The structural concrete phase for the patient tower was completed in October and now steel work can begin. The new patient tower will be a reinforced-concrete and steel structure. The first three stories are made of reinforced concrete, and the fourth and fifth stories will be structural steel. The steel is expected to arrive by the end of November. Original construction scheduling called for the work to begin earlier in November, however steel fabrication took longer than expected. The steel work will include the beam that more than 200 people signed with their names and personal messages – and sometimes small images – at our Beam Signing Celebration.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Beam Signing Celebration on Oct. 29. Many from Enloe and the community stopped by to listen to the speakers and sign the beam, which will become part our bell tower in the patient tower. We also introduced the new public art at the parking structure along Magnolia Avenue. If you have not seen it, next time you’re nearby, we recommend you take a peek. The art, created by local artists, will be on display through mid-March. We will auction off several of the pieces at our Enloe Gala on March 21. The proceeds will be split between the artists and Enloe’s Planetree fund. Check our website soon for more photos of the event, the artwork and artists, at www.enloe.org/planetree.

Landscaping around the Enloe Parking Structure’s landscaping was completed in September. Plants include many native species to help reduce the amount of water consumption. The irrigation system is computer-controlled and monitors air temperature, wind speed and soil moisture content to keep water use to a minimum. This is the same system that will be used throughout Enloe’s Esplanade campus. Elevator installation began in September and should be complete in November.

Concrete work continues with the final three structural pours expected to be completed by mid-October. A crane is being used to place materials in the basement. Structural steel work is expected to begin late in October and to continue through December. The new patient tower will be a reinforced-concrete and steel structure. The first three stories are made of reinforced concrete, and the fourth and fifth stories will be made of structural steel. Steel work for the 4th floor and 5th floors will begin immediately after the structural concrete jobs. In other news on the project, much headway was made with the basement electrical systems in September, and this work will continue this month

You can now see where the new main and surgery entries will be, as the forms for the entry canopies are in place on Magnolia Avenue. In this illustration, they are the first two canopies from the left. Two additional canopies will be added later for the Emergency Department and Ambulance entrances (in above illustration, see two at right, behind the trees), making a total of four. Patients and visitors will drive under three of these one-story roofed structures to access the hospital lobbies.

An additional crane has been introduced to the construction site for the steel work required for this project. The number of cranes on a job site is based on the number of items to be picked up.