Murphy Company began construction on Saint Louis University’s cutting-edge, 10-story, 316-bed, 802,000 square-foot replacement hospital in late summer 2018. Located just north of the existing facility, this state-of-the-art greenfield project was successfully completed in May 2020. One of the project’s key achievements was the installation of three 900-ton chillers on the lower level, seamlessly integrated with the campus’s existing high-pressure steam loop. Heat exchangers were utilized to distribute hot water throughout the facility, ensuring optimal performance.
Using a design-assist approach, Murphy employed 100% 3D BIM modeling to streamline the project from initial design through fabrication and installation. A thorough cost analysis identified significant savings for the owner by prefabricating critical components in our fabrication shop. These included pump skids, heat exchanger skids, pipe racks, medical gas patient room headwalls, straight duct runs, and pipe assemblies. Additional prefabricated elements included VAV box trim, air-handling unit coil trim, and steam pressure-reducing stations. Advanced technology was integral to the project’s success. Trimble was used to precisely locate and set anchors throughout the structure, including those required for seismic anchorage points.
The new SLU teaching hospital was completed on a fast-tracked timeline—nearly half the time typically required for a project of this scale. At its peak, Murphy deployed over 90 skilled workers on-site, simultaneously advancing construction across three 120,000 square-foot floors. Two tower cranes facilitated the efficient installation of large equipment, ensuring both speed and safety.
