Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda, Md.

PROJECT COST: $641.4 Million

The $641.4-million Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., will feature the latest technologies to provide wounded servicepeople the highest quality of care, comfort and convenience.

Clark/Balfour Beatty, Joint Venture, bringing together Clark Construction Group of Bethesda and Balfour Beatty Construction of Fairfax, Va., received the design-build contract in March 2008 and began construction in July on the new campus. The project is part of the Base Realignment and Closure process and will be complete by the end of July 2011. The new Walter Reed, which will provide specialty care, will add approximately 2,200 staff to the Bethesda campus.

The project includes 725,000 sq ft of new hospital space and a 939-car, nine-story parking garage; site improvements, including 20,000 sq ft of new utility and material handling tunnels and circulation corridors; and 400,000 sq ft of renovation involving 46 departments in the existing hospital.

Building A, a stand-alone, six-story, plus basement, cast-in-place concrete structure will house clinics for outpatient services. Precast concrete and metal panels cover the exterior, with the appearance mimicking the appearance of the existing 1940s-era hospital.

Building B, a steel structure, will add inpatient space to the existing hospital. Precast and metal panels will clad this addition.

The new buildings have different floor heights, presenting an architectural challenge. The vertical panels and windows create a complementary appearance. The parking deck also features a vertical look.

Clark/Balfour Beatty is running site utilities from the base’s central utility plant, and the team will add a boiler at the plant. The project team is aiming for LEED-silver certification on the new buildings.

Completion of the new buildings is scheduled for fall 2010. The renovations will last through July 2011.

About half of the renovation work takes place simultaneous to the new construction, with the balance occurring after those new buildings are turned over. The renovation includes asbestos abatement and building 35,000 sq ft of exterior medical swing space to create vacant spaces within the hospital during construction.

Clark/Balfour Beatty divided the design and construction into new and renovation teams, subdividing the new work team into separate teams for Building A, Building B and the garage.

The mechanical and electrical scope represents about 50% of the subcontracted work. M.C. Dean of Dulles, Va., is designing and building the electrical systems, and Southland Industries of Dulles is handling the mechanical.

By April, Clark/Balfour Beatty had completed 450,000 hours of work without a lost time injury.

Key Players

Owner: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, D.C.
Contractor: Clark/Balfour Beatty, Joint Venture, a joint venture between Clark Construction Group, Bethesda, Md., and Balfour Beatty Construction, Fairfax, Va.,
Architect: HKS, Richmond, Va., and Dallas
Design Consultant: Wingler & Sharp Architects & Planners, Wichita Falls, Texas
Historical Facades: Hartman-Cox Architects, Washington, D.C.
Geotechnical Engineer: Haley & Aldrich, Boston
Civil Engineer: Dewberry, Fairfax, Va.
Structural Engineer: Cagley & Associates, Rockville, Md.
Electrical: M.C Dean, Dulles, Va.
Mechanical: Southland Industries, Dulles
Fire Protection: Koffel Associates, Elkridge, Md.