Concrete crusher means old ward materials are recycled

At the end of February, we completed phase one of the construction project and finished demolition of the Tannersbrook Ward at the Western Community Hospital. Phase two now begins; building a new innovative rehabilitation wing for the hospital, on track to open in summer 2024.

This final part of the demolition work saw a Sandvik QJ241 mobile jaw crusher brought on site to break down every single piece of the brickwork and concrete in the old building into smaller chunks. This crushed material was then used to create a spreadable layer on top of the earth; a ‘mat’ like foundation that allows the larger trucks and vehicles used for creating the next stages of the build to access the site without sinking into the ground.

The act of repurposing concrete in this way is common practice in construction but often the crushed concrete must be brought in externally, at a cost to the project and the environment. We have been able to create the material needed ourselves and the crusher is renowned for its maximum productivity and lower operating costs, making the process a sustainable solution.

“It was important to us that the entire process of demolishing the Tannersbrook Ward and building the new rehabilitation unit would be as sustainable as possible. We were therefore incredibly pleased with the option to reuse the old materials from the ward to support the development of the new unit. It’s a full recycling operation, and it’s great to think that the much-loved ward was able to support the build of the new unit, in its own unique way,” said Mark Maffey, Senior Project Manager at Solent NHS Trust.

Now that the Tannersbrook Ward is officially demolished, work is underway for the rehabilitation unit: a c£21m project which was given approval from the Department of Health and Social Care in September 2022.