Category Photos Show all
-
Drone video of site of new hospital
Share Drone video of site of new hospital on Facebook Share Drone video of site of new hospital on Twitter Share Drone video of site of new hospital on Linkedin Email Drone video of site of new hospital link
Want a bird's eye view of the work that's underway on the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital? Check out this awesome drone video of the construction site!
Watch the video here:
Drone video - March 2024 | Videos | DCDH Replacement Project | Let's Talk Northern Health
-
Level 1 suspended slab pours
Share Level 1 suspended slab pours on Facebook Share Level 1 suspended slab pours on Twitter Share Level 1 suspended slab pours on Linkedin Email Level 1 suspended slab pours link
We’re excited to share that concrete pours for the Level 1 (L1) suspended slab are underway! The first pour was done on January 25 and the remaining pours will continue until mid-April. Once all 10 pours for L1 are complete, ~2510m3 of concrete will have been poured.
Fun fact: Heidelberg Materials, Dawson Creek is supplying all of the concrete for the suspended slabs and CanaSteel Rebar Services, Dawson Creek is supplying and installing all the reinforcing steel.
Suspended slabs are upper floor concrete slabs that are not in direct contact with the ground. The slab is supported on the exterior of the building by foundation walls and on the interior by concrete columns.
In anticipation for the suspended slab pours, Graham had to complete the foundations that serve as the supporting structure of the slab. This installation involves:
- Mudsill installation – Lumber used to support shoring. Mudsills distribute the shore load across an area big enough to not exceed the allowable soil bearing pressures.
- Shore Installation – Vertical support designed to carry the weight of the formwork, reinforcing bar, concrete and live loads. All engineered to known and assumed loads. For DCDH, we are using an engineered tower system.
- Beam Installation – Aluminum beams for horizontal formwork that are supported by the shores.
- Joist Installation – Horizontal formwork installed perpendicular to and supported by the beams. The form facing material (plywood) is placed directly on the joists.
- Formwork installation – The sheathing or plywood as mentioned above is what the concrete will be placed against.
For the most part, the shoring is built in place. The beam, joist and formwork are pre-assembled as much as possible and flown in place using one of the two tower cranes on site. Infills are then completed after the prefabricated pieces are installed.
The L1 suspended slab formwork is a tower system, so after the slab section has been poured, the beam, joists, and formwork will be removed and used on future pours. The shores will be lifted and individual reshore posts will be placed for the duration of all of the suspended slab pours for all levels.
As usual, there is a lot of preparation work that goes into the suspended slab pours beforehand. In addition to engineering and picking an appropriate system, extensive planning for heating and hoarding is required to ensure the concrete cures properly. For suspended slabs, heating comes from the bottom which allows the concrete to be placed and finished and then the top of the slab is covered with tarps to keep the concrete at the right temperature and prevent moisture evaporation.
The size of the pours are also pre-planned to accommodate:
- Concrete supply capabilities – Slab sizes are based on the amount of concrete that can be received in a 6-to-8-hour window
- Reinforcing steel laps and layout – Splices in rebar can impact structural integrity and increase loads outside of design parameters
- Engineered control and expansion joints – Allow for shrinkage or movement
- Crew availability and floor requirements – Levelness, flatness and finishes all have different levels of support and manpower required
- Ambient air temperature, heating and hoarding
The Level 2 and Level 3 suspended slabs consist of 18 pours (9 per level) totalling over 5000m3 (2500m3 per level) of concrete. Level 2 is anticipated to occur from March to May and Level 3 is anticipated from April to July.
-
Tower crane #2 installed
Share Tower crane #2 installed on Facebook Share Tower crane #2 installed on Twitter Share Tower crane #2 installed on Linkedin Email Tower crane #2 installed link
There's been a new addition to the Dawson Creek skyline with the installation of the second tower crane.
Check out this timelapse video of the installation process.
Read more about the first tower crane and the important role that cranes play on construction sites.
-
Display at Northern Lights College's Open House
Share Display at Northern Lights College's Open House on Facebook Share Display at Northern Lights College's Open House on Twitter Share Display at Northern Lights College's Open House on Linkedin Email Display at Northern Lights College's Open House link
On Saturday, November 4, Northern Lights College hosted an Open House at their Dawson Creek campus for community members to tour the campus and learn about programs.
Ashley Pannozzo, our Community Engagement Liaison was invited to represent Northern Health and set up a display in the Health Sciences Building. Attendees learned about the DCDH Project, employment opportunities with the current and future hospital, health care career opportunities with Northern Health, pathways into healthcare, and the Grow Our Own program.
The display included the project's fact sheet, employment flyer, draft renderings, sample materials and finishes palettes, and mini shovels!
Did you know? NLC offers a variety of health and human services programs that could help kickstart your journey in health care.
Interested in starting your journey with Northern Health at the newest hospital in the Northeast? There are a number of employment opportunities that need to be filled at the current and future Dawson Creek & District Hospital. Northern Health is also hiring for other positions in the community and across the region. To see all current job postings and apply online, visit http://jobs.northernhealth.ca/.
-
More concrete pours and winter weather preparation
Share More concrete pours and winter weather preparation on Facebook Share More concrete pours and winter weather preparation on Twitter Share More concrete pours and winter weather preparation on Linkedin Email More concrete pours and winter weather preparation link
If you’ve driven or walked by the site of the new hospital recently, you might have seen a sea of vibrant orange tarps across the site. Graham is planning and preparing for the winter months and starting to implement their frost protection plan.
It’s fundamental that heat and moisture control is addressed throughout the construction process during the winter months. This includes controlling the temperature and protecting the concrete foundations to avoid a negative impact on the quality of the installation and possible re-work, if not done correctly.
One of the biggest risks during the winter is the frost impact to the deep foundations. Planning and executing the plan has already started and will be an ongoing effort throughout winter. This includes:
- Installing and managing over 800 – 12x24 insulated tarps
-
Procuring and installing five 1.8m BTU glycol ground thaw machines that provide heat to over 80,000 lineal feet of glycol lines
- The glycol lines are spread throughout the foundation subgrade to maintain temperature levels
-
Installing a 30-pound natural gas line to the site with a 5-pound distribution centre to 12 locations across the site footprint
- This ensures there is a fuel supply to any location that heat is required for frost protection
- It also supports concrete pours throughout the winter
-
Elevating stored materials to ensure they don’t freeze into the ground
- Materials are marked so they know what it is and where it is, in the case of heavy snowfall
Safety of the people working on or visiting the construction site remains a priority. Winter weather creates different challenges and risks that have to be eliminated and controlled, and colder temperatures and snowfall changes how work is done on site.
Special equipment, tools, and materials are procured in preparation for the winter weather including snow shovels, ice melt, sand or rock chips, and skid steer attachments. Snow clearing is completed before shift start to limit interaction with the public and construction personnel. Workers are constantly clearing snow, removing ice, working on safe access over tarps, moving heaters and glycol lines, setting up hoardings and running extension cords.
The amount of planning hours and labor-intensive work that goes into preparing the site for winter helps ensure that workers and visitors can safely gain access to the construction site and work safely at all times.
-
Reaching new heights: Tower cranes
Share Reaching new heights: Tower cranes on Facebook Share Reaching new heights: Tower cranes on Twitter Share Reaching new heights: Tower cranes on Linkedin Email Reaching new heights: Tower cranes link
The Dawson Creek skyline has a new look! From most areas of the city you can spot the first tower crane that has been erected on the site of the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital.
Crane #1 is 50 metres tall with a jib length of 75 metres. Crane #2 will be erected within the next month and will be 41 feet tall and have a jib length of 60 metres. Both cranes will remain on site for the next 16 months.
Tower cranes are an important piece of equipment that are used on construction sites to lift and move heavy materials. They play a crucial role in ensuring efficiency and precision in the building process. The erection of a tower crane is a complex process which includes:
- Preparing the base: The crane requires a stable and level concrete base to create a strong foundation.
- Assembling the mast: The vertical mast sections are assembled on the base and connected to reach the desired height.
- Attaching the turntable: This unit allows the crane to rotate horizontally and is attached to the top of the mast.
- Adding the jib: The jib is the horizontal part that extends from the top of the mast and is used to lift and move heavy objects. It's attached to the slewing unit.
- Installing the counterweights: These are added to the crane for balance to prevent it from tipping over when lifting heavy loads.
- Attaching the hook and load line: The hook holds the load and the load line and is attached to the jib. The load line runs from the jib and down to the hoist.
- Testing and safety checks: These are done to ensure that all components are functioning correctly and the crane operates safely.
Tower crane #1 installed 
Infographic of parts of a tower crane from: How Do Construction Cranes Work? | BigRentz
Attaching the counterjib
Attaching the first sections of the mast
Another view of tower crane #1 on site -
Check out the new DCDH construction camera!
Share Check out the new DCDH construction camera! on Facebook Share Check out the new DCDH construction camera! on Twitter Share Check out the new DCDH construction camera! on Linkedin Email Check out the new DCDH construction camera! link
The DCDH Construction Camera is now available! That means any day, any time, you can see what progress is being made on the construction of the new hospital.
You can see live snapshots, zoom in and out and side to side, compare photos from different days, go back in time for archived snapshots, and view timelapses.
Photo from 09-05-2023 @ 3:34pm -
Pouring concrete
Share Pouring concrete on Facebook Share Pouring concrete on Twitter Share Pouring concrete on Linkedin Email Pouring concrete link
Last week, mud slabs were poured for one of the crane bases and a few of the foundations on the southwest corner of the building footprint.
-
New sidewalk and temporary parking lot
Share New sidewalk and temporary parking lot on Facebook Share New sidewalk and temporary parking lot on Twitter Share New sidewalk and temporary parking lot on Linkedin Email New sidewalk and temporary parking lot link
A new sidewalk has been built and work is underway for a new temporary parking lot on the southwest corner of Northern Lights College’s campus.
Graham has been collaborating with NLC on the site logistics plan and identified the need for additional parking for workers to reduce the amount of parked vehicles around the site. NLC reached an agreement with Graham to allow them to use the vacant corner of their campus property for a temporary parking lot with over 200 parking stalls.
With winter quickly approaching, a safe walking path is also needed for workers to get from their vehicles in the lot to the construction site. As a thank-you to NLC and the City of Dawson Creek for their ongoing collaboration and hard work, Graham built a new sidewalk along 12 St. from 116 Ave to NLC's access road. Workers on site, students at NLC and local residents can now all enjoy the new sidewalk which makes walking around the area that much easier and safer!
-
Lots of progress being made
Share Lots of progress being made on Facebook Share Lots of progress being made on Twitter Share Lots of progress being made on Linkedin Email Lots of progress being made link
There has been a lot of work underway and progress made on the site of the new hospital! The topsoil has been striped and bulk excavation has started from East to West. We anticipate bulk excavation being completed within the next couple of weeks. To the end of July, a total of 12,000m3 of material has been excavated and removed from the site.
