This hospital had originally been clad using EIFS wall panels designed to simulate stucco, the predominant look of the Miami area. However, during the hurricane season, the EIFS cladding had been damaged on several occasions by wind-blown debris, forcing the evacuation of some patients. The decision was made to re-clad selected sections of the hospital with GFRC panels.

Recladding panels had to be lightweight since they were suspended (cantilevered) out over the existing EIFS panels and attached to the building structure through holes cut in the underlying EIFS panels. They also had to be erected and attached to the building structure from the outside so that patient care would be minimally impacted during construction.

Before GFRC panels could be approved for the reclad, the design had to be tested and certified by Miami Dade County to withstand Category 2 and 4 hurricane conditions without exposing the building interior to outside wind and rain. To simulate these conditions, a wooden 2×4 stud weighing 27 lbs. was propelled into the GFRC panel at 120 mph. The specially designed GFRC panel was able to absorb the impact without loss of sealing integrity.

Category 2 panels were used to re-clad administrative offices, while the Category 4 panels were used for patient and operating rooms. Click HERE to see the Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA) and design of the Category 2 panels.

Nearly 90,000 square feet of highly profiled and articulated GFRC panels were successfully installed and painted in vibrant children’s colors.