Wiremold Prewired Raceway cuts lab installation time

The Challenge

The Center for Life Science | Boston is the country's largest multi-tenant laboratory building. Children's Hospital Boston occupies three floors – 100,000 square feet of laboratories and support space for the Neuroscience and Genetics departments. Designed to anticipate the changing needs of researchers, the space incorporates many flexibility features, including prewired AL3000 anodized aluminum raceway from Wiremold. This durable perimeter raceway stands up to the laboratory environment and allows new equipment to be easily added and space to be reconfigured. It is also less labor-intensive than conventional raceway.

Due to a tight timetable, the project team turned to Wiremold and its expertise in prewired raceway. "Prewired raceway is much quicker than field wiring," says Ed Latwas, project manager for Mass. Electrical Construction.

The Solution

Prewired raceway is manufactured to customer specifications, so end-users get the circuits and devices they need where they need them. On site, electricians mount raceway lengths and connect the feeds.

According to Latwas, "The owner, the engineer, Mass. Electric and Wiremold were all involved up front to make sure we had the correct measurements and circuitry so when the raceway was fabricated we didn't have any problems with the installation. Wiremold produced excellent shop drawings."

This attention to detail was important since the raceway system was custom engraved with circuit and device numbers. Mass. Electric also worked with Wiremold to ensure that all splicing of quick connectors was correct.

In order to facilitate the installation, Wiremold devised a material handling plan and coordinated staged shipments based on where the prewired components were to be delivered. "We had very good experience with this job," says Latwas. "Based on that we'll definitely consider prewired raceway on similar projects."