An intricate hygienic cladding project for William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. As part of the hospital refurbishment works, Goss installed hygienic cladding to both the walls and ceilings of their Containment Level 3 (CL3) Laboratories.
About the Hospital
Construction of the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford started in 1973. The hospital was commissioned in 1977 and fully opened in 1979 as a replacement for the original hospital that was built in 1928. The hospital now employs around 2500 staff and has 476 beds. It serves the Ashford community, covering a wide range of medical and surgical services.
Hygienic Cladding – project details
Following our initial site review and assessments, we found that there was an unusual aspect of this job that would need to be overcome. The client was looking to use hygienic cladding in a CL3 lab, covering both the walls and ceilings. The specific areas included the CL3 Lab and Lobby.
Consulting Trovex and the Hospital project lead, decided to use Trovex White for the hygienic cladding. Our installers maximised the use of welded joints and thermoformed corners. The flooring contractor covered the floor with overlapping vinyl.
Using Hygienic Cladding in CL3 Labs
Typically, CL3 Labs are finished with a fibreglass hygienic coating system, because of the pressure and cleaning regimes used.
However, following some detailed research and investigations, it was confirmed that Trovex White can also be used in some CL3 Labs. Stipulations require that internal junctions are protected with internal angles prior to cladding sheet application.
This installation process achieves the air tightness of the application required. Consultation with Trovex technical specialists provided the reassurance that Trovex White could be used in the Hospital CL3 Lab. Given this confirmation the Goss team proceeded with the installation project.
Hygienic Cladding Installation
When the project reached the point of installing the hygienic cladding to the ceilings, careful consideration was required. Our experience has shown us that ceilings are always tricky from the installation point of view. Welding is especially difficult, and it is often challenging for an operative to undertake the installation on their own as sheets are at least 3sqm.
Lifting and adjusting the sheet to the ceiling’s surface is extremely cumbersome; however, our highly experienced installers overcame this challenge and delivered the high-quality standards our clients expect. The desired results were achieved!
