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Fire alarm for powered doors

Leave a Comment / Construction, Design, Permitting, Local AHJ, MEP

Facility name: Regional Medical Center Of San Jose

Project name: RMCSAJ-052017M-ASC(OP Surgery)
Location: SAN JOSE, CA
Project classification: Hospital – Renovation
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 0838500026
Lesson Learned number: 187
Impact: Cost, Schedule

Cost impact: $8,500 Schedule impact: 7 days

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

On this project the fire alarm was designed prior to bid and the completed fire alarm shop drawings were part of the bid package and not created as a deferred submittal by the fire alarm subcontractor.  We had numerous doors with auto operators, and the fire alarm shop drawings didn’t capture the code-required relay that triggers those powered doors to close when the alarm activated.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Ensure fire alarm design that is included in the Permit/OSHPD documents identifies rated openings and auto operators and include the required Fire Alarm Integration, relays, etc.  If fire alarm design is a post Permit/OSHPD approval (like an OSHPD deferred approval), then note this requirement within the specification for integration with the project fire alarm system.

Keywords

Fire Alarm, Doors, Operators

Sliding doors at Isolation Rooms

Leave a Comment / Design, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: Regional Medical Center Of San Jose

Project name: RMCSAJ-052017M-ASC(OP Surgery)
Location: SAN JOSE, CA
Project classification: Hospital – Renovation
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 0838500026
Lesson Learned number: 186
Impact: Quality

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

Rooms with sliding glass ICU/CCU doors sometimes have Isolation Rooms with differential pressure monitors.  These doors do not typically come with bottom sweeps, and these rooms will not meet pressure relationships without them.  At this project, due to limited width of the door opening, the ICU door was specified as a 3-panel door instead of a 2-panel door.  This made it especially problematic to meet the pressures.  The gaps between panels were doubled, and the middle panel became a difficult location on which to apply a sweep without interfering with the roller in the bottom needed for the breakaway function.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Limit design to 2-panel ICU doors in rooms with pressure monitoring.

Keywords

ICU, Doors, pressure monitoring, sliding, breakaway doors, hardware, sweeps

Vibrocompaction Footing Size Change

Leave a Comment / Planning, Design, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: Lawnwood Regional Medical Center

Project name: LAWNWD-062019M-New Tower and CEP
Location: Fort Pierce, FL
Project classification: Hospital – Vertical Expansion
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 3093200010
Lesson Learned number: 185
Impact: Schedule, Scope

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

In EDI, we found that the original specified vibro-compaction and smaller footings directly adjacent to the hospital would cause too many issues with the existing facility, so we wrote an RFI to change the footings to larger ones and eliminate the vibrocompaction at those footings. This is to avoid the effects of the vibration to the hospital. Footings are oversize to remove need for vibro underneath.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

When planning to use vibro-compaction, consider proximity of existing facilities.

Keywords

Vibro, Vibrocompaction, footings, foundations, existing

Related files. Click to view/download.

File 1:
501735.pdf

Isolation Pad Requirement Clarity

Leave a Comment / Design, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: The Medical Center Aurora

Project name: MCAURO-032018M-CMP-New Tower
Location: AURORA, CO
Project classification: Hospital – Vertical Expansion
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 2740000009
Lesson Learned number: 184
Impact: Cost, Schedule

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

Clarity on isolation pad requirements for AHU’s.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Clearly designate on plans if isolation is required, and if so the job specific locations.  Use notes on mechanical schedule clearly indicating if isolation is required for equipment.  Scope should be identified on architectural, structural and mechanical documents.

Keywords

Isolation Pad requirements, AHUs

ADA Shower Pans

Leave a Comment / Design, Construction, Constructability (means & methods), Vendors

Facility name: Mercy Hospital

Project name: MERCYH-032019M-Inpatient Rehab Expansion
Location: MIAMI, FL
Project classification: Hospital – Renovation
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 2611000022
Lesson Learned number: 183
Impact: Cost, Schedule, Quality

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

1. The existing dimensions in the contract drawings were incorrect for the bathroom walls. By the time we set the shower bases the walls were framed and hung. We had to add an additional ½” layer of tile backer to accommodate, and now we have a bump out detail that had to fill with thinset in order to hide the error in dimensions. 2. The tile substrate specified was 3/8” thick instead of the ¼” as on the Inpro details. This caused some issues with the alignment of the tile finish face and the finish of the vertical barriers of the shower base. We had to leave the tile backer further back and have our tile guys build out the delta in order to have the 3/8” material line up flush. 3. Inpro has a unique detail on their installation instructions showing a 1” air gap from the bottom of the tile backer to the receiver on the shower bases. Only the wall finish extends down to sit on the tile ledge of the shower pan. We had to reach out to Inpro to confirm if the air gap was needed and question if this could be an intrusion point for moisture. They advised us to disregard the air gap and said that that detail was only to be followed if we were using the solid surface paneling provided by Inpro as a wall finish material.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Conduct infield coordination meeting with all of the trades. Vendor (i.e. Inpro) to provide specific specs to the project. 

Keywords

Shower Pans, Inpro

Improvements in Third Party Owned Buildings

Leave a Comment / Planning, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: Ogden Regional Medical Center

Project name: OGDNMC-012020M-New Rehab Unit
Location: OGDEN, UT
Project classification: Hospital – Shell Buildout
Project type: MOB
Project number: 3441500009
Lesson Learned number: 182
Impact: Cost, Schedule, Quality, Scope

Cost impact: $65,000 Schedule impact: 10 days

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

For HCA Tenant Improvement Projects located in 3rd Party Owned Buildings, verify existing construction is suitable to allow work to start and avoid schedule delays.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

HCA Design and Construction, the Design Team, and the Contractors should walk the area as soon as access is available to review the existing construction conditions.

At any point during planning, design, or pre-construction that a non-compliant issue arises, it should be communicated to all parties so solutions can be determined prior to planned construction start.

Example

New 3rd Party Owned Medical Office Building utilizing Fiber Mesh Concrete Reinforcement in slabs which lead to severe cracking and fiber “residue” in existing slab. Cracking is a structural issue that needs review by a structural consultant. “Residue” of Fibers on the face of the slab affects flooring installations and required a planned solution.

Keywords

3rd Party Owned Buildings, Severe Slab Cracking, Fiber Mesh Reinforcing Residue, Renovation

Motorized Dampers at Louvers

Leave a Comment / Construction, MEP

Facility name: East Florida Division Office

Project name: DAVHOS-102018M-New Hospital (NOVAMC)
Location: Davie, FL
Project classification: Hospital – New
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 3597900001
Lesson Learned number: 181
Impact: Cost

Cost impact: $49,705

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

CEP mechanical drawing required a quick opening motorized damper at the louvers on the north wall of the CEP and requires that the dampers are interlocked with the generator.  The louvers at this particular location in the CEP were specified to be architectural louvers by Construction Specialties as CS Model DC-9614 and were provided accordingly. The CS Model DC-914 louver does not require motorized dampers to achieve the specified wind driven rain performance.

There are other smaller mechanical louvers in the CEP and louvers with motorized dampers in the CEP that were provided by the mechanical contractor and were specified as Pottorff Model ECD-545-MD in the mechanical specifications, which require a motorized CD-51 damper option to achieve wind driven rain performance.  These louvers that include the motorized dampers were interlocked with their respective equipment as specified. 

Based on the specification noting the use of motorized dampers at the Pottorf  louvers for wind driven rain performance, the mechanical contractor assumed the CS Model DC-9614 would also come equipped with the motorized dampers and therefore did not carry the motorized dampers required to interlock with the generators per sheet M1.02. Cladding Systems who provided all CS Model DC-9614 louvers did not carry any motorized dampers as the louvers did not require it.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Our lesson learned is to ensure that anytime louver scope is being divided between mechanical and architectural specifications, ensure all components of the louver system are properly reviewed for coverage and gaps do not exist. We specifically studied and coordinated quantity, location, finish, blank-off panels at louvers with no mechanical connections / purpose and louvers with ducted O/A connections to ensure there were no scope gaps and were successful on these items, however, the project team did not vet the motorized dampers which were specified only at a couple locations on the entire project.

Keywords

dampers, louvers, coordination, motorized damper, architectural louver, elevation, outside air, interlocks

OR Ceiling Height

Leave a Comment / Design, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: P-SL Medical Center

Project name: PRSTLK-022017P1-Surgery Renovation
Location: DENVER, CO
Project classification: Hospital – Renovation
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 2720000020
Lesson Learned number: 180
Impact: Cost, Scope

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

Renovations involving OR hard lid ceiling prevent the ability to review above ceiling conflicts in advance.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Account for more contingency room due to unknown ceiling conditions. Where existing structures are cast in place, above ceiling existing structure should be evaluated before establishing finished ceiling heights.

Keywords

OR Ceiling, Renovation

Minor Renovations

Leave a Comment / Planning, Design, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: P-SL Medical Center

Project name: PRSTLK-022017P1-Surgery Renovation
Location: DENVER, CO
Project classification: Hospital – Renovation
Project type: Acute Care
Project number: 2720000020
Lesson Learned number: 179
Impact: Cost, Schedule, Scope

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

“Minor Renovation” OR rooms become full demo rooms if more than cosmetic upgrades are performed.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Determine during design if Minor Renovation OR rooms are truly appropriate/desired, because if anything other than cosmetic upgrades are required, the cost impact will meet or exceed a full renovation.  Replacing/relocating existing HVAC equipment, adding new lights, and installing a stainless steel package requires a tremendous amount of demolition.

Keywords

Planning, ORs, Renovation

Long Lead Items on Accelerated Schedule

Leave a Comment / Construction, Constructability (means & methods)

Facility name: Ogden Regional Medical Center

Project name: OGDNMC-012020M-New Rehab Unit
Location: OGDEN, UT
Project classification: Hospital – Shell Buildout
Project type: MOB
Project number: 3441500009
Lesson Learned number: 178
Impact: Schedule

Schedule impact: 25 days

Lesson Learned/Best Practice

For Projects with Accelerated Schedules and no time for Early Release of Long Lead Time Materials, verify materials can be obtained in time to meet the required schedule during Preconstruction.

Suggested Actions for Future Projects

Plan for Early Release of Long Lead Time Materials, Equipment (Contractor and Owner Provided including Equipment , IT&S and Unified Communications), review the need for these items early in the project development to review options for obtaining items in time to meet the required accelerated schedule.  Ensure to review these potential early items with DM and CM during RFP and design phases.

Keywords

Accelerated Schedule, Review Long Lead Material Items during Preconstruction, Request Substitutions during Preconstruction, Rehab