Client Waitematā District Health Board engaged NZ Strong as the Main Contractor for the development of a world–class diagnostic breast service for the Auckland region. The facility was built to provide clinical excellence in the assessment, diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer and breast disorders. Located inside the North Shore Hospital, the Waitematā District Health Board Breast Clinic project involved a full internal demolition/strip-out and construction of a new 600m2 Diagnostic Breast Services Facility. This included a full-service upgrade, asbestos refurbishment survey and removal works. NZ Strong’s transparent and solution-based work ethic helped forge excellent working relationships with all parties. This was crucial to the success of the project as, alongside the consultant team, NZ Strong had to overcome significant existing building services and structural challenges to deliver the project to budget and within the twenty-week construction programme. It was critical to keep hospital staff fully up to date with noisy works via lookahead programs and clear lines of communication. Methodologies were provided for Critical Risk Tasks and all workers had to be inducted by WDHB security before commencing works.
Key challenges included:
- Live hospital environment and 24-hour patient ward operating next door
- Covid-19 alert level changes
- Existing site conditions meant multiple maintenance issues were raised and remedial works carried out to bring up to current code, including passive fire
- Existing asbestos
- Building structure was unknown until demolition started
- Existing building services to test and trace i.e., radiators and electrical in a hazardous environment using multiple subcontractors; new services routes had to be coordinated through clinical areas outside of normal business hours
- Innovative solutions were required to access the site which included removing external windows to load in/out materials and for site entry/egress
- Complex coordination required with specialist Mammography machine supplier and WDHB radiographers/specialists during construction
- Late change request to programme included an additional mechanical controls board, hot water return pump, reception entrance design changes to suit, and upgrade of toilet interiors
