MRI Site Testing - Full Service

Site Testing For Your MRI: Vibration Testing, Seismic testing, concrete testing, structural engineering certification, and soil compaction testing. - Module #6

Site testing for your MRI: Vibration and seismic testing are required before siting on your MRI magnet. The MRI equipment supplier does not provide vibration and seismic testing. As stated in the supplier documents, testing is the responsibility of the individuals procuring the MRI magnet for the MRI imaging facility. We can assist you with these standard issues in scheduling as we have done for many clients in our Turnkey MRI Imaging Center development.

Regarding seismic and vibration testing, you might be surprised by the kind of ground and other vibrations that can impact your MRI's ability to provide the necessary high-resolution images.

In your MRI Imaging Center, proximity to a busy parking lot, major roadway, or even the wrong elevator can make a difference in MRI image quality. It can disqualify your chosen site as minimally acceptable for placing your MRI unit.

Vibration Testing must be performed early in the site planning process to ensure minimal vibration and within acceptable limits. As a field engineer will tell you, the Magnet cannot be directly isolated from vibration, as vibration issues have to be resolved at the source.

We can work with you to schedule the testing specialists you will need on-site to do what is necessary to move forward on your behalf.

These tests do not take long and are not expensive, but they are essential to perform before the expensive MRI Magnet is sited in your final permanent MRI Imaging Center location

.Ideally, your MRI Imaging Center and probable MRI Magnet room area in a leased building should receive the Seismic and Vibration Testing and pass before you sign your final building and tenant lease agreement.

One of the most recent MRIs we installed weighed approximately 11,800 pounds ( 1.5 Tesla, not uncommon), and it was going to be placed on a concrete slab resting on potentially wetter mountain soils, which required a soil compaction analysis. It is not hard to accommodate, but it is essential if needed, and the results are known in advance.

Your MRI Imaging Center can only be successful and profitable if the clinical studies you perform moving forward are as high-quality as the MRI Magnet you acquire and can be performed in an interference—and vibration-free site.

By coordinating the MRI site engineering specialists and any other specialists that might be needed, we work towards ensuring the proper siting of your MRI magnet and building conditions that will enhance the MRI scan resolution quality and result in Imaging Center profitability.

Disqualification of your site due to Vibration or Seismic testing Issues is not common but also not unheard of.

Sometimes, seismic testing disqualification can be resolved by recalibrating the seismic testing equipment and retesting, but this cannot always be the case. We can quickly provide the experts who can provide the definitive answer, saving expense and frustration.

In seismic and vibration testing, it can be apparent that, in some instances, especially with wet or mountain soil, a ground compaction specialist may be needed to ensure the stable siting of your MRI magnet.

Builders and Architects can often insist on Ground Compaction testing for the siting of your MRI.

As mentioned previously, in your MRI Imaging Center buildout, your 1.5 Tesla MRI Unit can weigh approximately 12,000  pounds and will be anchored on a small core cut concrete slab on grade, with nonferrous rebar concrete. Acceptable ground compaction is always fundamental, and before building, it will be measured/tested for proper MRI magnet site placement in your MRI imaging center.

In the planning and buildout of MRI Imaging Centers, which we have retained for guidance, our consulting group has closely followed this seismic, vibration, and ground compaction testing process for our clients. It can confidently provide our new clients with assistance, guidance, and reassurance. We work diligently to keep our MRI Imaging Center Client Projects on Schedule and Budget. 

Usually, a structural engineer works closely with the design architect to create the buildout plans in the design and build process. When the MRI Magnet equipment supplier vendor comes on board and is working closely on determining the readiness of the site for the delivery of the MRI Magnet, before the actual installation of the MRI Magnet, a structural engineer of record will need to affirm the floor and ceiling has been designed in the manner necessary to accommodate load-bearing structures. When retained, we ensure the structural engineering team can provide that affirmation.

• In this Consultation and Assistance Module, we will address
• As mentioned, the MRI Vendor and Manufacturer will require the Customer to receive the MRI to retain the Seismic and Vibration testing specialist. We can discuss how and when to contact the specialist, the approximate cost of the testing, and what you should expect from the process. We can also quickly retain the specialists needed.
• We can also review a previous actual report with you in advance, without site names or identifying information, to help you understand why these tests are essential, how they work, and what to expect.
• In your MRI Imaging Center, your MRI Magnet will ideally be a “Slab on Grade" mounted on a concrete slab.
• However, the slab must have nonferrous, non-metallic rebar.
• An existing building slab typically does not contain that but generally contains ferrous metal rebars.
• We can wait until the building contractor is engaged. Still, it will be essential to test the slab-on-grade concrete in the MRI Magnet Room to determine whether it contains Ferrous or nonferrous metals.
• In the event of ferrous metal composition in the cement slab in the MRI Magnet Room, which is to be expected, we can advise and facilitate the core cut concrete, the Nonferrous rebar placement, and the required concrete pour. We can quickly assist in shortening the process considerably.
• Assess your MRI Imaging Project and review the activities taken to date.
• Your current MRI Imaging Center site, if chosen during consultation. If so, depending on where you are in the process, can there be a discussion regarding the finalization of the building and site lease? If desired, review and provide negotiation feedback to the client on their proposed MRI Imaging Center building site lease.
• The process of retaining an architect, Builder, or Remodeling Site Contractor, their roles, and incorporation of the Vibration Testing and Seismic Testing data, as well as guidance to the Structural Engineer of Record regarding their responsibilities.
• Can you choose a ground single-floor building or a multiple-floor building? Are you thinking of a “Slab on Grade” installation, or are you interested in a second-floor or higher installation? Provide more in-depth guidance on what to be aware of and how to make either choice as well as possible.
• Have you assessed the area of the site location where the MRI Magnet Room will be located?
• Guiding the scheduling of Vibration and Testing Engineers, interpretation of their reports, and, in the case of an actual failing grade on the testing, looking at the preliminary floor plan to flip the layout to still use the site and retest as necessary.
• Understanding the role and value of the Structural Engineer of record who typically works closely with and is chosen by the Architect. If you have retained an architect and builder or remodeling firm, do they have a structural engineer on record? You will want to know how they have been retained in the design and build process. We want to ensure they can be contacted to provide “sign off” and structural engineering confirmation on various design-build issues so the MRI vendor project engineer can receive the MRI Magnet Delivery—understanding what that will include and why that is important.
• Understanding the RF (Radio-frequency Testing) conducted after the Magnet Room RF shield is completed.
• Answering all questions of importance to the client, whether related to these items or other items in the MRI buildout process.

Supplemental Cooling – Full Service – 10

Site Considerations – Full Service – 5

Magnet Suite – Full Service – 13