Northside Hospital Forsyth Surgery and Patient Tower Vertical Expansion
Cumming, Ga.  
Award of Merit

Owner: Northside Hospital Forsyth
Lead Design Firm: Howell Rusk Dodson Architects
General Contractor: Batson-Cook Co.
Structural Engineer: KSi Structural Engineers
MEP Engineer: EXP
Plumbing Contractor: Art Plumbing, AC & Electric
Electrical Contractor: Inglett & Stubbs LLC

The vertical expansion at Northside Hospital Forsyth Surgery and Patient Tower was a 65,433-sq-ft, 64-patient bed addition to the existing facility. In addition to the new patient rooms, the project included a build-out of mechanical space, an upgrade to the central energy plant and installation of a new elevator. Maintaining continued operation of the existing five-story hospital—including operating rooms, intensive care unit and oncology patient rooms—required intensive planning.

Building vertically meant that the existing roof would become a built-out floor space. To protect the roof, crews first removed the rock ballast, exposing the EPDM membrane. Workers then placed high-density insulation, designed to carry the loads of the forming system, atop the EPDM membrane, followed by a layer of plywood.  The seams were taped and then lapped with strips of plywood to create a grid system that controlled lines. After the project was dried in, crews came back and exposed the existing roof structure and began the build-out of what was then the third floor. Despite starting construction with only limited structural drawings, the project team was able to complete work within the original 59-week schedule.

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