Rendering courtesy of HDR Architecture |
Coral
Springs Medical Center ED and CEP Expansion/
Coral Springs, Florida
Architect
HDR Architecture/Tampa, Florida
Owner
Broward Health/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Cost
$30 million
TLC Services
MEP/FP/S/Voice-Data/Security
The
24-hour emergency room has several innovative features
including a fast track program for less critical patients
and a separate emergency pediatric unit. The one-story
expansion is constructed of structural steel and metal
deck. The rooftop mechanical room is composed of 5 ½”
composite metal deck designed to decrease the noise and
vibration generated by the air handling units. Both the
new building and the mechanical room have a concrete masonry
exterior. The fact that the one-story addition rises slightly
higher than the hospital’s first story posed a challenge
to structural engineers due to the existing curtain wall.
This meant strategic placement of the new rooftop mechanical
room and design of an odd-shaped gutter system to connect
with the existing gutter system. The structural design
includes a cantilever, cable-stayed structural steel canopy
at the new ER main drop-off and a structural steel canopy
at the ambulance entry. A portion of the existing ambulance
entry canopy will be demolished to make room for the expansion.
To maintain operation of the hospital’s HVAC system
throughout the phased construction, two new air handling
units were added to the mechanical penthouse and were
activated early. The ED’s isolation rooms are equipped
with pressure monitors and a dedicated exhaust fan designed
to discharge above the roof. Expansion of the central
plant included replacing a 250-ton chiller with a new
650-ton centrifugal chiller and a primary and two secondary
pumps. TLC engineers also faced a challenge because the
chillers are located close to the boilers, which is a
violation of ASHRAE standards. Since it wasn’t feasible
to separate the equipment, engineers designed an “interlock”
to de-energize the chiller if refrigerant leaks.
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