CONSTRUCTION
which defines much of the space. The project involved the supply and erection of 4,379 m2 of CLT, plus 42 m3
of glulam
columns and beams, as well as 223 tonnes of steelwork by BKS. Buro Happold said: “The buildings are constructed around steel frames with cross- laminated timber slabs and walls. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, the heavy use of timber delivers the added benefit of reducing the new buildings’ embodied carbon footprint. The design team was able to reassure the NHS that cross- laminated timber walls would prove suitable in terms of the infection control needs of a clinical setting. Our specialist acoustics and fire engineering teams also fed into the design, helping to realise a timber building in this unusual medical setting.”
A further benefit of a hybrid
engineered timber and steel structural package was the ability to ensure a reduced number of just-in-time deliveries to a restricted location, compared with conventional construction techniques. This helped to maintain a rapid programme, as well as high build quality, with reduced health and safety issues on site. Already nominated for regional awards, and acclaimed by health professionals, the new units at Alder Hey Hospital are an exemplar for offsite construction, and a unique contribution to healthcare.
the factory setting, while programmed deliveries mitigated the restricted site storage facilities, and optimised the use of available cranage. Having B&K Structures as a single specialist coordinating a hybrid package consolidates responsibility, and all component parts are effectively fully identified, to speed up the installation sequence. Dry construction has
numerous advantages over wet construction, such as ease of installation and reduced construction time when taking into account the curing periods. Dry construction has tighter tolerances, provides a neater finish, and is better programmed than a traditional wet construction method.
Alex Brock said: “Alder Hey in the Park ‘breaks the mould of the institutional appearance of our NHS landscape with the sensitive and creative use of engineered timber.”
Offsite technology The original scheme design by Cullinan Studio was selected through an RIBA competition, with the client favouring it for the way it successfully met the challenges of fulfilling clinical requirements, while providing privacy for the young patients in a non-institutional environment. Further consultations on design detail with 10architect, and a value engineering exercise carried out by structural engineer, Scott Hughes Design, in conjunction with the main contractor, Galliford Try, resulted in a switch from the initial reinforced concrete-framed solution to one utilising steel and engineered timber. Having demonstrated its ability to meet targets on amenity and overall environmental impact, as well as the technical challenges, B&K Structures was duly selected to develop a hybrid package featuring glulam, CLT, and structural steelwork, working with consultant, Ramboll, CLT fabrication specialist, Stora Enso, and other supply partners, to achieve just-in-time deliveries to a site with restricted access and storage. The healthcare sector is of course paying closer attention to the holistic
THE NETWORK | AUGUST 2023 d Courtesy of B&K
aspect of healing, and creating spaces that promote health and recovery through carefully selected surroundings. Offsite construction with timber allows the material to take a more prominent role in the aesthetic of the building, while its biophilic benefits make it incredibly apt for a healthcare facility. An offsite solution further ensured predictability of cost and high levels of accuracy in
Excellent airtightness In addition to its strength and accuracy of manufacture, the manner in which CLT is produced – with small sections of timber being jointed using advanced formaldehyde-free adhesives – guarantees excellent airtightness; thereby helping to cut heat loss through the building envelope, or between different areas of the building. Compared with other commonly used building materials, timber is also warmer to the touch, and contributes
to the thermal mass of a property, thus mitigating heating and cooling loads. The 668 m2
of engineered timber for
Alder Hey was all delivered with a 100% PEFC-certified full chain of custody, while thanks to responsible European forestry management, it can be shown to have regrown in just two minutes and 28 seconds.
Alder Hey is Europe’s first children’s
Construction in progress. 41
Courtesy of B&K Structures
Courtesy of B&K Structures
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