Skip to main content

Glenfield Hospital – Innovative Rooftop Ward Extension

By August 20, 2020June 7th, 2022Healthcare, Project Portfolio
Glenfield Hospital Exterior

Innovative, Modern Methods of Construction pushed the boundaries of the construction industry at our rooftop ward project to Glenfield Hospital.

The Requirements

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust had a requirement to develop their existing site to create a new 12 bed renal ward department, plus an extra 52 acute beds, at Glenfield Hospital. This work was integral to the Trust’s wider plans to develop the city’s hospitals.

The Solution

Spending time with the Trust’s stakeholders and understanding the site constraints, MTX established a bespoke, off -site solution sited on top of the current hospital and sandwiched between a university building, pathology department, mortuary and live wards underneath. This innovative method of construction ensured that the hospital got the vital new wards they needed, without taking up any further ground space. Using an 84m high crane, 120 modules were craned into place in just 14 days. This single storey solution delivered 3,700m² of new accommodation, comprising of a high quality 12 bed Renal Transplant Unit (RTU), Hepato Bilary Wards consisting of a 24 bed Emergency Admissions Unit (EAU) and a 28 bed Elective Care Unit (ECU), 3 main reception areas (one serving each ward), ancillary rooms and 2 rooftop plantrooms.

To facilitate access into the new rooftop wards, 2 state of the art passenger lifts were installed in an existing courtyard. An accommodation staircase was also installed with breakthroughs into each existing level. Each ward also has a dedicated escape staircase.

Glenfield Hospital Reception

Main Considerations

Available ground space was limited on this busy site, therefore options for the new wards to be constructed were restricted. The MTX Pre-Construction Team produced and presented a design for a revolutionary rooftop solution, which was fully accepted by the Trust.

Built on a roof directly above live wards and within a concealed courtyard, inaccessible through the hospital, an engineering excellence choice via off -site volumetric construction, was the only feasible method. As all encompassing facilities remained operational throughout the whole construction period, MTX had to ensure minimal disruption to the existing estate infrastructure. To facilitate this, a pre-cast lift shaft solution was built off-site and craned into place to reduce time and workforce on site and deliveries were restricted around peak traffic flow times.

The existing roof structure required steel transfer columns to support the new loads. A structural survey was completed and the MTX design team developed a robust, structural design to accept the new concrete transfer structure. Establishing the strongest point of the existing structural columns, whilst working within 5mm tolerances, this approach ensured the new concrete transfer structure landed exactly on the steel frame columns below to allow for the successful building installation.

What they said

“Available ground space was limited on this busy site, therefore options for the new wards to be constructed were restricted. The MTX Pre-Construction Team produced and presented a design for a revolutionary rooftop solution, which was fully accepted by the Trust.

Built on a roof directly above live wards and within a concealed courtyard, inaccessible through the hospital, an engineering excellence choice via off-site volumetric construction, was the only feasible method. As all encompassing facilities remained operational throughout the whole construction period, MTX had to ensure minimal disruption to the existing estate infrastructure. To facilitate this, a pre-cast lift shaft solution was built off-site and craned into place to reduce time and workforce on site and deliveries were restricted around peak traffic flow times.

The existing roof structure required steel transfer columns to support the new loads. A structural survey was completed and the MTX design team developed a robust, structural design to accept the new concrete transfer structure. Establishing the strongest point of the existing structural columns, whilst working within 5mm tolerances, this approach ensured the new concrete transfer structure landed exactly on the steel frame columns below to allow for the successful building installation”

Ryan Milbourne
Senior Capital Project Manager for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust