National University Hospital Medical Centre

With a gross floor area of 72,000 square metres, the NUH Medical Centre lies adjacent to the existing NUH Hospital and directly above an operating Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and tunnels on Singapore’s Circle Line.  

The healthcare facility accommodates six linear accelerator bunkers on the 8th floor, operating theaters and diagnostic imaging facilities, four floors of medical suites, the National University Cancer Institute of Singapore, and four floors of integrated parking.   

TYLin’s development of a steel truss system incorporated six sets of double steel transfer trusses located between the 12th and 13th floors. This allowed for the expansion of the gross floor area, providing support for eight additional floors over the MRT station box. 

For best hospital planning and operational efficiency, the six linear accelerator bunkers were located on the 8th floor. A key design consideration was ensuring the adequacy of the formwork could support the wet concrete required for bunker construction. 

Drawing on TYLin’s expertise with healthcare structures and complex building design, the project team overcame numerous engineering challenges. This included undulating terrain and a varying geological profile at the project site, with the rock formation ranging from fully weathered to highly weathered. 

Project Highlights:

• The project was delivered within an ambitious, 28-month program.  
• Careful planning, from the feasibility study to project implementation, allowed successful delivery of the project with no disruption to the operation of the MRT or the hospital.  
• To eliminate micro-cracking of the bunker structures, the 2.5-metre-thick bunker slabs were cast in seven layers, using ice water and cement replacements for effective control of the peak and differential temperatures.