24-Hour Emergency Room Stays Open While Paving Project Is Completed Outside
Project Summary
It should go without saying that attention to detail and schedule flexibility are absolutely essential when a paving project unfolds directly between an emergency room entrance and a helicopter pad. This was indeed the challenging scenario that unfolded at the Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center located near Wilmington, NC.
Our team worked hand-in-hand with hospital leadership to ensure there would be 24-hour access to the emergency room during construction. Each phase of the project unfolded as planned and now there's a new concrete driveway leading into the ER entrance that offers a smooth final approach for each ambulance arrival.
Executing The Project
PHASE 1: PLANNING & STRATEGY
Extensive time was spent coordinating a plan that ensured there would be no disruption to critical emergency room operations. Sidewalks safely remained open to allow foot traffic into that side of the building. The work schedule also remained flexible for any contingencies.
PHASE 2: REMOVE ASPHALT
14-inches of old asphalt and subgrade material was removed across more than 13-thousand square feet of drive lane leading to the emergency room entrance.
PHASE 3: CONCRETE PINNING
Reinforcing bar (aka rebar) was firmly attached below the surface of existing concrete sidewalks directly adjacent to the new concrete pour area. This process is essential to help prevent future separation of the two concrete sections.
PHASE 4: INSTALL BASE
6-inches of crushed concrete was installed, graded and compacted.
PHASE 5: CONCRETE INSTALL
8-inches of new concrete was poured onto the new base. The concrete mix was reinforced with commercial grade fiber that helps reduce cracking while also boosting the strength of the high-traffic driveway and unloading area. Control joints were cut before final curing to help prevent unwanted cracking across the finished surface.
PHASE 6: SEALCOAT PARKING LOT
Adjacent emergency room parking lots also needed attention on this project. Two-layers of asphalt sealer was applied across more than 42,000 square feet in an effort to extend the life of the parking surfaces. Silica sand and polymers were added as hardening agents.
One-year later, Brunswick Medical requested additional sealcoat work on another facility parking lot as part of their routine maintenance schedule.
PHASE 7: FRESH PAINT
The parking lots were painted with fresh lines and traffic direction markings after the sealcoating process was complete. This phase included multiple ADA stalls.
Getting The Work Done On YOUR Schedule
It's your facility. It's your schedule.
Not every contractor brings maximum flexibility to every project but your timeline is always our priority.
Our team of project managers remained laser-focused on delivering exactly what was needed outside the facility so that Novant Health could safely deliver their expert care inside the hospital.
