FAST-TRACK CONSTRUCTION
Delivering projects efficiently with minimal disruption
Modern methods of construction have become increasingly popular for a variety of healthcare buildings in recent years – for reasons including rapid completion, greater controllability of both quality and schedule given that the units are fabricated offsite in a factory, significantly reduced disruption to hospital activities during installation, and less construction waste. HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, recently spoke to David Hartley, managing director at MTX Contracts, a highly experienced construction and engineering company specialising in offsite healthcare buildings and fast-track hospital construction, to find out more.
With over two decades’ experience, and excellent relationships in the healthcare sector both throughout north-west England and nationwide, MTX is a national construction company headquartered in Wilmslow, south Manchester, which focuses predominantly on fast-track projects for the NHS and private health providers. It was founded in 2002 by current MD, David Hartley, and his father, Gerald – the business’s chairman today. Today it directly employs 50 personnel, and this year will have revenues of over £50 million.
Explaining what makes MTX stand out, David Hartley said: “I would say that our unique selling point and what makes us different from a general construction company is that all of our projects are delivered via modern methods of construction, an alternative to traditional construction solutions. We only get involved in projects where we can add value, and speed of completion is generally a major factor in our appointment by NHS Trusts and private healthcare providers – since we can often deliver in half the time. The way that we work is also key to minimising disruption to hospital estates.”
Volumetric units built offsite David Hartley explained, by way of elaboration on what he means by ‘modern methods of construction’, that nearly all the healthcare buildings the company constructs are built as volumetric units offsite, often with much of the M&E infrastructure incorporated in the factory, before being delivered to site and simply craned into place. He said: “The advantage with modern methods of
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An extension to the A&E Department at the Royal Bolton Hospital. The new facility comprises seven minor treatment rooms, a waiting area, reception desk, staff offices, and toilets. Internally finished ‘to the highest standard’, it features the latest in healthcare technology and equipment. The external rooftop, the location for the plant, is screened by functional brise soleil louvres which also enhance the architectural appearance.
construction, whether it be volumetric units, SIPS (structurally insulated) panels, or LSF (light steel frame), is that a lot of the superstructure is constructed and prefabricated offsite at the same time as the foundations are being built. This is in contrast to traditional construction, where one activity takes place after the next. In offsite construction, you are running the three in parallel – foundations, sub- structure, and superstructure. You can
We only get involved in projects where we can add value, and speed of completion is generally a major factor in our appointment by NHS Trusts and private healthcare providers
thus make considerable time-savings, in addition to minimising disruption and the number of people on site. There are also less vehicle movements, and with the units built in a factory, you enhance quality control, while less of the construction work is affected by the weather. There also tends to be less waste, and greater control over the build programme, but I would say the biggest overall benefit for the healthcare sector, where, say, an acute hospital may need more beds or operating theatre capacity urgently, is the speed of the process. We can generally complete the build, including overseeing and installing all M&E services, in about half the time of a traditional build. This is a huge benefit to healthcare provider customers.”
July 2020 Health Estate Journal 65
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