Crew Works in Tight Quarters to Build New UAB Facility

beds, 28 acute care beds and advanced technology. The new structure will include a focus on neurorehabilitation for patients following stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. It also will include a seizure monitoring unit that offers clinical, research and education services to patients with epilepsy.

“Although multiple renovations have been made throughout the years, this new building will allow us to build upon and maximize UAB Medicine’s commitment to providing patient-centered care,” said Vu Nguyen, chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. “We are looking forward to welcoming our patients and their caretakers to this new rehab facility.”

Each floor is designed to treat specific patient populations, allowing for patients, families and care team members to remain in the same location. This maintains the proper support for physical, mental and emotional recovery.

The facility also will include family rooms on each patient floor, a respite room featuring a patient art gallery and two outdoor terraces. The top floor will feature a garden where patients can work on mobility, cognition and range of motion. The bottom floor will offer a park for patients to practice navi- gating different terrains.

UAB broke ground on the replacement facility in early May 2022. Jared Sparks, the director of facilities and capital projects, said that the project location is less than ideal for crews.

“One of the biggest challenges on a project of this nature is that construction is taking place in a very congested site in an urban downtown setting. Prior to construction, this site served as surface parking lots for UAB faculty, staff and patients.”

A significant amount of work remains, with construction continuing at a steady pace.

“A milestone we have reached is that the deep foundations are complete,” said Sparks.

Hoar Construction LLC serves as the general contractor. According to Hoar Senior Project Manager Greg Cross, work began in early June 2022.

“Currently, we’re forming the concrete structure,” he said. “The remaining significant tasks include 11 stories of structure, building skin and the buildout of the interior.”

To date, crews have completed underground caissons, relocated 70 percent of the utilities, performed 75 percent of the necessary grading and nearly all the foundations and the first level columns.

Site work has included removal and demolition of the existing paving, concrete and some utilities.

Cross noted that underground utilities have been a unique challenge for workers.

“This site has been used for a variety of purposes and has been built on multiple times over the past 60-80 years, so there were unforeseen utilities and existing foundations we uncovered and had to remove,” he said. “Additionally, the site has basically no lay down for materials and equipment, so we have to create precise logistical plans for materials deliveries. Building the exterior skin will also be a challenge, due to this limited access.”

Approximately 3,500 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved during construction. Demolition included concrete paving, concrete sidewalks, landscaping, curbs, bollards, storm lines, light poles, fencing and concrete walls.

Because the site is not very see UAB page 6

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