Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business has been appointed to deliver a series of major upgrades to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.
Procured through the NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) framework, the works will see 4,000 sqm of hospital space delivered, for the benefit of the mid and south Essex community.
As part of the works, the Morgan Sindall team will replace Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) concrete which was in widespread use in the UK until the 1990s and is now being replaced.
RAAC is much weaker and very different from traditional concrete.
The panels were used in floors and walls and have a useful life estimated to be around 30 years.
RAAC refurbishment is one of the less widely publicised challenges facing our health services
This material is a challenge that NHS hospitals and many schools are facing across the country, as they begin to deteriorate and require upgrading.
The Morgan Sindall team in the East of England is very experienced at this kind of work, having completed similar work at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation, which was in the top two NHS hospitals most affected by RAAC, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Finished work will see the sustainability credentials of Broomfield Hospital improved as the new structure will benefit from enhanced energy performance. It will also feature a rooftop plant room.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s commitment to creating social value where it is most needed in the communities in which it operates, it will utilise local suppliers and workforce throughout the construction.
RAAC is much weaker and very different from traditional concrete
Dale Smith, Head of Operations at Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business, said: ”RAAC refurbishment is one of the less widely publicised challenges facing our health services, however, is one that faces a lot of Trusts across the country.”
“With the 2035 RAAC eradication directive now in place and a pushing need for a flexible but cost-effective solution to be implemented by the NHS, we hope others will take the action required, like Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to upgrade its facilities,” Smith continued
“The mid and south Essex community will benefit from a solution which has their welfare at its heart – and we are thrilled to be getting underway!” Smith concluded.