Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) is a long-term client of THP. After many years of successful collaboration on projects of every size, CCHMC turned to THP for one of their largest and most ambitious projects to date: a nine-story tower with a mechanical mezzanine and five spokes, one of which connected to an existing building. This new Critical Care Building includes an Emergency Department with 60 patient rooms, 249 critical care beds, Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and many other services. 

The design also called for three green roofs totaling 28,000 gross square feet (GSF), two of which would function as public meditation gardens. THP provided structural engineering services for the project, which was built on a fast-track schedule. The structural frame consisted of a concrete skip-joist for vibration control and structural steel rooftop penthouse and infill connecting the new and existing buildings to expedite the construction schedule. Local post-tensioned girder framing allowed 16′ cantilevers at visible corners without increasing the structural depth. The utilization of concrete masonry units (CMUs) enabled masons to stand on the roof and set block, as opposed to coordinating formwork. This approach was safer and could be completed in less time.