Client: SSM Health Care
Location: Lake St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Project Type: Healthcare
Contract Amount: $22,100,000 USD
Delivery Method: Construction Management
Project Size: 92,000 sq. ft.
Start Date: May 2004
Completion Date: December 2005
Architect/Engineer: The Lawrence Group

SSM - St. Joseph Hospital West Patient Tower

As the population of St. Charles County grows, so do the healthcare needs of its residents.  In order to meet this increasing need, St. Joseph Hospital West selected Alberici Healthcare Constructors to begin construction of a new patient tower in 2004. 

The first floor of the new tower includes eight operating rooms, prep and holding areas, nurse's stations, and patient registration and waiting areas.  The second floor includes ten intensive care units, a nurse's station, and twenty-five patient rooms.  The basement is currently unfinished, but may be turned into a cafeteria at a later time.  Similarly, if the community's needs continue to grow, the project can expand vertically since the building's structural system is sized to accommodate an additional two more floors on top of the new structure. 

The patient tower was constructed using a structural steel skeleton and a brick façade.  A canopy was constructed over the main entrance, and a three-story stair tower was also built.  The new building connects to the main hospital on two levels as well.

The St. Joseph Hospital West Patient Tower provided unique challenges due to its location.  Because the site is immediately adjacent to Lake St. Louis, special precautions had to be taken to ensure the project was not adversely affecting the environment.  Water evacuated from excavations had to be filtered to avoid contamination of the lake.  This was done through the use of siltation basins.  The lake was protected from runoff through the use of silt fence and filter fabric.  Following the community's storm water runoff policy was essential for the well-being of the site and its neighbors.

While excavating for the piers, crews encountered limestone deposits.  These deposits delayed progress by two months, but the project stayed on schedule thanks to effective management by Alberici. 

When it comes to the construction of challenging projects with adverse conditions, Alberici is the expert.  The AGC of St. Louis concurred by selecting the project as a finalist in its annual Keystone Project of the Year Award Program.