Hat-Trick of Hospital Projects
Leading geotechnical specialist, Bachy Soletanche Limited (BSL), is in the process of providing piling work for a hat trick of hospitals, with projects underway in Manchester, St Helens and Whiston. The projects encompass foundation work for new buildings and extensions at the three multi million pound developments. The new projects are part of a programme of improvements and modernisation at NHS facilities in the north west of England, which is due for full completion in 2010.
With work well underway at the three hospital developments, Contract Manager at Bachy Soletanche, Steve Mallinson commented:
“It is unusual for three similar projects to be running simultaneously and in such close proximity – and we are pleased to be a part of a programme of hospital developments in the northwest.”
“Each job is running very smoothly and we are confident all three contracts will be completed on schedule.” He added
The Manchester project is part of a four hundred and twenty million pound New Hospital Development providing new facilities for Manchester Royal Infirmary and a new Children’s Hospital. As the largest development of the three contracts, the project is split into several stages, which have been running over several years. Richard Mercer, Contract Engineer at Bachy Soletanche explained:
“We are completing the piling work over a number of stages for what is a massive hospital redevelopment. The first stage was started in back 2004 and the final stage will complete June next year.”
The latest stage of the Manchester Hospital project involves 380 continuous flight auger (CFA) piles being constructed, with diameters ranging from 300mm and 1200mm. The piles are being bored into sandstone at a variety of depths between 6 metres to 17.5 metres. As this second stage comes to a conclusion on 7 November this year, Bachy Soletanche is already planning ahead for the final stage with main contractor, Bovis.
Roughly twenty-five miles away, the St Helens and Whiston projects are constructing piles for the two extensions to the existing hospitals. Collectively, Bachy Soletanche will construct a massive 1,700 CFA piles, each 600mm in diameter, along with 120 large diameter auger (LDA) piles with a 800mm diameter. The depths of the piling work at the two developments, however, differ greatly – as the Whiston piles are bored at shorter depths of between 5 and 8 metres, compared to the deeper piles at the St Helens project of 8 to 15 metres.
Steve Mallinson added:
“The St Helens and Whiston projects are fast track programmes that are due to be completed within eight to nine weeks of the contract start date. Both projects are running smoothly and will be fully complete for the main contractors Taylor Woodrow on time.”