Hospitals
The World Health Organization has issued directives that new hospitals be constructed with a level of protection that guarantees its functioning at its maximum capacity after earthquakes. Ministries of health in 194 countries, including the USA, Turkey, and South America, have adopted these directives.
To save lives, structural engineers need to design hospitals to remain functional after earthquakes. Hospital post-earthquake functionality is a simple and economical design option. The 30 million square feet of new hospitals shown in the photos are in severe seismic hazard zones. Their designs specify simple Continued Functionality criteria that limit seismic damage to less than 2% of replacement costs. These criteria avoid the loss of functionality that has occurred every year with hospitals that were designed only for structure design code compliance.
Basaksehir Hospital,
Turkey
The 950,000 m2 premium health care facility has a 2,682 bed capacity and is the largest PPP hospital in the European sector. Located in Ikitelli, Istanbul, the hospital utilizes 2,068 Triple Pendulum™ isolators and complies with the “Seismic Isolation Standard for Continued Functionality”. Many lives will be saved by this new hospital constructed according to this isolator standard.
Lufti Kirdar Hospital,
Turkey
Located in Kartal İstanbul, the Lufti Kirdar Hospital is a 300,000 m2 hospital that has a 920 bed capacity and is one of three major new hospitals located in the greater Istanbul area. 855 Triple Pendulum™ isolators ensure that the hospital will remain functional after an earthquake.
Adana Integrated Healthcare Campus,
Turkey
This 545,000 m2 hospital complex has a 1550 bed capacity and is a key element of Turkey’s effort to modernize its healthcare industry. Located in one of the world’s most seismic regions, the hospital utilizes 1,512 Triple Pendulum™ isolators and is designed to remain operational after an earthquake.
Okmeydani and Goztepe Hospitals,
Turkey
These two major hospital complexes, each comprising 250,000 sq. m. of floor space with 1150 bed capacity, are the centerpiece of Istanbul’s new seismically resistant medical facilities. Located in a highly seismic region of the world, they are designed using 1800 Triple Pendulum™ isolators to remain functional after an earthquake in order to provide much needed medical assistance to the injured.
Loma Linda University Medical Center,
California
The seismic resilience of the Loma Linda University Replacement Hospital combines EPS Triple Pendulum™ isolators with vertical shock absorbers. This complex seismic resistance system is designed to permit the hospital to remain functional following a potentially catastrophic earthquake along the nearby San Jacinto Fault.
San Francisco General Hospital,
California
Opened in May 2006, this 9 storey hospital is the only level-1 trauma center in San Francisco county, and it is uniquely prepared to treat people with life-threatening injuries. EPS Triple Pendulum™ isolators are an important element of the resiliency design that allows the hospital to remain operational after a severe earthquake.
Stanford University Medical Center,
California
The new Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford is the only level-1 trauma center on the South San Francisco peninsula. Located close to two major earthquake faults, the medical facility must be able to function after an earthquake. The 206 Triple Pendulum™ isolators will dampen the earthquake forces and ensure the structural integrity of the supported facility.
Mills-Peninsula Health Services Hospital,
California
Located just two miles from California’s San Andreas fault, the new, 450,000 square foot Sutter Health medical facility uses Triple Pendulum™ seismic isolation to withstand a potentially strong, magnitude 8 earthquake. The 176 isolators are installed between the foundation and the columns of the building and allow the decoupled structure to move 30 inches in any direction during an earthquake. The compact Triple Pendulum™ isolators yield greater maximum displacement and flexible damping properties compared to similar sized single pendulum isolators.
