The $689 million Royal Redevelopment will finish 2017 in a position of strength with the ground floor concrete slab already completed; a milestone previously slated for January next year.

The project remains on track to deliver Tasmania’s state-of-the-art health facility by mid-2019.

K-Block is growing up out of its foundations with substantial concrete pours for level 2 scheduled before Christmas.

In a massive year on site, the Managing Contractor, John Holland Fairbrother Joint Venture, and sub-contractor Hazell Bro Pty Ltd, received accolades for the safe demolition of B-Block, winning a Tasmanian Civil Contractors Federation 2017 Earth Award.

Laying K-Block’s foundations was the focus of the second half of the year with the installation of steel and concrete pilings, footings and retaining walls.

Solid performance from Tasmanian subcontractors has proven the capacity of local firms to compete on major construction projects.

Duggans Pty Ltd has supplied precast concrete walls, core panels and columns and Stephen Little Constructions Pty Ltd is pouring the concrete superstructure for K-Block.

It’s onwards and upwards in 2018!

By the end of next year, the concrete for all ten floor slabs and precast façade panels are due for completion, the installation of internal walls substantially progressed and the commencement of the internal fit-out of the ground floor is a scheduled milestone.

In parallel, the RHH Redevelopment will be undertaking over $20 million of sitewide infrastructure upgrades.

Sitewide infrastructure is the heart of the campus, distributing services to every corner of the hospital so it can function effectively.

Many of the current services are ageing and at the end of their economic life and need to be replaced: this is effectively a major organ transplant.

These works will provide future capacity to the hospital and underpin the progressive redevelopment of the site into the future.

The high voltage electricity system that disperses power around the hospital will be upgraded with the installation of two super-feeders.

New infrastructure will be laid along a modern services pathway that is being constructed.

A new ring main system will be installed along the pathway to distribute internal electricity distribution, medical gasses and domestic and firefighting water. The ring main will improve certainty to services and be more efficient and less disruptive to maintain.

Ageing heat pumps in many of the hospital’s buildings will be replaced.

A modern central energy plant will supply domestic hot water, heating and cooling to K-Block and also to the existing J, A, F and D-Blocks.

The cutting over of building services from the old to the new infrastructure requires careful planning in consultation with the Royal Hobart Hospital.

K-Block is being built in the least disruptive, safest and most efficient way possible for all concerned.

The inconvenience will be worthwhile because when complete, the new K-Block will have more bed capacity, more operating and procedure rooms, and more contemporary facilities.

The Tasmanian Government thanks the community for their support while the works progress to deliver a state-of-the-art hospital.

View the construction progress

18 Dec 2017