Summary
ROD has been engaged by the Health Service Executive to provide civil and structural engineering services for a 5,100m² community nursing unit (CNU) on the grounds of Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway. MCA Architects and Semple & McKillop (M&E) are the other members of the design team. The main contractor is Conack Construction.
The CNU is a part one-storey, part two-storey building. It comprises 60 ensuite bedrooms, a 10-bedroom dementia unit housed in a single-storey block, dining rooms, a visitors room, a family overnight room and treatment rooms.
Site works include a new access road, car parking, site services, electrical sub-station, waste compound, hard and soft landscaping, site enclosures and connection to the mains water supply.
Planning permission was granted in 2021, and construction began in 2024.
The project is due to be completed in late 2026.
Solution
The structural frame is formed primarily by blockwork and precast, with ancillary steel and concrete elements where required. This form of construction allows for faster construction on site while minimising storage requirements.
The substructure consists of several conventional strip and pad foundations, bearing on leanmix down to rock. The rock levels vary across the site, with the rock particularly shallow towards the east.
The structure includes several external balconies and an entrance canopy, all formed from steel. A composite decking system is used on the balconies.
Challenge
The Dublin Road bounds the south of the campus, providing a direct link into Galway city centre. Its high traffic volumes during the morning and afternoon peak times provided a significant challenge for the design team. This was overcome with the support of ROD’s transportation team, who completed network and junction analyses and produced a transportation assessment and a mobility management plan to accompany the planning submission.
Approach
During the planning process, the design team engaged with Galway City Council to mitigate the adverse effects of the development on the existing hospital campus, surrounding residents and road users.
In 2021, ROD prepared an enabling works package that included demolition of ancillary buildings within the proposed site and diversion of a watermain and surface water and foul sewers. These works allowed the main contractor to work on site without impacting existing campus services.
Services provided:
- Civil engineering design
- Structural engineering design
