Prefabricating Extra-Long Medical Multi-Trade Racks
June 17, 2025
When it comes to condensing construction timelines, nothing shaves weeks off the schedule like prefabricated multi-trade racks. Assembled off-site and then lifted into place, your job can go from an empty space to functioning mechanicals and utilities in the course of an afternoon. The industry standard for an MTR is 20 feet, but one recent client challenged that status quo by doubling the length of their MTR to further reduce the timeline.
This project was a new hospital build in a quickly growing network. A sister hospital had recently been built using 40-foot MTRs, a new development for off-site modularization. Because lifting a rack into place takes the same amount of time no matter the size, doubling the standard length of the rack could conceivably cut installation time in half.
The challenge was to create something long enough that it would speed up construction but rigid enough to avoid deflection and drywall cracks during lifting. That build was successful, and when it was time for this project, the mechanical contractors took the same approach for the MTRs in the hospital corridors and patient rooms. The Unistrut Midwest team stepped in to handle the design, engineering, and prefabrication.
Designing and Engineering Medical Multi-Trade Racks
Our team knew, based on the prior project, that Sikla was the ideal material for these supersized racks. Sikla's non-welded, all bolted system is incredibly strong and has a low self-weight, which are all crucial characteristics for achieving zero deflection.
The contents of the racks further influenced our team's designs as they support ductwork, cable trays, domestic water lines, medical gas, and hot and cold water lines. With long spans to cover, these racks used a similar design to the prior project, resulting in the extra-long racks. Because the loads are larger than those of the previous project, the Unistrut team added some vertical supports for rigidity, but otherwise, the designs are similar.
The racks for the patient rooms did not need to be as big as the corridor racks, nor did they need to support such heavy loads. The patient room racks support ductwork, medical gas, and domestic water lines, giving the Unistrut Midwest team more options for the design and materials.
With both rack designs, our team considered where Sikla was absolutely necessary and where we could supplement with Unistrut. By leveraging both materials, we are able to design racks that have the strong support of Sikla with the lower weight and cost of Unistrut channel.
The extra-long corridor racks require more Sikla framework to maintain zero deflection. Sikla forms the span and structure of the rack, with Unistrut channel used to support the utilities within that framework. The patient room racks use less Sikla and more Unistrut, with Sikla across the bottom of the rack to benefit the lifting process, and the rest of the rack made of Unistrut.
Prefabricating Medical Multi-Trade Racks
When our team first saw the plans for this space, we knew it was a great opportunity for off-site prefabrication. We were able to narrow the 100+ racks down to only four designs, saving time on the front end of the project by limiting the amount of hours needed for drafting and approving the designs. We were then able to prefabricate the racks by the dozen.
The Unistrut Midwest team prefabricated sections of the patient room racks and flat-packed them, which allowed for more efficient shipping. The corridor rack sections were also cut to size and bundled. From there, the mechanical contractor team was able to arrange the parts and drill them into place in their fabrication shop.
To ensure that assembly went smoothly, our team visited the contractor's fabrication shop to help the team get acquainted with the process. We walked through best practices for assembly, lifting strategies, ideal rack positioning, how to attach additional structures, and lessons learned. By touching on the little details from the beginning, we were able to help the contractor's assembly team gain confidence and be more efficient in both assembly and install.
Prefabricated Medical Multi-Trade Rack Results
By leveraging both extra-long MTRs and prefabrication, the client was able to shave weeks off of their timeline. The long racks cut the number of lifts needed in half, and installation has been smooth.
Anyone who has worked with welded steel racks knows that it's not uncommon for a site to have the medical equipment lying around waiting for the racks to be completed. We are proud to say that through the use of prefabrication, the medical racks for this project are being built faster than the client can get the equipment delivered. This aspect of the project has become the least of their worries, something we strive for with every client.
Are you in need of medical multi-trade racks with special circumstances? Or are you interested in saving time on your build? Contact our team to see how we can help.