Increasingly sophisticated medical equipment requires an equally sophisticated approach to construction of medical facilities. A six-story expansion at the Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, is a good example.
The new facility features stainless steel beams provided by Outokumpu – and that’s critically important news to patients undergoing diagnostic testing. In this application, stainless steel beams are being used to strengthen an extension of a six-story building. Compared to ordinary carbon steel, says Anders Finnås, Segment Business Manager, Architecture, Building & Construction, stainless steel generates significantly fewer magnetic disturbances. Because of its low magnetism, stainless steel is a better match in applications like hospitals and clinics where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment is used.
Delivering added value
Tailor-made plates of Outokumpu stainless steel were produced at Outokumpu’s Quarto Plate Europe (QPE) mill in Degerfors, Sweden.
Specializing in quarto plate in high performance stainless grades, Degerfors is uniquely well equipped to produce beams like those used in the Danderyd project. From the QPE mill, the plates went to Outokumpu PSC Nordic, also in Degerfors, for final processing. “The close cooperation between QPE and PSC Nordic enabled us to secure this added value order,” Finnås says, “where we offered a final, tailor-made product to our customer, instead of just plates.”
Customized for efficiency
Seven nine-ton beams measuring 1 meter by 9 meters were tailored to precise requirements at PSC Nordic. After final cutting, the beams were assembled and welded into finished, construction-ready sections.
During construction, a tailor-made material delivers measurable cost savings. Welding and assembly progresses quickly and efficiently, creating a process as transparent as a sophisticated diagnostic exam.