Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton

What was the essential need?
In the basement of this busy medical facility with a public access floor above, two radiation therapy bunkers needed to be designed and constructed. With very limited space available, the floor level was to be reduced by 600mm and the roof was to fit under the existing soffit.

How did the project take shape?
A program time of eight weeks required the precise balance of speed and accuracy, so the project was quickly underway. Access to the site was extremely restricted, therefore all materials were to be shipped to a nearby holding yard and delivered to the site as needed.

Where did NELCO expertise make an impact?
Once it was apparent that the lifting capacity in the basement was inadequate, NELCO was able to adapt to the situation with precision reduction in size of the MegaShield blocks. This enabled a mini crane to comfortably handle the lower weight blocks. The rooms required a creative design from NELCO to encompass pre-existing columns. In addition, to accommodate the contractor’s program, the solution was to work off of foundation strips rather than slabs.

What were the outstanding results?
Through open collaboration, the complex design was achieved with the cooperation of all parties. The access problems were resolved by working off hours with a complete change in methodology. Shielded doors were installed and commissioned, and the project was completed on time, ready for finishes and Tomo installs.