A specialized construction team recently completed the new four-story, 84-bed, 89,000-sq-ft Duncan Patient Wing at Alton Memorial Hospital for client BJC HealthCare in Alton, Ill.
![The $45 million, 89,000-sq-ft Duncan Patient Wing at Alton Memorial Hospital, owned by BJC HealthCare in Alton, Ill., was completed on time and under budget.](/images/2010/08/0801_09a.jpg)
The construction team consisted of construction manager S. M. Wilson of St. Louis, architect Pratt Design Studio of Chicago, and Guarantee Electrical of St. Louis. The $45 million project was completed on time and under budget.
After winning the assignment by competitive bid based on schematic documents, the project team members devoted a year to preconstruction planning by using 3D modeling within a web-based system to achieve real-time design-engineering coordination among all parties.
The intensive pre-planning was required to ensure the hospital would operate seamlessly while it was operating entirely on back-up generators as Guarantee Electrical replaced and upgraded its central power system.
In fulfilling a design-assist role, Guarantee installed power, lighting, emergency, technology, data, fire alarm and security systems in the new wing and a new utility substation with site distribution to 5kV outdoor gear.
Guarantee constructed emergency backup power for the campus by installing two-1000kW diesel generators, paralleling switchgear housed in a new generator building.
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