P.1ISSUE 83ISSUE 83

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO ZOO MIAMI &SEATAC’S LIGHT RAIL CONNECTION

THE VICTORIAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTREBuilding hope down under

P.3ISSUE 83LOCATION: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The $1 billion Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), located in Melbourne’s prestigious biomedical precinct in Parkville, is PCL’s first Australian project, undertaken as a design-build joint venture with Melbourne-based Grocon. The P3 alliance leveraged Grocon’s local knowledge and PCL’s experience—more than $6 billion in P3 projects in the past decade alone, most of it health related.

Grocon PCL (GPCL) is part of the Plenary Health consortium contracted to design, build, finance, and maintain the facility for 25 years under a public-private partnership (P3) with the Victorian Government. The consortium also comprises project sponsor and investor Plenary Group, and facilities manager Honeywell.

The VCCC project consists of two main areas: a new 20-story building (six levels below grade), and a four-floor extension on top of the adjoining Royal Melbourne Hospital, providing cancer research, clinical services and educational facilities for Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne Health, and the University of Melbourne. The scope also includes two covered bridges that link the two structures, allowing patients, visitors, and staff to move easily between the buildings.

Among the many clinical features are 160 overnight inpatient beds, 110 same-day beds, a 42-bed capacity intensive care unit, a dedicated clinical trials unit, eight operating theaters, nine radiation therapy bunkers, education and training facilities, and more than 20,000 square feet of dedicated research space for up to 1,200 researchers.

Cover Photo: The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre with its swirl of steel and purple glass marks the gateway to Parkville, the premier biomedical and research precinct in Melbourne, Australia.

Photo (this page): A VCCC aerial view reveals the tranquil roof-top garden, a relaxing, peaceful space for patients and families.

All VCCC Images: Peter Bennetts

FEATURE STORY

THE VICTORIAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTRE BUILDING HOPE DOWN UNDER

THE PROJECT

P.5ISSUE 83MORE VICTORIAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTRE

PATIENT-FOCUSED DESIGN MODEL TECHNOLOGY Traditionally, the principal architect manages the design process. As well as working closely with the architect joint venture of Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc and McBride Charles, on this project, GPCL directly managed 27 design groups, with more than 65 architects, engineers, and consultants working in-house. As part of the design collaboration, they hosted more than 650 user group meetings to solicit feedback from diverse audiences, including patients, surgeons, and maintenance crews.

While Building Information Modelling (BIM)—a 3-D model-based process—is certainly not new technology within the construction industry, the extent of its use on VCCC was ambitious for a hospital project in Australia. Every detail larger than a half inch was modelled using BIM.

The team worked from not one, but 237 separate models, which together provided the team with the opportunity to break down the building into small components, and to plan construction sequencing and activities around them.

At its peak, more than 1,500 builders, architects, engineers, fabricators, and technicians were working intensely to realize the client’s vision for the VCCC, while at the same time meeting a project deadline that did not change from day one. The outcome is a modern health-care and research facility that achieves clinical efficiencies and offers an enhanced, patient-focused experience because all key stakeholders had a voice.

It made sense from a financial and scheduling perspective to prefabricate components in some cases. For example, the mechanical risers housing the facility’s HVAC and plumbing systems, as well the mechanical room modules, were built off-site and then clipped together on-site. This “Do it right the first time” approach minimized safety hazards while improving quality, schedule, and cost outcomes.

Photos: The VCCC’s modern, glass exterior invites sunlight to stream through the spectacular atrium.Photo: Covered bridges connect the VCCC to the Royal

Melbourne Hospital.

There is no question our building partners were a major reason for our success in securing the contract. Now, with the building finished, I can happily say that the building partnership has delivered a fantastic facility that is a credit to them and the thousands of workers that have turned the architect’s vision into a finished reality.

- John O’Rourke, chairman, Plenary Group, taken from the book Collaborations: The Story of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre

Photo: A look inside one of the VCCC’s radiation bunkers, where patients will benefit from natural light.

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For practical construction reasons, radiation therapy bunkers are typically placed on the basement level, directly onto bedrock. This positioning helps to support the enormous weight of the bunkers, which are filled with steel and concrete to contain radiation. However, a basement location for the main building did not align with the VCCC’s patient-focused design.

The project team came up with an innovative plan to place the eight bunkers, with walls up to 1.2 meters (four feet) thick, on suspended concrete slabs—five floors above the bedrock. On this level and adjacent to the other clinical spaces, radiotherapy patients also benefit from natural light spilling down from the building’s atrium skylight. The atrium is one of the main building’s key architectural features, rising 56 meters (184 feet) high and, at its widest point, spanning 36.4 meters (119 feet).

After four-and-a-half years of construction the VCCC opened to the public in June 2016, on time and on budget. The patient-focused facility inspires hope, while also caring for the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of its occupants. At 1.5 million square feet, it is the largest facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

CONCRETE INNOVATION

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P.9ISSUE 83LOCATION: MIAMI, FLORIDACOMMERCIAL STORY

The only subtropical zoo in the United States, Zoo Miami features more than 3,000 animals in cage-free exhibits spanning 740 acres. Each year nearly one million Zoo Miami guests are drawn to an experience that blends entertainment with education, and inspires an appreciation for the preservation of the world’s wildlife and their unique habitats.

PCL’s renovation and expansion of Zoo Miami covers six acres of zoo property and includes demolition of the park’s existing entrance, as well as construction of the new entry plaza and the new Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit. The plaza scope includes a 5,800-square-foot sales and event building and a 5,000-square-foot ticket sales and gift shop. The Florida: Mission Everglades attraction features new exhibits for close-up encounters with wildlife native to Florida, which visitors can experience while cruising down a winding river via the park’s new airboat ride.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDEBREATHING NEW LIFE INTO ZOO MIAMI

THE PROJECT

Photo: Colorful animal silhouettes at the park’s new entrance welcome visitors to Zoo Miami.

MORE ZOO MIAMI P.11ISSUE 83

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS CHANNEL SURFINGZoo Miami’s new entry plaza provides an expanded, spacious area where park guests can congregate for events or take in visual elements such as a 3-D sculptural sign and life-size animal silhouettes. A cloud-like canopy encircling the plaza is an enhanced aesthetic feature that provides zoo visitors with shelter from the Florida sun and heat. The PCL team worked on this feature through an extensive value engineering process with the client to create cost savings while ensuring the quality and visual appeal of the entry plaza.

The cloud canopy provided PCL with an opportunity to work collaboratively with trade contractor partners to identify cost savings. During preconstruction, the team suggested a specialized membrane to cover the

structural steel of the canopy. This material costs less to construct and maintain than traditional building materials, and an alternative framing system composed of less structural steel is able to support the lightweight fabric membrane. PCL brought in an expert in custom canopy structures to design, fabricate, and install the made-to-order membrane while coordinating trades working from aerial platforms to paint the steel structure. The installed canopy reflects over 70 percent of the sun’s energy, leaving guests cool and comfortable beneath.

A key component of Zoo Miami’s new Florida: Mission Everglades attraction is the airboat ride, which transports guests along a river for close encounters with the diverse South Florida plant and animal species that inhabit the exhibit. PCL recognized that construction of the river channel by which the airboat would travel had to be meticulously coordinated among trade contractors. Placing themselves at the heart of the coordination action, PCL self-performed the cast-in-place concrete of the entire 1,000-foot river channel and completed the installation of ride systems. The PCL team worked alongside the electrical and mechanical contractors and applied increased oversight as they installed equipment to create the river-effect components, such as bubbling geysers.

PCL’s ability to self-perform parts of the channel scope saved money for the owner and facilitated construction of the ride so that all components were carefully coordinated and installed correctly the first time.

With the renovation and expansion of Zoo Miami complete, new and returning guests will be awed by the zoo’s entertaining and educational wildlife-centric attractions that showcase the diverse ecosystems of South Florida and the world beyond.

Photo (this page): Beyond the flamingos, a cloud-like canopy protects zoo visitors from the Florida sun. Photo (next page): PCL self-performed the cast-in-place concrete for Zoo Miami’s airboat ride.

PCL has shown relentless dedication to getting the job done, and getting the job done right – to make this exciting project a reality for our visitors. The PCL team worked closely with us and impressed us all with their competence, expertise, and enthusiasm.

- Maggie L. Tawil, division chief, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces

P.13ISSUE 83CIVIL STORY

SOUTH 200TH LINK EXTENSIONSEATAC’S LIGHT RAIL CONNECTION

The South 200th Link Extension—the first design-build light rail project for Sound Transit—extends the existing light rail corridor from the passenger station at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by 1.6 miles to the south, providing better access to downtown Seattle for commuters in the South Puget Sound region.

PCL’s work includes the double-track light rail elevated guideway, the new Angle Lake passenger station at South 200th Street, transit systems, and associated civil-infrastructure improvements.

Angle Lake station, which opened in September 2016, is the first Sound Transit passenger station to incorporate on-site solar energy generation to help meet sustainability goals. The station provides a new hub to meet the growing needs of light rail commuters in the City of SeaTac and is also expected to achieve LEED® Silver certification.

THE PROJECT

Photo: Sound Transit projects that 5,400 daily riders will pass through Angle Lake Station by 2018.

LOCATION: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

MORE SOUTH 200TH LINK EXTENSION P.15ISSUE 83

FROM PRECAST TO FAST-TRACK ELEVATING THE TRAVELER EXPERIENCEThe term “accelerated bridge construction” (ABC) applies to a multitude of construction techniques capable of shortening project schedules by weeks, months, sometimes even years. Builders use these methods to reduce impacts on the environment, community, and traffic, while positively affecting the safety and quality of a project.

PCL determined that the ABC method of using precast concrete to create the bridge segments was the best solution for this project. To save time, PCL self-performed the precast concrete work at the off-site casting yard at the same time that bridge foundation and column construction was under way at the project site. By

manufacturing the bridge segments at an off-site casting yard, the team reduced the amount of time crews spent exposed to vehicular traffic and working at heights, resulting in a safer working environment. The factorylike conditions meant that segments produced with the heavy-duty steel molds were consistent, ensuring a higher-quality product than the more traditional cast-in-place bridge construction technique.

More than 34 million passengers travel through Sea-Tac Airport each year, so the project team carefully considered construction methods that would minimize inconvenience to airport travelers during and after construction.

To reduce the impact of construction on the airport, PCL proposed use of two long-span bridges instead of the typical shorter span arrangement. Known as a balanced cantilever, this bridge type uses fewer bridge components to reduce obstructions to traffic below the bridge. The use of fewer bridge columns means there will be fewer permanent obstructions for the airport to work around when developing their future expansion plans.

PCL used a self-launching, overhead gantry to erect the more than 800 precast segments of the elevated

guideway. This method of span construction reduced disturbances to adjacent businesses and residents caused by construction activities. It eliminated months of temporary support structures at grade, delivery of multiple concrete loads to the site, and long-term lane and driveway closures. The use of the long-span, balanced cantilever also eliminated the need for additional construction phases and multiple detours, and accommodated the airport’s plans for future expansion.

Not only will these unique transportation solutions provide immediate benefits to the airport, but the precast, segmental bridges will provide long-term durability, possibly exceeding the 100-year design-life requirement.

I have greatly appreciated the team’s willingness to share lessons learned and collaborate. This project was a team effort, and we worked together to bring a more accessible light rail to the Seattle-Tacoma communities.

Photo (this page): The balanced cantilever style bridge uses fewer components, which helps reduce traffic obstructions below.

Photo (next page): A colorful design feature adds vibrancy to the Angle Lake station.

- Miles Haupt, Sound Transit’s project director (retired) for South Link

TO GIVE US FEEDBACK, OR TO MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION, PLEASE CONTACT: HORIZONS@PCL.COMThe PCL family of companies is a group of independent construction companies which carry out diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets.

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