We recently completed time sensitive installation of a heavy service boom support structure for a Pittsburgh area hospital’s Cath Lab. This installation was challenging because idling the Cath Lab to complete our work would have resulted in significant amounts of lost revenue for the hospital.
Although many contractors still utilize traditional structural steel and red iron supports when fabricating medical equipment supports others are beginning to learn about new and improved alternatives. Red iron supports inflate project costs by requiring shop and field fabrication. The support grid system must be custom designed to the unique specifications of each piece of medical equipment. Special care must also be taken to anticipate and accommodate existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Using red iron supports for this installation would have also required welding, introducing potentially harmful airborne contaminants into a hospital environment. Hospital administrators considered an after-hours installation at night or temporarily closing down the wing during the day to minimize the effect of these contaminants, but both of these options contributed significant additional costs to a project that was already over budget.
After consulting with hospital administrators, our application engineers recommended constructing the new support structure using the Hilti MI system. Thanks to the modular nature of this system, support members can be pulled from the shelf in stock lengths and installed immediately without welding or cutting. The Hilti MI system easily accommodates a wide range of operating room, CT, x-ray, and heart catheterization lab equipment manufactured by GE, Toshiba, Siemens and Philips. The Hilti MI system supports even the heaviest types of diagnostic devices in excess of 3,000 pounds, all without the welding, mess, and shut downs traditionally associated with red iron supports. Thanks to the modular MI system, our installers completed their work during first shift and all adjacent areas remained in use during the day.
Although contractors often use red iron structural steel supports to suspend medical equipment in hospital settings, significant cost savings and versatility make the new Hilti MI Support System an excellent alternative to traditional fabrication methods. This system also helps keep hospital construction and upgrade projects on schedule and on budget by preventing the need for extra work, such as welding and rerouting of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems. To learn more about the Hilti MI Support System, or to request a consultation, contact Ohio Service Supply for more information.
