Rycroft’s prefabrication skills used to good effect for hospital project

With no spare space on the site of Derby’s new acute hospital for storage and fabrication work, the expertise of Rycroft proved invaluable in designing and making water-heating equipment that could be craned into position and connected quickly and easily. The new hospital will provide 1159 beds and 128 00 m2 of hospital buildings, including 35 operating theatres. The existing Derby City and Derby Royal Infirmary will be consolidated into the new site. This is a PFI project, and main contractor Skanska will, on completion, provide FM cover for 35 years. Geoff Ward, operations director with Rycroft, explains, ‘We were able to build on our knowledge of similar projects and so did not have to re-invent any wheels. Control and information is vital on such a large installation, and we could design the sets to be compatible with the buildings’ BMS. We were also able to suggest ways of getting a better fit into the space available.’ Components were selected to meet the 35-year service life of the installation and to ensure easy access and simplicity for service staff. The sets were delivered on schedule. The three Maximiser water-storage units, the heat station and the chilled-water set had to be made to be lifted in through the roof construction into the roof-top services space, and so were delivered in three sections.

Related links:

• www.rycroft.com