Pre-planning Allows for Seamless Flow of Activities

In uptown Pittsburgh, a medical structure for UPMC Mercy Vision Center Hospital was built in a busy, contained area. The construction site, which sits on one city square block, required intense pre-planning and coordination from the construction management team to coordinate how to receive deliveries, erect steel and place concrete without interrupting the emergency department or surrounding traffic. The challenging logistics of the construction site included a four-lane highway that borders the south side of the site. The entrance to one of the busiest emergency department/trauma centers in Pittsburgh is positioned on the west side of the structure. The two main roads that run in and out of downtown Pittsburgh are located to the north and a residential area is situated on the east.

The Challenge:
During construction it was necessary to use three tower cranes operating simultaneously, as well as an MLC 300 crawler crane, in order to meet the workflow and production rate required for the schedule. By doing this, the cast-in-place concrete structure, steel structure and precast parking garage could all be completed at the same time. Doka was able to deliver the necessary equipment in a just-in-time manner to allow for maximum use of the site laydown area.

Other challenges of the project included 15 elevators in five elevator shafts and two levels of parking garage below the footprint of the building. The eight-level precast parking garage was constructed at the same time as the medical structure. There is a pedestrian bridge connecting to existing hospital and a 41,844 square-feet of one-sided perimeter wall.

The Solution:
The floor-to-floor structure varied depending upon the floor. The parking garage floors were sloped while the hospital floors were flat. The normal floor-to-floor height was 15 feet, however, the mechanical floors at the 5th and 10th floors were 27 feet. This required the combined use of Staxo and Superdek throughout the project.

With the partnership of the Doka engineering team and the Mascaro field team, they were able to refine each floor design to maximize the productivity and material. This coordination allowed for seamless transitions from concept to production. The Doka team was able to supply and remove material as needed to facilitate the concrete crews without interruption. Material was stored both onsite and offsite due to the limited amount of room onsite for all contractors. The careful planning coupled with experienced and knowledgeable workers allowed for a seamless flow of materials, construction activities and hospital activities.