Structural Steel - Helipad Closure
November 14, 2014
Beginning on or about December 1st, a large crane will be brought onto the Hospital Replacement Wing construction site for erection of the structural steel, which is scheduled to begin a few days after arrival of the crane. For certain portions of the work near the existing hospital, the crane will encroach into the helipad clear zone atop the existing hospital building.
The steel installation will require the closure of the Fainer building helipad for approximately 6 weeks from December 1st to January 9th, 2015. During this period, the alternate landing site located in the upper parking lot near Foothill Road will be used for emergency daytime helicopter operations. Additionally, over the following few months, there will be occasional days when use of a tall crane will be necessary and the upper parking lot landing site will be used.
The use of the upper parking lot landing site will be limited to Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Nighttime and weekend landings will continue to be on the helipad atop the existing hospital building. Historically, helicopter landings occur on average of 2-3 times per week with the majority occurring on weekends.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Ehret, VCMC Hospital Replacement Wing Project Director at 805-652-3268 or by email at vcmchrw@ventura.org
Economic Impact of the VCMC Hospital Replacement Wing Project on the Local Community
September 19, 2014
The HRW project is making a significant positive impact on the local economy.
To date, after approximately 18 months of construction, over 50% of the wages and benefits paid for labor performed on the project have been to workers that live in Ventura County. That is over $1.8 million in wages and benefits that have been paid to local workers.
In order to reach out to and promote interest by local contractors the design-builder, Clark Construction, hosts subcontractor outreach events periodically. The next event is scheduled for September 24th at the Four Points Sheraton in the Ventura Harbor. At the event Clark will provide a project overview, list the upcoming subcontracting opportunities, and provide an opportunity for potential subcontractors to better understand project needs and network with project managers. All outreach events are advertised on this website in the Industry section.
In addition to the wages and benefits paid to local workers, there are other secondary financial impacts of the project to the community. To date, Clark Construction has paid approximately $400,000 to local vendors for printing and copying services, food, signs, and a host of other supplies and services.
These benefits are expected to accelerate in the future as the pace of project construction picks up in the forthcoming months.
Foundation Installation Starting July 2014 (Updated 7/2/14)
Due to scheduling issues, the start of this work has been moved to mid July.
Beginning on or about July 9th, two large cranes will be brought onto the construction site. The largest will be a crawler crane with an attached drill rig.
The largest crane will stand approximately 205 feet tall and be used to install the new hospital’s foundation, consisting of Auger Pressure Grouted (APG) drilled piers. Once assembled at the bottom of the excavation area, the crane will extend approximately 130 feet above the existing hospital’s helipad atop the Fainer Building.
Since drilling is being used to install the piers, rather than pile driving, the process is not expected to produce any significant noise or vibrations.
Installation of approximately ten test piers will be performed on or about July 14 through 18 and full scale installation is anticipated to begin on or about August 4 and continue through the month of September.
For a brief time during the testing program and for approximately 4-6 weeks during the installation period, alternate arrangements will need to be made to accommodate emergency helicopter operations. This is necessary because the height of the crane will encroach into the helipad flight path atop the Fainer Building. During those periods, the alternate landing site, located in the upper parking lot near Foothill Road, will be used for emergency helicopter operations. The approach and departure flight path for the alternate landing site is from the southwest, over the Medical Examiner’s building.
The use of the alternate landing site will be limited to Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 7 PM. Night time and weekend landings will continue to be on the Fainer helipad. Historically, helicopter landings occur, on average, 2-3 times a week with the majority occurring on weekends.
