What does it take to build a modular Linear Accelerator vault in just 20 days?
A collaborative team and the most knowledgeable builders and trade partners in the business.
The timelapse above captures progress at our Dartmouth Health project in Manchester, NH, where NELCO Worldwide assembled the modular LINAC vault using 177 MegaShield blocks. This vault marked one of the project’s major milestones as we race toward the finish line to deliver the hospital’s brand-new Cancer Center expansion.
What the timelapse doesn’t show are the months of careful pre-planning, thoughtful design, and strategic coordination required before breaking ground.
First comes significant underground coordination. A linear accelerator requires robust electrical and mechanical infrastructure to operate safely and effectively. Before vault construction can begin, the team must identify and provide the raceways to support the future equipment’s power and cooling demands.
Once the foundation is in place, vault construction begins. In the timelapse, you’ll see 177 MegaShield blocks being set to form the vault’s core. These are followed by the installation of structural steel beams, later infilled with concrete to support the overhead shielding blocks. In total, thirteen 34-foot W12x120 beams were placed atop the concrete walls—over 53,000 pounds of steel forming the roof structure.
Next, the exterior facade takes shape. Framing, insulation, sheathing, AVB, masonry, and curtain wall systems all play a critical role in enclosing the vault and blending the new structure with the existing facility. This project utilized a mix of granite, red brick, and white metal paneling to maintain design cohesion.
Interior fit-out is just as important. Radiation from a LINAC bounces vigorously inside the vault, seeking any potential escape path. To contain it, shielded MEP openings are closely coordinated among trades, ensuring all feeds and services are safely integrated. A similar approach is taken at the vault entry, which features a two-foot-thick finish door filled with lead and borated polyethylene (BPE).
There are many complex factors involved in constructing vaults for linear accelerators, and Wise has the technical expertise to deliver these specialized environments for clients making strides in cancer treatment and research.