Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial Hospital Strengthening

Our team has undertaken a rigorous process of seismic assessment, design, and monitoring of strengthening options over the course of several years. Despite the challenge of working within an operational hospital, we were able to adapt and implement effective solutions to improve the building's seismic performance.

Seismic Assessment revealed a low safety rating

When the former Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB) sought to extend its Histology Department into the then unoccupied portion of the Acute Assessment and Education Building, they wanted a seismic assessment.

WSP (then Opus) carried out a detailed seismic assessment of the building. The assessment found that the building which has an importance level three (IL3) due to it having residential patients (on the ground floor) and contents of high value to the community (the hospital pharmacy), met only 15% of the equivalent New Building Standard.

WSP in discussion with Te Whatu Ora, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay developed a staged strengthening scheme that would eventually bring the building up to 70% NBS so that the risk to the building occupants and functions would be significantly reduced.

Three Stages strengthening scheme to improve safety

Due to the priority given to the Histology Department expansion, the first stage was incorporated within the expansion works on the first floor. Stage 2 for the rest of the first floor and plant room above, was undertaken as a latter and separate contract.

The design for Stage 3 for the ground floor and basement required detailed geotechnical investigation and collaboration with the structural engineers to derive pragmatic solutions to a number of technical issues.

WSP took into account the minimisation of disruption to both the occupants and hospital functions during the design of all phases and construction monitoring.

Long-term future planning for the regional hospital

In 2022 WSP assisted in the long-term future planning for the regional hospital with the preparation of an engineering report on all Acute Services Buildings at the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial Hospital. This report summarised the ten-plus years of detailed seismic assessments of the acute services buildings (IL3’s & IL4’s) to a consistent and current basis.

Our report is helping Te Whatu Ora, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay to develop a site-wide master plan to address clinical, operational and safety requirements of a modern hospital to meet the needs of the community into the future.

Noel Evans Project Manager

Noel Evans Project Manager

The report included a number of recommendations for short-term actions that would quickly reduce the risks to function and safety posed by the current building arrangements. These could be undertaken for the time during which long-term planning is being undertaken. The measures included seismically isolating a main stairway and completing the investigation on the restraint and likely performance of what are termed non-structural elements during earthquakes. The poor performance of such elements is known to significantly impact the continued function of hospital buildings in earthquakes.

Location

Napier, New Zealand

Client

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay

Project Status

Completed : 2021

Sustainable Solutions

WSP's assessments and designs have been instrumental in contributing towards the objective of upgrading Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial Hospital to meet the community's functional and safety needs in the future.

Te Whatu Ora, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay is seeking sustainable solutions for long-term planning, and WSP's significant international resources can be leveraged for this purpose.

Client and Consultant Partnering to Deliver Broader Outcomes

WSP continues to work with Te Whatu Ora, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay and its construction partners on a range of projects to deliver outcomes which will improve the operational and seismic performance of buildings and services throughout the region’s hospitals. Our teams work closely with Te Whatu Ora, Te Matua a Māui Hawke’s Bay staff to ensure the outcomes not only meet the brief but are adaptable to the changing circumstances of working in and around operational hospitals.

Hawkes Bay Fallen Soldiers Hospital taken by Warren Buckland

Credit: Warren Buckland

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