Memorial Hermann The Woodlands helipad is a 53’ x 53’ aluminum platform constructed with steel columns and designed to take maximum advantage of their east tower roof space. 150’ of walkway ramp connects the helipad to the hospital’s emergency department via oversized passenger elevators. This helipad was constructed over an active hospital and the build required us to enter six patient rooms. Our team took great care in implementing infection control, scheduling and noise procedures, so as not to disturb hospital operations. The greatest challenge in completing this job was collaborating on the structural design of the helipad’s support columns. As we began the process of bolting the support plates to the roof, OSC discovered that the pre-existing conditions were less than ideal. The space we needed to drill into to place the support columns was filled with rebar. Our attempts to use radar to survey the rebar’s layout were unsuccessful due to the interference with equipment readings. This led to collaborative discussions with both the structural engineers and the helipad platform subcontractor. Together, we reworked the calculations, changing the point loads and reducing uplift by 30%. The engineer modified their design, resulting in an ideal solution to an unforeseen circumstance. Once construction began, it was necessary to set up a crane beside the active hospital for nine days, in order to lift the platform and beams into position on the roof. This required careful coordination with the hospital to ensure that the site was safe and that their operations weren’t restricted. With the addition of this helipad, the hospital achieved Level 2 Trauma status and a successful instillation.
