Saving Time and Cost with Prefabrication

At the UW Medicine’s Phase 3.1 building of its Lake Union Campus, the project team worked closely with McKinstry Company to develop a prefabrication solution that delivered lower costs, schedule savings, and increased safety and quality for the project.

Working within a fully integrated mechanical, electrical and plumbing virtual 3-D model, the team developed a prefabricated “Multi-Trade Rack,” or MTR. In this instance, the team built the steel and unistrut frames, and then installed all mechanical, plumbing, mechanical piping and electrical systems in an off-site, controlled environment. The team installed the MTRs as they arrived on the site, decreasing the need for laydown space.

Overall, the off-site prefabrication of these systems resulted in added value for UW Medicine through a cost savings of nearly $500,000 and a 30% reduction in overall production time. Safety and quality also increased because the team completed most of the overhead work on the ground and off site.