Finding Common Ground With BIM

It is a generally accepted principal that the building industry has traditionally been slow to embrace change and new technologies. The Great Recession, which started in 2007, has been a major factor in changing this and has provided significant impetus to do things better, faster and cheaper, through any means available.

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$217 Million Children’s Hospital Approved in Iowa

URBANDALE, Iowa — The Board of Regents have approved a $271 million Children’s Hospital project, part of a $1.1 billion long-term facilities plan for University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
 
The Children’s Hospital will be 371,600 square feet in new construction and 56,250 square feet in renovated space for a total of 427,850 square feet.
 
The university first presented the idea of a new Children’s Hospital and a corresponding long-term building plan to the regents in 2008 and received approval.

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Surgery Infection Rates Made Public Online

SEATTLE — The Washington State Hospital Association has begun releasing hospital-specific surgical infection rate data public for the first time. The release of information comes as a result of the Washington State Legislature requiring the data to be collected and made public in 2007. By law, hospitals are required to report into an electronic database reporting infection rates for cardiac, hysterectomy, and orthopedic procedures.

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Energy Efficiency: Window & Wall Ratings

The big secret regarding energy efficiency in healthcare facilities is window glass, which compared to insulated walls and ceilings, is a terrible energy loser. While we expect that energy-conserving walls and ceilings will dramatically insulate against heat loss and block direct solar radiation, knowledgeable facility managers and project developers anticipate far less in the way of energy conservation from even the most energy-efficient windows.
 
The numbers speak for themselves.

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