Poorly Designed Medical Supports and the Risks of Using Non-Unistrut Contractors

Unistrut Midwest has been involved in the engineering, design, and installation of Medical Equipment Supports for over seven decades. 

Our proven systems support X-Ray equipment, surgical lighting, service columns, CT Injectors, as well as other specialized medical equipment in healthcare facilities worldwide. Unistrut Metal Framing is universally recognized as the preferred material for architects and general contractors when designing or installing Medical Equipment Support Systems.

Unistrut Support Structures are the ideal product for supporting overhead X-Ray or Cath Lab Equipment. Whether you are looking for a simple 3-Rail system or a more complex universal grid, Unistrut Midwest has the knowledge and experience to provide you with the correct support for your project.

It is important to remember that without proper engineering, medical support systems installed by non-Unistrut contractors will not meet flexion requirements and will fail under heavy load.

Below are a few examples of a poorly designed medical support system that failed inspection and ended up costing more money and time than if originally designed correctly.

In this example, the equipment needs to be rated over 800 lbs. but P1000T was used and is NOT sufficient. Deflection is a major issue with the current design and it will not pass Siemens rigid deflection criteria. In addition, no bracing was used at all to further strengthen the system.

In this example, P2785 beam clamps are used incorrectly as the channel is spliced in the middle of the pair of P2785 EG. The P1000 would need a splice plate for this connection to be sufficient. The P2785’s are also poorly installed at an angle instead of being perpendicular to the channel.

In this example, the type of beam clamp shown used with all-thread as a primary connection will only work for the vertical dead load. The beam clamp and rod will NOT provide any lateral resistance required for the X-Ray support. In addition, the washer used will be one of the first things to fail in this type of installation.

In these 3 examples, Unistrut Midwest will have to completely remove the existing system and will only be able to reuse the P1001 finish rails and possibly the P1000T for braces. This will add additional costs to remove the ceiling, existing system, and reinstall a proper Unistrut Medical Support that meets all of the design criteria. 

If you are a General Contractor or Hospital Representative, contact Unistrut Midwest Medical Specialist for a quote or budgetary numbers on your project. Unistrut Midwest offers turn-key support on all Unistrut Medical applications, so we can provide material, drawings/engineering, or installation on any project.

Unistrut Midwest will be glad to assist you on any X-Ray project you might have. Don’t fall victim to specifying a support that is over-designed and overpriced, we have the experience to provide a proper design to meet your project and equipment requirements. Contact the experts and get the proper solution at the right price. We offer design support, engineering, installation, and material sales on any manufacturer’s equipment.