A new hospital for Wallonie

Belgian rental giant Verhelst showcases GEDA 2500 Z/ZP

Health is a person's most valuable asset – all the better when the necessary infrastructure is brought up to modern standards. Currently, an ambitious project is underway in the northwest of Belgium that aims to unite four regional hospitals and medical centers in a single central building in the city of Tournai. It is scheduled for completion by 2026 and will serve as a central and forward-looking hub for healthcare in the region within the new Centre Hospitalier de Wallonie picarde (CHwapi).

The scale of the project, with an estimated cost of 416 million euros, is impressive: on more than 150,000 square meters, over 800 beds and 1,000 parking spaces are to be created in two massive triangular building blocks. Just outside the city walls of the picturesque old town of Tournai (Doornik), a building complex is taking shape that is designed not only to meet the needs of the 330,000 residents of the surrounding region. Less than 30 kilometers away lies the Lille metropolitan area on the French side of the border. Large-scale projects like this face similar challenges across Europe: to be prepared for the future, a modern, modular construction approach for the building components was of central importance, enabling future extensions and modifications.

Challenges on site call for experts

To ensure fast and efficient material transport, modern sites like these have a high demand for specialized solutions. The tower cranes in use need to be relieved when lifting and installing the façade elements, and there is a general demand to provide a proper solution for transporting personnel. To address this, the company Verhelst from Ostend in Flanders positioned two GEDA 2500 Z/ZP transport platforms at different points on the construction site. The machine's high load capacity and its ability to be loaded sideways across its full width using a forklift were decisive advantages. Especially during the interior construction of the hospital, which involved a large amount of palletized building material, the 2.5-ton machines proved highly effective. Since the special façade design did not allow for direct anchoring of the machines, they were anchored inside the building using a steel structure that extended through the window openings. Thanks to Verhelst’s precise planning and close cooperation with GEDA, this challenge was ultimately mastered successfully.

GEDA 2500 Z/ZP – Maximum Performance on the Construction Site

Renowned for pioneering the transport platform, GEDA introduced a new powerhouse to its range at Bauma 2022: the GEDA 2500 Z/ZP. Featuring a spacious platform measuring 1.45 m x 3.55 m and the convenience of side loading, it can transport up to 2,500 kg of construction materials or up to 7 people quickly and safely up and down. Thanks to its extra-high platform design (2.60 m), even bulky items—such as those used in façade construction—can be transported with ease. For truck loading, the roof can be quickly and easily lowered to 2.10 m.