Cranes mark milestone in PA Hospital expansion

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a group of hospital, construction and community representatives standing outside nearby to a construction site at PA Hospital with a crane towering in the background
PA Hospital project members, community representatives and John Holland Group name the crane

Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Expansion Program has reached an official milestone with the arrival of the first-of-two tower cranes on the construction site this month.

The cranes will be essential to construct four new floors on top of the current Emergency Department and integrated into the existing building which will expand capacity at PAH by 249 additional beds.

A Name the Crane competition held in late 2024 resulted in 177 names nominated by the local community, staff and volunteers with 282 votes deciding the names of both cranes.

The first 60-metre crane has been named “Cranium” after four members of the local community suggested the name, and 163 votes secured the win.

The second crane due to arrive on campus in March will be named “Frasier” after the name was suggested by eight staff/volunteers with 79 votes securing the favourite.

Attending the naming ceremony on Friday 31 January was Jordan from Coorparoo who’s suggestion “Cranium” is now represented on the body of the crane cab on the Ipswich Rd side of the construction site.

“Naming the crane ‘Cranium’ merges a health concept with the word crane so it’s not neurosurgery by any means - clearly other people had the same brain wave. It is exciting to see my suggestion lit up on the skyline of this huge project,” Jordan said.

Executive Director of PA Hospital, Dr Jeremy Wellwood said the Capacity Expansion Project is essential given the vital role PAH plays in delivering specialist services to the state.

“As a provider of tertiary level surgical and transplant services, cancer care, trauma and rehabilitation, PA needs the additional capacity to continue to deliver more of these specialist services for the growing community.

“Plans include 219 new acute inpatient beds, 30 new ICU beds, 13 new cancer treatment bays and reconfigured specialist treatment spaces,” he said.

“Our expansion project team and clinicians across specialist areas have been working together with Health Infrastructure Queensland to co-design an expanded space that will deliver modern models of care, services that improve the patient experience and increase our capacity to deliver for the community in Queensland.”

Senior Project Manager from John Holland Group, Ryan Wallis unveiled a vital piece of steel which was signed by the project group and those who named the cranes.

“It is a small piece of steel but it is very significant to the build,” he said. “This steel is the first piece that has been manufactured for the new deck. Our process from here will be to waterproof the ED, remove the current roof and then we can commence the process of installing the structural steel.

Weighing in at around 700kg, the steel piece will be installed nearby to the green lift on level 3 which will be the ICU within the new build.