Colossal Construction for Good Health

The design team is bringing this new 250,000 square foot, four-story, special concentric braced frame building to life. And it’s no small matter. The concrete foundation, amounting to 23 million pounds, contains a mixture of cement, aggregates and water poured over two layers of thick rebar, which are crisscrossed and spaced two feet apart. The braced frame lateral system is designed to minimize the impact on occupant flow and to provide a robust response to expected seismic demands. Anchor bolts measuring three inches in diameter and seven feet in length are placed at all gridline locations to bolt the steel structure to the foundation. With construction costs approximated at $150 million, the project centers on a mat foundation system. This is a cost-effective solution to the poor soil conditions at the site.

Larger than any other project of its kind in the entire desert area, the foundation pour required a convoy of 600 trucks hauling concrete from two local plants in Thousand Palms and Indio, five concrete boom pumps with two standing by, six pack back concrete vibrators with six additional standing by all to ensure proper consolidation of the five foot thick mat slab. Rapid growth in the Coachella Valley and higher patient demands will be met with a net gain of 65 beds for a total of 160 in the new facility. The patient rooms will serve as an extension of the existing hospital’s ICU and CCU to accompany other inpatient care and administrative offices. Access to the new building will be facilitated by a three-story bridge structure connecting it to an adjacent existing wing.