search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
ENGINEERING INSTALLATION


were also required to cater for a new MRI component of the Elekta Unity machine installation. This included a new quench pipe installation, oxygen monitoring systems, and room purge ventilation systems. These inclusions were required to protect staff from potentially harmful helium spills associated with MRI equipment operation. The location of the room within the hospital footprint also made these systems challenging inclusions.


Need for a new ‘sub-floor’ The Elekta Unity machine required a new sub-floor or ‘pit floor’ to be built to a new slab level depth of one metre below the existing ground floor slab level, and significant structural upgrades to support the weight of the new equipment. This involved structural design and geotech reporting to confirm suitability of soil, and overcome the high-water table present under the existing slab.


A Faraday cage to suit the Unity machine (see Fig 5) was also required to be retrofitted into the existing bunker to block electromagnetic interference. This cage was designed and constructed by Elekta/Philips, and was of aluminium modular construction, with copper sheet flooring. The new concrete slab reinforcement bars were also required to be constructed from non-ferrous stainless steel at a cost premium, so as not to interfere with the magnetic field and maintain superior MRI image quality.


Construction


The room where the Unity was installed is in the centre of the ground floor of the main hospital building, and had one external wall made of reinforced concrete


Figure 6: Various elements of the construction work needed to support the Elekta Unity – including the construction of a new ‘pit-floor’ built to a new slab level depth of 1 m below the existing ground floor slab level, and ‘significant’ structural upgrades.


over 1 metre thick. Access to this external wall was through a small outdoor courtyard area. This made the area for construction very restrictive to operate in. As the construction was taking place in an operational oncology space with immunocompromised patients, detailed planning was also required to manage infection control requirements, dust, and noise pollution, throughout construction. By far the most challenging component of the build was the significant structural works required to accommodate this hi- tech machine, and the tolerances required


to meet the equipment planning guide requirements. To construct the new ‘pit floor’, most of the existing floor slab needed to be removed. The depth of the existing slab ranged from 700-1100 mm across, and, due to the confined workspace, conventional floor cutting methods could not be used. The contractor used a track saw to cut through the slab where it would fit, and then meticulously core-drilled the remaining areas as required. The new concrete slab was finished to very tight tolerances (+/–2mm for floor heights, pits,


February 2021 Health Estate Journal 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68