A new outpatient imaging building located at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital providing additional facilities to the hospital, helping diagnose a wide range of conditions. The building houses MRI and CT scanners alongside X-Ray and ultrasound imaging to provide care for those with cancer, heart disease, strokes and respiratory diseases amongst others.
NNUH Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is part of the Norfolk Diagnostic Centre Programme to create new outpatient imaging buildings across the region. Other hospitals included in the investment are James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
The 40,000 sq. ft building is constructed with a steel frame with a brick façade to blend with the rest of the hospital estate. Rossi Long Consulting provided civil and structural engineering services through RIBA Stages 2 to 6, including design of the two-storey steel frame structure and associated foundations. Our engineers have also carried out a Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy report which has been incorporated into the designed drainage system.
The new CDC building was constructed on a sloping site, on ground conditions that are known to be susceptible to the formation of dissolution features. To accommodate the site slope and to minimise the amount of imported fill material required the northern half of the building was constructed with a suspended ground bearing slab, supported from the pile caps and perimeter ground beams. This has also led to the incorporation of a partial basement to the northeast corner of the building, constructed from waterproof concrete.
Lack of public surface water sewers in the vicinity of the site has required our engineers to carefully consider the surface water run-off generated from the development. A detailed network of lined permeable paving has been designed around the building to collect water associated with the areas of hardstanding and discharge these to a new infiltration basin.
The development includes a new air source heat pump system and has achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’. The steel structure also utilises a proportion of ‘XCarb’ Steelwork, manufactured from recycled materials and renewable energy resulting in a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional steelwork.
Images courtesy of Maxim Commercial Photography