LLUH construction site at night
Nighttime activity on the Loma Linda University Health campus often consists of just a few joggers and walkers plugged into their headphones. Traffic on Barton Road may include an occasional wail of an emergency vehicle. Overhead, the always attention-getting “thwop, thwop, thwop” sound of an approaching helicopter pierces the night air.
However, construction activities on the new hospital facility currently require a nighttime shift of workers. After riding the aerial lifts to various floors in the adult tower, these construction professionals then fan out to ply their trade. Under the lights outside in the construction yards (especially the north and south yards), heavy equipment operators and teams of pipefitters can be found moving around tons of dirt: excavating, trenching, laying pipes, backfilling and compacting.
Work crews have recently spent several of their night shifts sinking 24 caissons into the ground alongside the new Adult Tower’s north side. The cylinder-shaped rebar units ranged in length from 58 to 68 feet. Large drills dug holes the necessary depth for each of the units, which were then sunk into the ground and filled with concrete. These concrete pillars will serve as the foundation for the concrete pad and support columns that are the base of the new Main Entrance Canopy and Galleria.
The massive construction project is a part of Loma Linda University Health’s Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow. New buildings for both hospitals will enhance our ability to provide a transformational healing environment for our patients and a new cutting-edge teaching environment for our students.
The new Medical Center will house 320 beds for adult patients, while the new Children’s tower will give Children’s Hospital a total of 373 licensed beds. The new facilities will also be a place where 4,700 Loma Linda University students and 700 residents will progress in their education.
We're sharing photographic updates of the hospital construction work on a periodic basis. Watch for special emphasis on some of the behind-the-scenes-views and untold stories at the Vision 2020 website.
This vignette is adapted from a blog by Dennis E. Park, which appears on the website www.docuvision2020.com.