It’s more than just work.
It’s where I belong.

Wood & Grieve Engineers’ (WGE) structural and civil teams were engaged to assist in delivering the new ward expansion, carpark and theatre renovations at Mitcham Private Hospital (MPH) in Mitcham, VIC. The $8 million project involved delivery of a new 21 bed mental health ward extension created over an existing carpark, which was sunk into the ground to become an undercroft carpark. In order to maximise headroom in the undercroft carpark, the gantry frame supporting the modular mental health ward was optimised along with the hydraulic and wet fire strategy.

WGE were integral to successfully delivering the project to the tight design and construction timeframe, which was a key client objective. Modular construction was used to land and complete the ward, carpark and theatre renovations within 6 weeks compared to a conventional build time of 6-7 months.

The project was designed for modular construction from the outset. WGE designed and coordinated the steel gantry frame to support the modules, working closely with the steel contractor and modular contractor to achieve an optimal solution.

Complex internal renovations were required to create an expanded second operating theatre, gymnasium and auxiliary spaces. WGE provided an itemised construction sequence to deal with the tricky existing conditions, area re-zoning and multi-layered existing roof and ceiling structures.

WGE achieved additional project cost efficiency and buildability through:

• Integration of modular ward loads directly onto the supporting steel gantry frame to minimise steel and allow existing stormwater pipes to be retained.
• Steel frame assembly to support the theatre pendants.
• Design of a new shell for the expanded second operating theatre that required the existing roof and new pendants to be supported on intricate new steelwork.

WGE offers clients extensive modular design experience and are pleased to see that projects like Mitcham Private Hospital are utilising modular as a commercially viable solution.

In 2015 the project received a Master Buildings Association award for Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $3m - $5m, and was awarded a commendation in the City of Whitehorse 2015 Architectural Awards for Institutional buildings.

Livingstone Gardens is a magnificent new development for Blue Cross Community Care, comprising of a four-storey, 168 bed aged care facility offering day care centre and all communal areas in one expansive building. Livingstone Gardens is designed as Melbourne’s premium aged care facility with palatial interiors, a grand entrance and dazzling glass lift wells wrapped in a green wall.

Future expansion has been included in the design, including a 50 bed extension and 7 storey building connected by a covered link which will offer 74 Independent Living Units. The entire site is serviced by a 5,000m² basement carpark.

WGE were involved in key project features including:

• Multi-winged, self-contained floorplates including dementia and high-care living
• Six dining rooms and lounges, 10 sitting rooms, hairdressers and medical consulting suites
• Commercial kitchens, linen and laundry operations
• Optimised central plant servicing strategy and building management system
• Multi-functional Electrical, Communications, Security and Nurse Call systems with common IP backbone
• Entrance curved steel arbour feature
• Bespoke glass lifts
• Complex front atria consisting of a ‘hanging’ feature 8m high x 16m long steel truss designed and detailed to achieve critical deflection limits for the fully glazed roof and walls.

As the team behind many of Australia’s state of the art aged care facilities and communities, WGE offers experience in technical aged cared design combined with a high care factor to ensure the facility is warm and welcoming as well as functional.

WGE are proud to be involved with the fundraising for the Save Our Sons non-for-profit charity, with the recent vintage circus themed gala dinner raising nearly half a million dollars for the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Our unique culture and focus on Corporate Social Responsibility at WGE encourages the team to make a real difference to local communities and causes. Team members Nicholas Johnson, Paul Moore, Antonio Lo Monte, Theodore Mirabile, Mathew McGrory and their partners were delighted to support such a deserving local charity through the spectacular Save Our Sons Gala night.

DMD is a severe muscle-wasting condition that affects 1 in 3500 children. Every dollar from these fundraising initiatives counts, with the Save our Sons charity supporting one of the most exciting and promising treatments worldwide for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients.

WGE are passionate about genuinely assisting deserving organisations like Save Our Sons - to us, it’s more than just work.

For more information on Save Our Sons visit www.saveoursons.org.au

Modular design offers significant cost and times savings on building design and construction. At the upcoming Modular Construction & Prefabrication Summit on 25-26 August 2015, WGE’s Hydraulic Section Manager John Lucchetti is discussing a specific modular case study, the Bendigo Hospital Hotel.

The Bendigo Hospital Hotel project provides a 66 hotel rooms of modular construction sitting on a conventional constructed podium level. The impressive structure has incorporated modular design capabilities with ingenious engineering skills to deliver the desired hotel modules.

See for yourself just how quickly Bendigo Hospital Hotel came together with modular design in the time-lapse video.

In the Day 1 session, ‘Bendigo Hospital Hotel - Reusing, Reselling and Redeploying Modular Buildings and Design Features’, John will examine:

• The use of prefabricated modules to fully integrate and enhance existing in-situ structures
• Using technological advances such as BIM to create better opportunities to transform and innovate a construction projects life cycle
• How to greatly reduce site time through design refinement
• Building sustainable design into the fabric of modular construction

John is the Hydraulics Section Manager in WGE’s Melbourne office, leading a team of 16 people.

More information on John’s presentation can be found here: http://www.modularconstructionaustralia.com.au/john-lucchetti-speaker

Wood & Grieve Engineers’ (WGE) track record on retail projects has caught the attention of Coles supermarkets as WGE have been successful in recently becoming one of their preferred building services consultants.

Coles’ Berowra store in Sydney recently upgraded the fresh produce, bakery and deli prep areas with WGE documenting the services requirements in line with the new Coles Centenary store specifications. Time was a challenge on this project, as with most retail developments getting feet through the door is top priority for the commercial viability of the building and Coles required the new store layout, lighting and building services to be completed, pronto.

WGE are working with Coles on several other new stores and refurbishments across Australia and we are committed in helping to make the Coles shopping experience “a little better every day…”

Hospitals and aged care facilities around the world require defense against bacterial infections in water supplies. For example, Legionella bacteria (which causes Legionnaires Disease) reproduces at temperatures between 20-45°C and is present in water systems around the world. In Australia, outbreaks of Legionnaires are fairly frequent with a patient dying in a Hervey Bay hospital as recently as April 2015.

Legionella and other potentially dangerous bacteria including pseudomonas have the ability to gain a foothold in a water system, spread quickly, become drug resistant and harm the elderly or those with weak immune systems. Bacteria control in water systems is a hot topic in hospital and aged care facilities.

WGE Hydraulic Project Engineer, Antonio Lo Monte, explores the problem and discusses numerous solutions in this recent article on ‘The Bacteria Puzzle’ from Plumbing Connection.

Antonio states, “It is crucial that pre-filtration and treatment systems that are selected suit the end users’ needs and methods, otherwise they just don’t get used.”

Read the PDF article here: Plumbing Connection Winter 2015 - The Bacteria Puzzle