Building a new hospital is a huge undertaking. Knowing the best type of materials and construction options out there can be overwhelming, to say the least. That’s where this article comes in. You’ll discover a variety of materials that would be preferable for new construction but also some to leave behind. Knowing the best alternatives can help you to proceed with the best options on the market for long-term success.
While there are some great options out there, it’s important to know what to avoid as well. For example, structural insulated panels may not be the best bet for your new hospital construction. There are several reasons why this is not commonly used any longer for building. For starters, it reduces the structural performance of the building. When installing the wiring, it matters which direction the wall is cut. It can drastically reduce the integrity when done improperly.
Other issues with this type of building material include limiting the design capability you have, issues with fire safety, and even air quality and pest control problems. To avoid this, consider the options and thoughts below.
What Type of Building Construction?
There are multiple building construction types that are available for constructing your new hospital.Type I buildings offer the highest level of fire resistance and safety. Type II provides a lower degree, while Type III, IV, and V are even lower or non-resistant at all. When it comes to building a hospital, you want the highest level of safety possible to protect the employees, patients, and those in and out of the hospital on a daily basis. These buildings have a lot of equipment and chemicals that can quickly catch fire. It’s important to have a building that provides high safety levels.
ICF Building
One very popular method of construction is icf construction. This is insulated concrete forms or ICF. In simple terms, foam blocks are set up as the outside walls or structure of the building. You can think of LEGO blocks to get an idea of how this works. Concrete is then installed inside the blocks to form the layer of protection and sturdiness of the building.
This way of constructing buildings is not only popular in residential areas but commercial as well. There are numerous benefits to this building material. They include items such as:
- Reducing fire risk
- Highly energy efficient
- Stronger than traditional construction methods
- Improved moisture control
- Lower lumber cost
- Can withstand natural disasters, fire, and tornadoes
Heating Options
Another material to consider when building a new building is how will you climate control the area? It is a large building and typically HVAC systems have been the way to go. However, with reducing energy costs and usage, industrial radiant heating systems are taking the industry by storm.
Radiant heating systems help to provide a wide range of benefits to the building owner and the people using them on a daily basis. For example, the energy costs alone are much less than utilizing a traditional HVAC unit. It is a quiet heating system that is efficient and clean to help improve the air quality as well.
It is also durable and provides a no-maintenance type system that helps owners and administrators take care of it simply.
Other Items To Consider
Building a hospital means that there will need to be easy-to-use items all around. You want the staff to be able to conduct their jobs efficiently and effectively by having the latest equipment and technology on hand. Some of those items to consider include:
- Wall-mounted workstations
- Refrigerator lockboxes for sensitive materials
- Durable rolling phlebotomy carts
- Multiple layer glove holders
- Exam room flag systems
- Medical privacy screens
- And much more!
Working with the best materials for constructing your new hospital is vital in seeing success. Make sure you talk with your contractor about the most efficient, safest, and economic options to construct the new location.
Todd Gillman is the content director for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.