Aurora Hospital -Grand Forks

Developers and their Architects are constantly searching for the most effective building shell solutions for their industrial buildings. For just about all the right reasons, site cast tilt-up techniques and concrete provide this optimal solution. This multi-story 90,000 square foot healthcare facility is the second facility to be completed using tilt-up construction on the Aurora Medical Park campus. What a good testament to the effectiveness of concrete solutions using site cast tilt-up.

From day one, the Project Team knew that the construction of the Aurora Hospital would be a challenge. This facility was to be located on an active medical park campus on an extremely tight site with limited access. The new building was going to connect to not one, but two existing facilities. Furthermore, exterior finishes needed to be an exact match to the neighboring buildings. And most of the panel construction was to be accomplished during winter-like conditions. In the end, it was decided that utilizing a Design-Build approach and a tilt-up concrete building shell would be the best method to overcome these challenges and meet project goals.

Architecturally, the building’s exterior is a prime example of tilt-up’s ability to meet any designer’s goals. A variety of multistory wall panel configurations, including offset and return panels, were used to provide depth and accommodate floor plan configurations. Panel heights varied from 11’ to 37’ and widths ranged from 6’ to 26’. Paint colors, rustications, and a cast-in “thin brick” system in multiple patterns were designed to match the look and feel of the existing buildings. In the end, 96 of the 133 total wall panels were unique in size and shape, a design providing the custom look demanded by the Architect.

Project coordination was a huge effort at the Aurora Hospital project. The facility was completed in multiple phases while working through an extreme North Dakota winter. Floor heat systems, concrete blankets, and treated aggregates were utilized to combat winter conditions while fabricating a majority of the tilt-up panels. The building’s floor slabs as well as temporary casting beds were utilized to fabricate the large number of panels required to complete the building shell. Space was limited and additional panels were required to be stack cast. Precast hollow core planking was used for second floor and roof decking to meet code considerations and separation requirements.

For a project requiring the ultimate in custom design and flexibility, concrete options make sense. A quick review of solutions to reaching “sustainability goals” has to show concrete at the top of the list. This means that concrete options provide economy, strength, long life, energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and aesthetics unsurpassed by any other option.