Situated on the US Army Garrison West Point, Keller Army Community Hospital is the premier provider and first choice for world-class care.

As the hospital was in the process of renovating the building, they discovered that the steel beam supporting the loading dock was severely corroded. STRUCTURAL was contracted to assist with turnkey solutions from design to construction through an investigative design-build approach.

Since this was the only loading dock at the hospital, a temporary loading dock was designed and installed prior to the repair of the existing loading dock. The team sawcut and removed a section of wall paneling to create an opening for the temporary loading dock to be created. The wall panel was stored on-site to be reinstalled at the completion of the job.

Given the existing state of the main steel beam, emergency shoring was first put into place. Once the main work began, the existing steel beam needed to be cleaned and plated. To reduce dust emission, STRUCTURAL used a sponge blaster to allow the dust to be absorbed as it cleaned the beam. The beam was then inspected and replated. After the steel beam was repaired, a false ceiling was installed, and the loading dock was demolished. New metal decking and steel framing were positioned, and the structural slab was replaced. A waterproofing system was installed to prevent future corrosion and the topping slab was repoured.

With the deteriorated state of the steel beam, a robust temp shoring system needed to remain in place till the main beam was plated and the structural slab repaired. This meant STRUCTURAL had to modify the repair solution and means and methods to work around the multitude of temp shoring posts and beams within the workspace. Furthermore, for the hospital to remain open and operate as normal, STRUCTURAL had to perform all major work activities overnight which made coordination, material deliveries, and communication difficult. All work had to be pre-planned diligently to ensure the crew had all equipment, material, and direction they needed to stay working efficiently through the night.

Upon field testing, the ready mix didn’t meet the specifications for concrete pouring, and 50% of the trucks needed to be sent back. In addition, given schedule delays due to unforeseen conditions, STRUCTURAL had to complete weather-sensitive work in the middle of winter. A temporary heating solution for an exterior loading dock had to be developed to maintain schedule and quality.

All work was completed with the highest quality and safely. The STRUCTURAL team was able to optimize the scope of work to reduce waste, salvage the existing steel beam, and complete the project in a timely manner. Furthermore, the hospital was able to maintain full operation during the construction project due to the temporary loading dock and our staging and work plan.