Enza - Bara 500 / Covid ICU Hospital

With the advent of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2019/20 and a surge in hospital admissions, the Gauteng Health Department and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) embarked on a project to increase its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity through a national refurbishment and additional build programme. As such, Enza Construction (Pty) Ltd was commissioned to construct the Bara500 C- 19 hospital facility and was responsible for the design, construction and commissioning of the Hospital Facility consisting of 500 ICU units on a turnkey basis at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
Enza Construction (Pty) Ltd contracted Mace Project Solutions, MMQS Mace Consultancy, Ruben Reddy Architects, CKR Engineers and Gibb to perform the required design services.

Timelapse SA was there to capture the construction every step of the way. With one camera set-up outside then moved to a different angle and later moved indoors, this was the first project where we captured everything happening inside and out. From earthworks, concrete and steelworks until fixing beds and basins, we captured it all!

To expedite the building process, Alternate Building Technology (ABT) was used. This entailed the use of light steel frame construction which allowed for significant reduction in time for construction, in comparison to conventional building methods.
The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in the Soweto area, south of Johannesburg, is the largest hospital in Africa and third largest hospital in the world. It boasts 6,760 staff members, 3,900 beds and occupies approximately 70 ha.

Quick Facts:

  • Start Date: 3rd July 2020
  • Finish Date: 12th Feb 2021
  • Total Duration: 30 weeks
  • Overall Construction site area: 51000m2
  • Bulk earthworks duration: 6 weeks
  • Bulk earthworks cut to stockpile: 35000m3
  • Additional rock drilling, blasting and removal of: 28000m3
  • Fill material used to create the hospital platforms: 54000m3
  • Retaining walls: 350m of average 4,5m high
  • 46 no. earthmoving plant vehicles during peak of Earthworks operations
  • Concrete used: 4685m3
  • Alternative Building Technology (ABT) wall systems erected: 16 925m2
  • Hospital space under roof – 26650m2
  • Number of beds – 505 no. beds (500 ICU + 5 Admissions)
  • Number of clusters – (20 Clusters, each with 25 ICU beds)
  • Time to convert one 25 bed cluster from enclosed grey box to complete product– Refer to Cluster 13 internal video (5 weeks)
  • 24 hours, 6,5 days per week construction period
  • Peak amount of people on the site within a 24 hour cycle – 983
  • Manhours worked over a 7 month period – 1 126 383 manhours
  • Local job opportunities created over the construction period – 546 no.
  • Local SMME contractors employed and empowered – 44no.

CREDITS:

Produced by: TimeLapse SA
Directed by: Joe Louw / Jonelle Louw
DP: Joe Louw
Offline editing & grading: Jonelle Louw
Online editing & Graphics: Handmade Media - Handmade Media