Streamline Ceiling Grid Installation with Unistrut Ceiling Grid Prefabrication

Ceiling grids convert unusable overhead space into functional square footage in commercial, industrial, and retail environments. Ceiling grids can support a wide range of components, including electrical and mechanical services, acoustical ceilings, decorative panels, catwalks, cable and fiber trays, and medical equipment. They can be used in nearly any industry to both support necessary utilities and enhance design elements.  

Unistrut metal framing is an ideal product for ceiling grids thanks to its all-bolted connections and lack of required welding. Because Unistrut allows for connections at any point in the channel, ceiling grids can be created in any size, pattern, spacing, or design load, and they can be connected to nearly any existing structure.  

Not only can Unistrut Midwest help design and supply your ideal ceiling grid, but our team can also prefabricate your solution to save you time assembling on-site. The repeatable components found in ceiling grids are perfect candidates for Unistrut Midwest's prefabrication services. Our new video walks through the process of prefabricating and installing a typical Unistrut ceiling grid.  

Unistrut Ceiling Grid Prefabrication and Installation 

After designing your ceiling grid solution to meet the project's requirements, the Unistrut Midwest team will get to work prefabricating your engineered solution. We assemble some aspects of your grid in our warehouse before flat-packing and shipping them to the job site for final installation.  

Unistrut main rails are most commonly constructed with Unistrut P5001 back-to-back channel in 20- to 24-foot lengths to reduce the number of splices, but grids over 24 feet long are possible. In those instances, our team uses P1377 clevis splices to connect the main runs of strut together to form the required length, add strength, and prevent deflection.  

With the main rails assembled, the additional top and filler rails are cut to size to meet the required project specifications. All rails are then bundled together and shipped to the job site.  

Once on site, installation begins. The main P5001 rails are connected to steel ceiling beams, typically using P2787 EG beam clamps. The rails are then fitted with 3/8" rod drops and P1063 square washers with P3008 channel nuts and 3/8" hex nuts. The main rails are then leveled using the pre-installed P1047 U-shape fittings, and finish rails are fitted into place using  P1028 5-hole flat plate fittings.  

If our engineers recommend additional support, seismic or lateral bracing can be easily incorporated into the ceiling grid system with Unistrut P1000 braces combined with P2265 angle fittings installed where needed.  

Unistrut Ceiling Grid Applications 

Those steps cover the basics of a ceiling grid installation, but additional features or elements can be incorporated for solutions with specific needs. Our team is able to design around any challenge to create the ideal ceiling grid for your application.  

While ceiling grids have historically been used to support mechanical services in industrial settings, we have installed ceiling grid solutions in a wide variety of environments. They are especially helpful in data centers to support MEP services like cable trays, bus ducts, or HAC systems in data halls. We have also designed ceiling grids as decorative features with functional support capabilities for art galleries and university projects. Life science projects also utilize ceiling grids to support walkable ceilings or interstitial grids to support MEP systems above a clean room.  

Regardless of the application, prefabricating a ceiling grid is an excellent way to save time and resources on your job site. If you have a ceiling grid project approaching, contact our team to learn what we can do for you.   

Products featured in video include:

P1000 - 1-5/8" x 1-5/8", 12 Ga, Solid	P5001 - 1-5/8" x 6-1/2", 12 Ga, Back to Back, Solid	P2787 - Beam Clamp	P1028 - 5 Hole, Flat Plate Fitting

P1047 - 5 Hole, "U" Shape Fitting	P1062, P1063, P1064, P1964 - 1 Hole Washer, Flat Plate Fitting	P1377 - 4 Hole, "U" Shape Fitting	P2265 - 4 Hole, Outside Angle Fitting 45°