A 320,000 m2 moisture challenge

The four new buildings with 8000 rooms at the world-famous Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden, are due to be completed in 2017. A structure of this size requires 700 kg of concrete per square metre, which adds up to an incredible amount of concrete. How do you achieve moisture safety in a project of this gigantic size?

The vast floor area was the challenge
The hospital offers some 8,000 rooms on 320,000 m2 of floor space, including 36 operating theatres and 168 examination rooms. All for the benefit of improved health care. The concrete must be sufficiently dried before the floors are laid or you will have problems: big problems. Recent research shows that up to 80 percent of all warranty cases in buildings are moisturerelated. 

Polygon coordinates the entire project
Each of the construction phases of the new hospital has its own moisture safety manager. They are working according to several stringent international certification standards. A Polygon expert was called in to ensure that everyone played as a team and there were no weak links in the chain. The designated role: coordinating the entire project. Representing the bird’s-eye view. Liaising between the moisture safety crew and the contractors. Simplifying the plan so that everyone involved could grasp the scope. Improving reporting procedures. Ensuring that no detail, however small, is missed. Throughout the process, our Polygon expert performed inspection rounds to identify moisture risks. This generated action plans and scheduled follow-ups. Taken as a whole, the entire moisture control process was sorted. The teamwork with all staff went smoothly and according to plan: a tough job well done! Everyone could relax and wipe the sweat from their brows.