Contract Amount
$8,670,000.00
Project Type
Electrical Construction
Project Owner
UTMB Health
General Contractor
Hensel Phelps Construction
Electrical Contractor
FSG Electric
Engineering Firm
Shah Smith
Architect
FKP
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UTMB League City Hospital Expansion Houston, Texas

Case Study
New state-of-the-art hospital wing construction project helps UTMB address rapid growth challenges

Challenge

In 2018, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) received approval from its Board of Regents to expand UTMB's League City Campus in response to rapid growth and increased demand for services. The approved design for the project included a new five-story hospital wing to house 60 additional patient rooms, additional support staff space, intensive care units, laboratory space, and a food service outlet. Additionally, the design called for the latest Cooper Lighting Solutions LED luminaires and wireless control systems to provide a superior patient and caregiver user experience. To manage the project, UTMB selected Hensel Phelps to serve as General Contractor on the project.

Hensel Phelps understood that the new hospital addition project would involve certain logistical challenges, chief among them being the requirement that the new wing should tie into the current electrical system at the main hospital. As the UTMB facility was fully operational and in heavy use, the connection of the new electrical system to the existing one would involve precise planning and coordination to avoid extended service outages and the interruption of patient care. To complete the electrical work scope for this project, and especially to oversee the critical merger of old and new electrical systems, Hensel Phelps turned to FSG's Houston branch.

Solution

The most challenging aspect of this project involved connecting the new addition's electrical system to the electrical system of the currently operating UTMB hospital. To make matters more difficult, the design of the new hospital wing's electrical system did not match the existing system. FSG was asked to rebuild a section of switchgear to increase the ampacity needed to serve the new section. This required massive coordination and additional backup generators to make sure no power was lost during a scheduled 12-hour shutdown.

During the project, FSG was also tasked with completing renovations at the existing hospital. These renovations included three new Endoscopy Rooms, Operating Room renovations, relocation of X-Ray and CT Labs, the conversion of 17 Labor, Delivery, Recovery & Post-Partum (LDRP) rooms to ICU Rooms, and the outfitting of a new ground-level helipad.

Result

FSG worked around and through the challenges at UTMB and completed the project to everyone's satisfaction. The new wing includes support staff space on Level 1, a kitchen and dining facility on Level 2, 30 ICU beds each on Levels 3 & 4, and mechanical space on Level 5.

The lighting and control systems at the new wing are standout features of the project. To streamline lighting controls throughout the new hospital wing, FSG installed Cooper Lighting Solutions' WaveLinx Pro wireless and Greengate Room Controller control systems. For patients in the new UTMB League City hospital wing, the ability to select appropriate lighting "scenes" and adjust light levels within each guest room is perhaps the most notable benefit of a stay at this new state-of-the-art hospital facility.

FSG projects consistently deliver excellence for our  customers, for our employees, and for the communities we serve.

We see each project as an opportunity to embrace our mission and provide superior value through quality products, service, and support.

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