Data center contractors are facing growing pressure to shorten construction schedules while managing skilled-labor requirements and complex trade coordination. USG’s new Modulock Technology is designed to address those challenges by shifting more ceiling assembly work from the jobsite to manufacturing and reducing the number of field installation steps.
Modulock is a preassembled, boltless structural ceiling assembly that replaces traditional connectors, turnbuckles and bolts. The assemblies and preassembled cross tees arrive ready for installation and are designed to work with the USG ALTA Structural Suspension System.
USG says the system can reduce structural ceiling installation time by 30%. The installation process involves securing the Modulock assemblies, positioning the cross tees and locking them into place.
The system is designed to reduce installer hours and field fabrication while providing a standardized installation method that contractors can train, measure and repeat across data center programs.
Modulock is designed for structural ceiling applications with load capacity of up to 1,200 pounds. Its integration with the ALTA suspension system allows the ceiling structure to support components and services within data hall environments.
The technology also allows crews to re-level the ceiling from below the finished surface without removing ceiling tiles or using specialized tools. That feature is intended to simplify adjustments and repairs when electrical, mechanical and other trades are working in the ceiling plenum.
USG says the system's stackable 4-foot cross tees can be moved around jobsites using pallet jacks and stored in roughly half the space required by standard components. The reduced installation process is also intended to allow earlier release of ceiling areas to MEP trades, commissioning activities and project turnover.
For data center owners and contractors, factory-assembled ceiling components can provide another approach to managing repetitive installation work across large mission-critical construction programs. The technology is part of USG's broader data center portfolio, which includes structural suspension, containment and acoustical ceiling systems.
As data center projects place greater emphasis on schedule control and construction productivity, ceiling systems that reduce field assembly can help contractors manage labor and coordination requirements. USG's Modulock technology focuses on reducing installation steps while maintaining structural capacity for data center applications.
Source: USG.
