University Health System Women and Children’s Hospital
(SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS) – Brandt’s immense experience in the Texas healthcare market helped secure the University Health System (UHS) Women and Children’s Hospital project in San Antonio, Texas. Brandt performed the design-assist mechanical and plumbing scope of work for the 1,300,000 square-foot (SF) new construction of the hospital This project included a 15-story bed tower, a 6-story, 900-space parking garage, a kitchen expansion, pharmacy expansion, and pediatric catheterization laboratory expansion. Additionally, our project team renovated the 48,000 SF heart-vascular-endoscopy department and expanded the capacity of the facility’s central utility plant.
INTEGRATED DESIGN PROCESS
Brandt became an integrated design team member and participated in production modeling, including designing fabricated elements such as multi-trade racks into the design model and construction documents.
We coordinated with the project team during preconstruction to continually assess, communicate, and maintain a consistent construction budget throughout the project’s design development phase. Brandt also worked with the design and construction teams to facilitate early construction coordination of underground utilities and selecting and procuring critical path equipment and materials.
PREFABRICATION EFFORTS
Brandt coordinated with other trades to begin prefabricating multi-trade components early on in the project. Rack prefabrication efforts included:
- Two-story vertical racks weighing up to 12,000 pounds (lbs) each.
- 150 multi-trade racks varying between 20 and 38 feet (ft.) in length, between 3 ft. to 5 ft. in height, and weighing up to 16,000 lbs. Services in the racks included HVAC piping, domestic water, medical gas, sheet metal, electrical, fire protection, cable tray, and sheetrock.
- Multiple equipment skids containing pumps, water heaters, steam-to- hot heat exchangers, piping, and insulation.
- 300 sanitary piping racks installed above prefabricated bathroom pods.
The prefabricated racks installed represent Brandt’s largest in-house crafted equipment to date. The array of installed racks on the patient room floors helped Brandt minimize rough-in durations and reduce workhour requirements.
PROJECT COMPLETION
Completed in the fall of 2023, this project, according to University Health System, “will be a place where women, children, and their families are surrounded with all the experts and technologies to provide the highest level of compassionate care. It will be the first hospital in South Texas exclusively focused on the unique needs of women and children.”
PROJECT TEAM
- Owner: University Health System
- Architect: Marmon Mok / ZGF
- Contractor: Joeris + JE Dunn JV
- Engineer: AEI
PROJECT DETAILS
- Start/Completion Dates: 08/2019 – 07/2023
- Project Size: 1,300,000 SF (New Construction) and 48,000 SF (Renovation)
- Brandt Role: Design-Assist Mechanical & Plumbing