News areas of the site . Various underground services also had to be located and rerouted before the raft slabs could be cast .
“ A flexible working approach served us well under these conditions ,” Santos says . “ Where our ground preparations demanded more time , we were able to refocus activity on another cluster – making good progress elsewhere to keep everything on track .”
The ICU and high care modules each consist of two separate wings with a central nurse ’ s station , sluice and ablutions , with central utility areas for offices , storage areas and waiting area . It was vital for the rapid rollout of the project that the appropriate wet services and ventilation systems were selected , to allow all mechanical services to be commissioned on a standalone basis . They also needed to accommodate future expansion as required .
The design brief incorporated a combination of field hospital standards and the usual Infrastructure Unit Support Systems ( IUSS ) requirements . According to Courtney Hart , architect at Osmond Lang Architects & Planners , the new modules were also designed with their future use in mind – providing a lifespan beyond the Covid-19 pandemic .
“ While satisfying the need for a 300-bed Covid-19 facility , the facility can be used for more general hospital purposes going forward ,” says Hart . The current design prioritises the intensive care that Covid-19 patients will require , and the ways that clinicians must conduct their procedures , including visual and physical access to the patients . Compliance with the various national standards was ensured as a matter of course , including SANS10400 regarding energy use and SANS10252 for water supply and drainage installations .
Keeping up the speed of construction meant implementing a double-shift schedule , ensuring work continued almost 24 hours a day . To maintain the necessary momentum , Concor strengthened its core complement of employees , making for an on-site workforce at peak – including subcontractors – of 350 to 400 people . Moving materials and panels was facilitated with a couple of telehandlers , but the results were achieved with little need for specialised construction equipment or cranes .
STANDALONE HVAC SYSTEMS The heating , ventilation and air conditioning ( HVAC ) systems at Jubilee Hospital ’ s new Covid-19 facility were designed in a modular format so all mechanical services could be in place and commissioned on a standalone basis . According to Santos , this allowed each module to be fully functional while independent of the others .
“ Due to the fast-tracking of the project to meet the strict timelines , as well as the roll out nature of the contract , it was decided to select self-contained package type units ,” says Santos . “ These were zoned and sized to provide full conditioned fresh air to contaminated areas within the modules .”
Gernod Swoboda , manager ( Gauteng ) at Dihlase Consulting Engineers , highlights that the manufacturing and assembling of
The turnkey project involved ten modular units with 300 beds – comprising five 25-bed intensive care unit ( ICU ) modules and five 35-bed high care modules .
The ICU and high care modules each consist of two separate wings with a central nurse ’ s station , sluice and ablutions , with central utility areas for offices , storage areas and waiting area .
the HVAC systems had to be easy to accommodate and install on site , with minimum effort and complications .
“ At the same time , due to the infectious nature of the Covid-19 virus , the IUSS guidelines call for extensive replacement of fresh air in facilities at a preferred rate of 12 air changes per hour , while maintaining certain pressure regimes ,” says Swoboda . “ The ICU and high care wards are served by dedicated heat-pumped , inverted-driven package units , with a separate unit serving the left and right wing zones of the modules ”.
The units provide conditioned air in accordance with IUSS guidelines . Diffusers are strategically placed to ensure suitable air flow within the room , with extraction through ceiling-mounted extract grilles above the patient ’ s head , he notes . A negative pressure is ensured in the ward areas relative to surrounding spaces , to prevent cross-contamination of air to adjacent areas . RACA
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