Housing in Southern Africa September 2015

Roofing, Ceilings, Insulation & Cladding

Ultraspan roof for Mediclinic

A lthoughbased inCenturion, the 176 bed multidisciplinary hos- pital will enhance Mediclinic’s patient-care offering in the greater Tshwane area with its easy access to major highways, 54 specialists and diagnostic and specialised treatment facilities available under one roof. The aesthetics of the building are an interpretation of a modern healthcare facility. The hospital fits in with the ambiance of surrounding areas andbuildings and various views of the surrounding Midstream area are visible as patients move through shortened passages. The wards are floodedwith natural light designed to help the healing process of patients, and the nurses stations are a short distance from the patients. In conjunction with Graceland Ar- chitects the roof structure was from the outset designed by MiTek Indus- tries to contain the greatest amount of Light Gauge Steel (LGS) Truss Sys- tem – this was done to reduce where possible the total load effect on the supporting structure. Obviously, some sections still required conven- tional mild steel solutions but this only applied to three blocks. The utilisation of the Ultra-Span (LGS) roof structure for 9 100m² of the total roof (12 blocks), represented al- most 45 tons of steel, which equated to a mass of just below 11kg/m² of roof structure. Some of the roof trusses were in excess of 19m clear span and carried substantial imposed loads. This appropriate utilisation of materials contributed to an overall saving of costs compared to utilisa- tion of mild steel structures. A tim- ber structure would not have been

Mediclinic Southern Africa opened its newest hospital, Mediclinic Midstream, based in Midstream in Centurion. With its ergonomic design and patient centric approach to healthcare, this private hospital combines science with the needs of its patients.

five months irrespective of seasonal weather conditions. Mediclinic’s specification required 100 mm thick Foil Back Insulation; this was accommodated in the design by incorporating spacer blocks be- tween the truss rafters (Top Chords) and the purlins. Graceland Architects, quantity sur- veyor Taljaard Meyer & Storm as well as the Mediclinic are impressed with the performance and cost savings achieved through the utilisation of Ultra-Span (LGS) roof structures from MiTek Industries. This is one of many projects that has opted for this type of technology. For further information contact MiTek Industries on 011 237 8700 or visit www.mitek.co.za ■

feasible due to the large spans with heavy loadings as well as the fact that timber is a combustible material and not usually suitable for hospitals or other public structures. Due to the lowweight of the Ultra- Span trusses, the large span portions of the roof could be fabricated on site. The sheer size and scale of these trusses would have been too large to transport to site. These very large trusses were assembled on site into braced roof sections comprising of four truss modules and then lifted into the final roof position by the site tower cranes. The smaller span trusses were factory fabricated and delivered for installation on site. This process ensured that the over- all completion could be achieved in

September 2015