Louisville, Ky. – Thousands of things must be considered and planned for in the construction of a complex facility like a new hospital and the multiple support facilities they require. Of course, many of the decisions involved are essential to guaranteeing the new facility can provide the best quality care for patients – ensuring their health for years to come.
One consideration that may not come to mind to the average person for such a facility is how to preserve the environment underneath and around the new construction. This includes the construction of a rainwater drainage system so as not to disrupt the way water moves after large amounts of rainwater accumulate from storms.
Keeping this in mind, the Louisville District’s Veterans Affairs team included the construction of four underground stormwater collection tanks in the plans for the new facility. The system is designed to comply with the federal requirement that the quantity and rate of runoff upon construction completion be less than that before construction. The stormwater management system design for this site greatly exceeds these requirements.
“The tanks on the site will allow for the temporary storage of runoff in large underground chambers before releasing it at a controlled rate to mitigate harmful effects such as erosion or flooding,” said Carl Lindsay, lead quality assurance representative for the Louisville VA Medical Center mega-project. “All of the tanks are connected to storm pipes to create a complete stormwater system. This system allows water to be gathered in various tanks and be released to other places on site such as other tanks, stormwater management areas, or offsite.”
Between the four storage tanks, 626,754 cubic feet or 4,688,445 gallons of water can be held and released a little at a time.
Maggie Hoehler, Quality Assurance representative for the Louisville VA Medical Center, said the stormwater system will provide better control of runoff for the project site and surrounding areas.
“This is imperative because the runoff coefficient for the 34 acres of land the VA hospital will sit on will increase due to the number of buildings and paved areas being placed on the site, which reduces the amount of natural ground surface. This in turn increases the amount of rainwater that will not be absorbed, which creates runoff,” she explained. “The stormwater system here at the VA hospital will control the amount of runoff from the site by providing a sort of “temporary storage” and controlling the release after rain events so as not to overwhelm the storm drainage systems downstream from the site.”
The $900 million project includes the construction of a new 910,115 square-foot medical center, parking structures, a 42,205 square-foot central utility plant, roadways, sidewalks, and other site improvements.
The new 104-bed, full-service hospital will provide world-class healthcare for more than 45,000 Veterans in Kentucky and Southern Indiana by integrating modern patient-centered care concepts to provide the best possible care for Veterans. In addition, to specifically address the needs of women Veterans, the new hospital will include a Women’s Health Clinic with four Patient Aligned Care Teams.
The project designed by URS-Smith Group Joint Venture is being constructed by Walsh-Turner Joint Venture II, Chicago, Illinois.
Construction is anticipated to be complete in 2026.
To learn more about the project visit: www.va.gov/louisville-health-care/programs/new-robley-rex-va-medical-center.