By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT

After a lengthy court battle, work has finally begun onBrookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergencydepartment near U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 in North ShelbyCounty. The structure will cost $19 million to develop andwas designed to provide better access to emergency care inthe area.

“The Alabama Department of Transportation scores thetraffic on Hwy 280 an ‘F’,” said Stephen Preston, vice pres-ident of external affairs of Brookwood Medical Center.“The concern from a patient care perspective is the possibledelay in seeking treatment of an illness or injury because ofconcerns of getting caught up in traffic.”

Birmingham’s Brookwood Medical Center received thefirst Certificate of Need for a freestanding emergencydepartment (FED) in Alabama. Officials have workedclosely with the Alabama Department of Public Health todevelop rules for the operation of FEDs in Alabama, toensure patient safety and understanding. The constructionfollows a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, whichdetermined Trinity Medical Center could not stop the hos-pital from building the new facility.

“Access to emergency care services was the biggest con-cern residents along the HWY 280/119 corridor shared withus,” Preston pointed out.

“The FED will provide comprehensive emergency serv-ices. The only difference is that it’s closer to that communi-ty than the hospital.”

The freestanding structure will offer 12 exam rooms,including a trauma room, full diagnostic capabilities and willbe staffed 24/7 by board-certified ER physicians. An ambu-lance station and helipad also will be available for patienttransport, if necessary. The ambulance is storefront, and all

Brookwood toProvide Access toEmergency Care

ALABAMA STATE EDITION A Supplement to:

Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

see BROOKWOOD page 2

A rendering of the completed Brookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergency department. Evan Terry Associates rendering

Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photo“Site prep work is under way, and the foundation and structure should be going up shortly,” said StephenPreston, vice president of external affairs of Brookwood Medical Center.

June 242015

Vol. XXVIII • No. 13Mobile

Dothan

Auburn

Anniston

Gadsden

HuntsvilleFlorence

Decatur

BirminghamBessemer

Tuscaloosa

SelmaMontgomery

Phenix City

65

65

65

65

10

85

20

20

59

59

565

220

72

31

231

43

78

5

72

431

280

82

231

31

43

80

82

231

84

84

52

431

331

45

98

84

82

Page 2 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Work Begins on Freestanding Emergency Department

FAA requirements have to be met for the helipad. “We anticipate opening in September 2015, and will serve

the residents and communities in southern Jefferson county,Shelby County and all along the Hwy 280 and Hwy 119 cor-ridors. We are very excited about seeing this project come tofruition. It’s also rewarding that, given the initiative we start-ed some six years ago, two other FEDs are being developedin Alabama.”

Hospital officials say life-saving care will be provided inthe heart of the fast-growing 280 Corridor, which has longbeen criticized for its pileups and delays. People in areas likeChelsea, Greystone, Sterrett, Harpersville and Vincent won’thave to battle 280 traffic for miles just to get to Birminghamfor emergency care.

“Site prep work is under way, and the foundation andstructure should be going up shortly,” said Preston. “There’sgreat anticipation and excitement in the community andfrom first responders in the area regarding the significantpositive impact this project will have on health care servic-es.”

Hoar is the general contractor on the project, working withEvan Terry Associates Architects and Capital MedVestGroup to build the 23,000-sq. ft. (2,136. 7 sq m) facility.

“Currently, we are installing underground utilities to servethe building, and are bringing the site up to the proper gradeswith heavy equipment,” said Rodney Gilchrist, Hoar projectmanager. “We have completed all mobilization activities.The foundations will be the next big task. The structuralsteel is fabricated and ready to ship to the job site.

“Being on time and in budget is the main challenge,”Gilchrist said. “Our four acres were part of a large 40 or 50-acre development owned by EBSCO. They had the site tograde, and they have a master plan to have retail space allaround our site in the future.

“Most of the site was already cleared, but we did have sev-eral thousand yards of dirt with trees on the front of the prop-erty.”

Battling the elements has been the chief concern, so far.“Weather has been a huge factor,” said Gilchrist. “Our

start date was February 16, and since then we have had over40 lost working days due to rain.”

Despite that setback, Gilchrist said crews have a commongoal.

“We must build with the health of the patients in mind, justas the architect must design in this manner.”

According to Rusty Ledbetter, Hoar senior project super-intendent, steps are being taken to keep the facility clean.

“There is a higher standard on cleanliness throughout theconstruction of a hospital to prevent infectious control issuesonce the facility is operational.”

Equipment being used on the project includes a bulldozerfor grading, a track hoe for loading soil, dump trucks fordealing with transport soils and compactors for handlingcompact soils. Most of the equipment is used for excavatingand site work. The site contractor owns all machinery.

“Most of the civil work is completed, including the reten-tion pond and site drainage,” said Ledbetter. “The retentionpond is on the lower end of the building site to catch waterfrom the site, as well as the storm structure from highway

119. Crews are currently working on the building pad. Several

thousand yards of topsoil were removed from the site fromprior grade work.

“The building pad will require undercutting three feetbelow existing grade,” said Ledbetter. “Final grade will betwo feet higher than the natural existing at the building padarea. Depending on the weather, most likely slab on gradeconcrete will be poured during pre-dawn hours, so that thetemperature of the concrete is better controlled and becauseof the location of the concrete plant, due to traffic on high-way 280.”

Materials being used to construct the new building includestructural steel with a TPO roof and curtain wall plaster withaluminum composite panels to match the exterior of theBrookwood Medical Center campus seven miles away.Interiors will be acoustical ceilings and metal ceilings. Theflooring is VCT and vinyl plank, as well as poured resinousflooring in some areas.

Evan Terry Associates LLC, which has an extensive back-ground in health care projects, believes the building shouldreflect a level of care being provided within the walls.According to president and COO Neil King, Jr., “The spe-cific direction was to create a building that was non-institu-tional, but instead warm and inviting to staff and patients.The owner was specific that the finished building shouldreflect the image and character of the main campus as a wayof communicating the level of care provided by BrookwoodMedical Center.

BROOKWOOD from page 1

Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photoAfter a lengthy court battle, work has finally begun on Brookwood Medical Center’s freestanding emergency department near U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 in North ShelbyCounty.

see BROOKWOOD page 6

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 3

Contact your local dealer:

Birmingham, AL205.841.6666

Madison, AL256.350.0006

Mobile, AL251.633.4020

Montgomery, AL334.262.6642

Oxford, AL256.832.5053

Pensacola, FL850.479.3004

Atlanta, GA404.696.7210

www.cowin.com1.800.239.2694

Cowin Equipment Company is a full-service distributor with a deep-seated history of providing customers with complete satisfaction. Invest in superior Volvo Construction Equipment machines with the confidence you deserve and the quality you demand.

You’re interested in performance and productivity. So are your machines.

Smart Works.

Page 4 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 5

Page 4 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 5

Page 6 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

New Facility to House Trauma Room, Diagnostic Services “The main challenge for this building

was that it will be operated 24 hours a day,seven days a week. This required specialconsideration for how patients arrive andflow into and through the building. A safeand secure environment was important toallow for patients to comfortably use thefacility anytime during the day or night.Another challenge was that since this oper-ates 365 days a year, the selection, designand arrangement of building systems wereimportant decisions used throughout thefacility. There’s a diagnostic component thatoperates from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Theemergency department will operate 24hours. This required providing separationfrom an operational standpoint, but allowingfor flow between the two when patients needdiagnostic and imaging services.”

According to King, “This is the first of itskind. The design of the Brookwood MedicalCenter freestanding emergency departmentwas rewarding professionally to the designteam in that we were working on a newhealth care delivery method not seen inAlabama. The challenge was to create newcutting-edge architecture, which providedsuch an important service and purpose to thecommunity. Being involved in the design ofa project that brings emergency services to agrowing community and potentially saveslives was a challenge we took very serious-ly, and were honored to be involved.”

King said the firm’s philosophy is toalways design with an eye toward sustain-

ability. The building includes high-perform-ance glass systems. The design usesclerestory windows over the waiting roomsand ER treatment areas to bring natural lightdeep into the center of the building.Sustainable finishes using low VOC materi-als that were recyclable are seen throughoutthe project. An LED lighting system, whichutilities energy-efficient controls and smarttechnology, is used throughout.

The new facility will be one story. In addi-tion to ER exam rooms, there will be a trau-ma room, MRI, CT scanner, X-ray and otherdiagnostic services. The building isdesigned to provide the same servicespatients would experience in a hospital set-ting. Material palette includes stucco, clearanodized aluminum, silver metallic panelsand dark blue glass.

“The design of medical facilities is differ-ent from other project types in a number ofways,” King said. “Health care is very high-ly regulated, and there are strict guidelinesfocused on patient care and safety. In addi-tion to working with the local regulatorycode officials, the project is also reviewedand monitored by the Alabama Departmentof Public Health. Their focus is on codeenforcement and construction standards.There are very specific code requirements asit relates to all systems, materials and equip-ment used throughout.

“Some of the specialty systems includemedical gas systems, negative air pressurerooms, nurse call systems and buildingautomation. Patient diagnostic and treatment

equipment such as crash carts, imaging, res-piratory and cardiac monitoring add to thedesign challenges. There are requirementsfor specialty lighting for both examinationsand procedures. Also, there is a growingneed for mental health care within our soci-ety. Mental health safety considerations inroom configurations and furnishings were apart of the medical design challenge.”

The regulatory requirements for a free-standing emergency department are no dif-ferent than that of a traditional emergencyroom, according to King.

“What differs is the added services notfound in the traditional emergency depart-ment and generally shared with the hospitalcampus. This includes pharmacy services,laboratory, respiratory, imaging, food servic-es and general stores/receiving. These arefound traditionally elsewhere on a hospitalcampus, but are key services needed for thesuccess of an operational freestanding emer-gency department.

“We draw on our 45 years of health caredesign experience. We’ve seen facilitiestransition from inpatient on campus servicesto a more outpatient setting, taking healthcare to the communities. We’ve seen sur-gery centers, imaging centers, urgent careand cancer treatment move from the hospitalcampus to the communities. The free-stand-ing emergency department continues thismovement by bringing cutting edge, lifesav-ing services to outlying communities.”

The design goal of the facility was toreflect an environment free of stress through

the design of spaces, selection of materialsand arrangement of spaces.

“One of the rules taught in architectureschools comes from a quote from early 20th-century architect Louis Sullivan, ‘form fol-lows function.’ This is especially true formedical design. Adjacencies of depart-ments, space for specialty equipment, stor-age of equipment, reduced walking dis-tances for staff and amenities for patients andvisitors — all must be decided and laid outbefore the exterior form takes shape. Suchspecific functional requirements also dictateinterior materials and finishes, which thendetermine the interior aesthetics. It allbegan, though, with a fully functional floorplan.

“We hope patients and visitors will leavewith a feeling they’ve received the best careavailable in a top-notch facility that wascomfortable, inviting and easy to use,” saidKing. “Patient satisfaction is important tohealth care providers, and the built environ-ment should be a contributor to patient satis-faction.”

Founded by a group of physicians in1973, Brookwood Medical Center is credit-ed with building Alabama’s first women’shospital. Brookwood Medical Center isaccredited by The Joint Commission and islicensed by the Alabama State Departmentof Health.

(This story also can be found onConstruction Equipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipmentguide.com.)CEG

BROOKWOOD from page 2

Talitha Ledbetter, Hoar Construction photo“Currently, we are installing underground utilities to serve the building, and are bringing the site up to the proper grades with heavy equipment,” said Rodney Gilchrist,Hoar project manager.

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 24, 2015 • Page 7

FEEL THE

OF A JCBPOWER

8018MINI EXCAVATOR

SALES. RENT

Bobcat

114.5

59.59 17.1gpm 18.5Flow Hydraulic

ower PHorseNetin. 33Height ullFatReachin. 118Height inPHinge

1,750lbs 1,750Capacity OperatingSAE175 JCBLoader SteerSkid

AL. SERES. RENT TAL. SERVICE.

318D

in.

63gpm18gpm 17.1

61 in.29.9in. 17

118in. 114.5lbs1,800lbs 1,750

DeereS550 Bobcat Backhoe

Bucket

CapacityCapacityLift

BucketGross

Bucket

AL. SERVICE.

T

12,791

yd6,751lbs 6,600lbs 7,670Height ullFatCapacity

13yd1.123yd1.1Heaped Capacity97hp 70hp 74ower PEngine

lbf 11,106lbf 13,730Force DiggingBucket10,772lbs 9,350lbs 13,603Force BreakoutCA310K Deere14 3CX-JCBLoader Backhoe

416F

lbf

3

lbs6,751ydhp

12,791lbs10,772

JCB

Force

Depth Height DumpMax.

DigMax.Force CrowdArm

BreakoutBucketower PEngineGross

Excavator Compact

324

lbs

6”8”8’5” 8’5” 8’

8’10” 7’11” 8’lbs1,778lbs 1,748lbs 2,068

3,620lbs 3,505lbs 3,642hp13.9hp 17hp 19.7

BobcatKX41-3V KubotaCTS 8018JCB

more powerful machine on any job.our against

industry teletruks

work your However

more powerful machine on any job.a Schedule competitors. our

versatility , safetyfor standard engineered are loaders wheel and teletruks

backhoes, Our thrive. day work equipment, your on depend you However

three our of one at demo JCB . technologyinal F4 ier Tand versatility

the handle to built and engineered compact steers, skid excavators,

a has Alabama of JCB equipment,

’t wonyou , todaylocations three stands up line extensive Our

setting while jobs rugged most the handlers, telescopic loaders, track compact

machines of range complete

a find ’t strong stands

the setting handlers,

help to

.jcbwwww.jcbofalabama.com

.jcbofalabama.com

(866) 954-6522, AL Montgomeryy, AL 36110

791 Anderson RMONTGOMER

(866) 954-6522, AL 36110

oad R Road YMERRY

(888) 791-3173eeds, AL 35094L

eaver Avenue 8920 W Weaver Avenue LEEDS

3886

(256) 312-4639Anniston, AL 3620130 Plunkett Avenue

ANNISTON

Page 8 • June 24, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide