Global design and engineering consultancy Arcadis has been appointed to lead the design team for the redevelopment of Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
The £6.6m appointment covers design work for the replacement of the hospital, which is one of seven NHS hospitals identified for replacement under the government’s New Hospital Programme because of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
RAAC is a lightweight concrete material widely used in construction during the mid-20th century which has since been found to deteriorate over time.
In July, Sacyr UK signed a contract to lead the construction for the Frimley Park Hospital rebuild through the Hospital 2.0 Alliance.
Arcadis will lead the design team as plans progress for a new hospital to replace the existing Frimley Park facility.
The hospital opened in 1974, with around 65% of the existing estate affected by RAAC, including wards, theatres, maternity units, corridors and intensive care areas.
While plans for the replacement hospital progress, work is continuing to monitor, maintain and remediate the existing buildings.
New walkway installed on RAAC-affected roof
One recent project has seen specialist healthcare contractor Pilbeam Construction install a new lightweight maintenance walkway on the RAAC-affected roof at Frimley Park.
“This has been a complex but rewarding project which has not only created safer access for maintenance teams, but has helped minimise unnecessary loading on the RAAC-affected roof,” said Alan Corbett, Managing Director at Pillbeam Construction.
The £796,000 project was delivered for Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and involved the design, manufacture and installation of a new load-bearing platform to provide safer access for maintenance teams while minimising additional loading on the existing roof structure.
Pilbeam also removed and adapted sections of the existing walkway, adjusted building services and installed new walkway sections across multiple roof zones.
The contractor began work in December 2025, completing the project in May 2026.
A Fibre Reinforced Polymer system was used for the new walkway beams, platforms and handrails to reduce the weight of the structure and limit its impact on the existing RAAC roof.
The project was delivered through a single access route, with the lightweight FRP system allowing materials to be moved through the hospital efficiently.
The work forms part of the ongoing measures required to maintain safe access and operation at Frimley Park while the longer-term replacement hospital is progressed.
The contractor worked with Johnson Design Partnership, Mott MacDonald and SMP Consulting Engineers Building Services on the scheme.
The separate interim works highlight the continued need for investment and maintenance across RAAC-affected areas of the existing hospital estate as replacement plans move forward.
