This $355 million patient care tower which stands 275 feet tall and spans 13 stories is the largest healthcare project completed in Northwest Ohio history. With space for 462 private rooms, the tower design optimizes both the patient experience and medical methods. Construction crews optimized their performance through multi-trades fabrication, a concept Dunbar advocated for during early preconstruction planning.

Dunbar Inc. uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) extensively and our lead CAD technician worked on-site to help coordinate and complete this patient tower model.

Note the BIM detail illustrating the design of the critical building infrastructure nestled overhead in the corridor of every patient floor including ductwork, heating water piping for the HVAC system, thermal insulation, temperature controls, electrical runs, and studs/ drywall.

Traditionally, walls are built and ALL of these critical systems are installed separately behind the drywall and above the ceilings. Through this innovative process, multiple disciplines worked together offsite, manufacturing complete corridor assemblies on custom fabricated racks. In total, 198 racks were manufactured offsite, eliminating 2,820 manhours (1.28 man-years!) on the busy, congested job site.

Fabricated assemblies were completed two floors ahead of on-site construction, ensuring the racks were ready and waiting for installation. The racks were delivered to the jobsite in “reverse” order (furthest from the job site access point first) and lifted directly from the truck bed onto their designated floor. Removable wheels eliminated the need for extra equipment and enabled the racks to be rolled down the corridor into place where they were installed with laser accuracy.

The schedule allowed for two-weeks per floor for installation. However, after the first floor, Dunbar crews honed the process and reduced installation time by 50 percent to just one week on each of the 12 subsequent floors. At right, a completed rack is shown in place at the top of a patient floor corridor. The installation and connection of all of these intricate systems could have easily required 18-20 tradespeople on site. These fabricated assemblies reduced that to just 6-8 tradespeople on site.