Vertical Vision: How Prefabrication Innovation is Helping Build Oregon State University’s Huang Complex

Safety and Scheduling Top of Mind with New Vertical Multi-Trade Rack

Construction of Oregon State University’s Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex is running on schedule and with safety top of mind, thanks in part to McKinstry’s latest piece of the project. Crews just installed a vertical multi-trade rack, fabricated in the company’s Portland shop. The multi-trade rack, measuring 40 feet long and weighing 13,000 pounds, includes paths for the state-of-the-art building’s ductwork and piping. After it was constructed at the shop, NessCampbell Crane helped coordinate delivery – driving the rack to the job site about two hours south in Corvallis and assisting in strategically placing it into the building.

The vertical multi-trade rack approach significantly improves both safety and scheduling efficiency by moving complex mechanical work from the field to a controlled shop environment. Prefabricating the rack off-site eliminated weeks of potentially hazardous on-site labor and condensed what would typically take multiple trades several weeks. Installed in one single day over the weekend and welded into place the same day, this method avoided weekday disruptions and further reduced risk by limiting work in open shafts— areas prone to fall hazards.

In contrast to the horizontal multi-trade rack method—where installation is done floor by floor in a sequential process— the vertical multi-trade rack is a simultaneous, multi-floor solution. All shaft risers are pre-assembled into one large rack and installed at once. Given that the building’s shaft system is critical for distributing air and water from the main mechanical room, this centralized and prefabricated approach dramatically improves efficiency. By reducing time spent in confined, high-risk shaft spaces and enabling faster progression of other trades, the vertical multi-trade rack method offers a safer, faster and more coordinated construction workflow.

While it saves time and offers increased safety on site, building a vertical multi-trade rack involves significant upfront coordination and planning. The detailing team created precise drawings and ensured all components, such as piping, ductwork and bracing, were accurately integrated. The structural team also played a key role in ensuring it could support its own weight and function properly once installed. The rack was engineered to withstand the necessary stresses, like traveling hours on the freeway from Portland to Corvallis. Overall, it was a highly collaborative and detail-intensive process that demanded early and thorough coordination.

Andersen Construction is leading the charge in building the new 143,000 square-foot research and teaching lab at OSU. It is named after NVIDIA founder and OSU alum, Jen-Hsun Huang and his wife, Lori Mills Huang. The project is part of a larger vision to create a cross-disciplinary research hub focused on solving complex global challenges like climate change. The Huang Complex will be home to one of the nation’s most powerful supercomputers, significantly enhancing the university’s research capabilities. Other building features include a cyber physical playground, an extended reality theater, a water research facility, a maker space and a seven-bay cleanroom. You can see the construction progress in real-time with these cameras on campus.

Andersen Construction tapped McKinstry for the mechanical and plumbing work, which includes piping and ductwork. McKinstry also assisted in the design with engineering firm, AEI. ZGF is the architect. The building is expected to be fully operational by early 2027.