The city of Wuhan in China completed an emergency hospital to treat patients infected with the coronavirus in just 10 days by using prefabricated components, according to a construction expert interviewed by the Business Insider website.
The facility is made up of two floors and has several isolation wards and 30 intensive care units. It can hold up to 1,000 patients.
Using prefabricated units is the key to constructing a building so quickly, according to David Hartley, managing director of engineering company NTX.
“Instead of first building the foundation and then following up with the superstructure (ie. the steel frame, the building, and the cladding), prefabricated units allow the construction of the foundation and the building envelope to take place in parallel.