Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital has begun a series of concrete pours on the first floor deck at the replacement hospital’s jobsite—at an elevation of exactly 5,280 ft—well suited for the newest hospital being built in the Mile High City. The Denver office of Mortenson Construction, the project’s general contractor, started the first concrete pour on May 17, and will eventually include 4,643 cu yd of concrete, becoming the foundation of the hospital’s 115,68-sq-ft first floor.

Photo courtesy of Mortenson Construction

The new hospital will eventually include 4,643 cu yd of concrete, forming the foundation of the hospitals 115,68-sq-ft first floor.

The hospital’s first floor will include entrances for inpatient, outpatient and emergency services, along with space dedicated to medical imaging, a library, spiritual care, a cafeteria and a gift shop. The emergency department will house 40 treatment rooms, four trauma rooms and 15 observation rooms.

“Pouring the first floor deck is a significant milestone for the new Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital, and having the work done at exactly 5,280 ft, a mile above sea level, adds a fun element of significance to the work,” said Maja Rosenquist, vice president at Mortenson. “We’ve had an outstanding working relationship with the Exempla team for more than 14 years, and we’re looking forward to completing this important project for both Exempla and their patients.”

Mortenson is self-performing the concrete work for the hospital, ensuring Exempla’s expectations of the highest level of safety, quality and efficiencies for the project are met. Over the next 10 months, Mortenson’s crews will average 1,200 cu yd of concrete placed every week.  The hospital is targeted to top out in March 2013.

The new Saint Joseph replacement hospital will be located in Denver adjacent to the current campus. The 831,327-sq-ft facility will be a full-service hospital containing all hospital departments and services. The hospital is being built for 348 patient beds and has a freestanding central utility plant that will serve this building and others on campus. The hospital will have eight floors and a rooftop helipad.

The enclosure system is comprised of masonry, curtain wall, metal panels and punch windows. The facility also includes a centerpiece chapel structure, central courtyard, balconies at every level and a rooftop garden.

Mortenson is also working on a 565-space hospital parking structure at the corner of Downing Street and 18th Avenue. It will provide parking for the hospital’s employees and closely mirror the appearance of the hospital’s 700-space visitors garage for campus continuity and neighborhood aesthetics. It is a six-level structure with engineered capacity to add three more levels of parking. Additionally, caisson drilling and foundation work is scheduled to start on the new central utility plant in mid-June.