THP was the structural engineering on a new 41,000 SF Emergency Department and a Surgery Infill building at UC Health’s Medical Center, the region’s only Level 1 adult trauma center. The Emergency Department includes 84 patient rooms, 10 shock resuscitation units, and four triage rooms, with design considerations for mass casualty incidents. The project involved demolishing multiple buildings and renovating existing ones, all while navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required remote coordination and early bid packaging to mitigate supply chain disruptions.

 THP provided structural engineering services from master planning through construction administration for the 270,000 SF concrete pan joist and steel frame buildings. The four-story Surgical Infill building was constructed between and attached to four existing buildings, requiring underpinning and grade beams to stabilize adjacent structures. It was completed in 2023, followed by the Emergency Department in 2024, which includes four floors of emergency services and an eight-story overbuild for future expansion.

 A major challenge was routing utilities from the existing East Central Utility Plant (ECUP) across the dense and uneven medical campus. After a cost analysis, the team opted to use the underutilized ECUP rather than build a new plant. THP collaborated with MEP and other partners to route utilities over, under, around, or through eight existing buildings and infrastructure, covering more than 1,000 feet.