Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

Fort Belvoir, VA

The Fort Belvoir Community Hospital project is a 1.3 million square foot full service medical facility. Designed to replace the DeWitt Community Hospital, which was built on the original Fort Belvoir post in the 1950s, construction began in 2008. Upon completion, the facility will provide not only in-patient hospital services, but also a complete line of out-patient clinic and laboratory services to service personnel and their dependents throughout the Military District of Washington.

The project contains over 14,000 sprinklers spread throughout 77 wet and dry pipe sprinkler zones; all are supplied by a pair of 1250 gpm fire pumps located in the Central Utility Plant. There are also two multi-story parking garages protected by dry manual standpipe systems.

The facility presented numerous design and installation challenges stemming from the classification of the hospital and its support facilities as “mission-critical.” Additionally, the use of multiple horizontal exits throughout the buildings presented their own unique obstacles, requiring many thousands of feet of bulk supply piping and fire hose valve cabinets. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2011.