workers of the week" and continually seeking safer work methods.
Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA welcomed the first patients to its new seven-story, 385,000-sq.-ft. North Patient Tower in April of 2020, unveiling a state-of-the-art addition and renovation that is a showcase of quality, innovation and patient-centered design and construction.
DPR performed numerous renovations throughout the existing hospital in order to seamlessly connect the new tower to the existing facility.
The project team overcame myriad challenges as they worked to maintain a high degree of quality control, meet the owner’s cost goals and achieve the aggressive 26-month schedule.
The project team embraced innovation, working to deliver innovative construction solutions and to elevate the patient experience by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like dimmable LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers into patient rooms.
Mock-ups played an outsize role in maintaining quality and were employed for the building façade, patient rooms and toilet and bathrooms.
One of the most significant cost saving strategies was changing the façade material from ultra-high-performance concrete panels to terracotta.
Designed by HDR Architecture, Inc. and built by DPR, the North Tower features a dramatic new main entry canopy and drop off concourse that connects all major service lines of the new ground level and expanded first floor. It is linked to the adjacent parking garage by a covered pedestrian bridge.
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) Honors Award,
Healthcare
The Inova Loudoun North Patient Tower was bestowed the CRSI Honors Award for Healthcare in 2022.
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