Nevill Long helps to deliver a record-breaking hospital in Trinidad

Helping to supply a hospital extension in Trinidad with 12,000m2 of ceiling tiles has proved one of specialist distributor Nevill Long’s most ambitious projects to date, if not THE most ambitious.

AMF’s mineral wool tiles have been used throughout the 18-storey extension to the San Fernando Teaching Hospital. Originally earmarked for office and retail space, it was retrofitted and converted into a state-of-the-art healthcare building linked to the main hospital by a “Skywalk” bridge and bed lift tower.

Nevill Long originally become involved in supplying ceiling tiles to the project two years ago and set up a special project team to help overcome the challenges. AMF had to identify an appropriate product that would meet a total of 17 North American and British Codes and Standards for an essential building to continue operations after a seismic event.

The Thermatex Aquatec tiles were specially produced to the imperial-size specification of 610mm x 610mm for the project. These tiles are moisture resistant up to 100% RH so even with permanently high humidity and temperatures between 0 and 40°C the acoustic panel is inherently stable at all times. Those used at San Fernando were also specially treated with AMF’s anti-microbial Hygena finish to resist bacteria and fungi.

The Nevill Long team liaised with AMF for the hospital, the first public one to be built in Trinidad in more than 30 years, to be supplied with samples which complied with local standards and were visually acceptable, then lead times were agreed with the manufacturer that met the client’s build programme deadlines.

After Nevill Long’s special project team had helped to calculate logistics such as weights, sizes and pallets (these had to be heat-treated to prevent insects), the tiles were shipped in containers from AMF’s production facility in Germany.

Nevill Long managing director Dave Bonner said: “The successful conclusion of this whole team effort saw the official opening of the hospital by the republic’s Prime Minister. The team is now working on another project of a similar size in the south of the islands.”

The 216-bed project was managed by state-owned company the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDecOTT) and features adult and paediatric wards and outpatient departments, offices, library, multi-faith room, shop and café and doctors’ on-call rooms.

As well as the AMF ceiling tiles, other ultra-modern medical features at the new hospital include medical vinyl which traps bacteria and mould and fixtures which are supported from the walls rather than the ground, to ease cleaning and access beneath.

ENDS