Looking for a little advice, I've done electrical for 18 years mostly commercial. I've had my own shop for the past 8 years. I'm bidding a project that has parallel run of approx. 350' of 3". About 150' of it is on the roof rigid pipe and 200' of it is emt through bar joist off of a scissor lift. Anyone have any estimates of time per foot on this? Number of men and time for the pipe run only? The whole project is coming out of 480 gear running the pipe, pulling 350 mcm and setting a new 600amp 480 panel. Bidding work has been tough this past year seems like there is always one under your number. Thanks in advance
bidding 3" pipe
- Thread starter mark600
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I can not help with you question but I can add another question for you to consider. If the conduit is on the roof and exposed to sun light, the temperature of the conductors will exceed the temperature of the conductors listed in table 310.16. You may have to adjust the ampacity of the 350 kcm(310 amps) to a lower value and thus will not match your 600 amp panel. You may have to use a larger conductor and maybe a larger conduit. If you are interested I have a table that gives the design temp for you area if I can find it.
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renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
Just a little perspective from the trenches ....
I did not find 3" pipe (EMT) to take me any longer to run that 2", with a few limitations to keep in mind:
-I was in no position to bend it; it was straight runs and factory sweeps;
-Pipe was hung on strut;
-Additional time was needed for panel cut-outs, as the work was done 'the old fashioned way' with a saber saw; and,
-the pipe itself was cut with a Porta-band, using a 2-ft. Vee-topped ladder as a work stand.
What DID take time was the wire handling; big pipe suggests big wire. I'd focus on your abilities to handle the wire pull, rather than worry about the pipe.
I did not find 3" pipe (EMT) to take me any longer to run that 2", with a few limitations to keep in mind:
-I was in no position to bend it; it was straight runs and factory sweeps;
-Pipe was hung on strut;
-Additional time was needed for panel cut-outs, as the work was done 'the old fashioned way' with a saber saw; and,
-the pipe itself was cut with a Porta-band, using a 2-ft. Vee-topped ladder as a work stand.
What DID take time was the wire handling; big pipe suggests big wire. I'd focus on your abilities to handle the wire pull, rather than worry about the pipe.
dmagyar
Senior Member
- Location
- Rocklin, Ca.
If this is a bid --
If this is a bid --
With the situation as you described being a bid, then the engineer who mapped the job is responsible for the environment, with the big exception if the run on the roof is your idea. If you include any derating and upsizing in your bid, you'll lose.
As far as hours for running the conduit, the rigid pipe will take considerably longer than the EMT if you've got to bend it. Another consideration is: any threading you'll have to do, on the roof; setting up some way to accomplish that close to where you're installing the pipe; fittings are way more expensive than EMT. Where are you going to set down the pipe on the roof without damaging (the roof) it? thirty sticks of 3" will weigh quite a bit.
You don't mention if you've got any experience bending/running rigid pipe, that's going to be the deal breaker imho because if you don't and try to wing it, the job may be more than you can handle. Then there's the bender and threader, if you don't have a three inch rigid bender and threading head and dies and porta pony laying around you'll have to pay someone else to do that while your crew is waiting for it.
If this is a bid --
With the situation as you described being a bid, then the engineer who mapped the job is responsible for the environment, with the big exception if the run on the roof is your idea. If you include any derating and upsizing in your bid, you'll lose.
As far as hours for running the conduit, the rigid pipe will take considerably longer than the EMT if you've got to bend it. Another consideration is: any threading you'll have to do, on the roof; setting up some way to accomplish that close to where you're installing the pipe; fittings are way more expensive than EMT. Where are you going to set down the pipe on the roof without damaging (the roof) it? thirty sticks of 3" will weigh quite a bit.
You don't mention if you've got any experience bending/running rigid pipe, that's going to be the deal breaker imho because if you don't and try to wing it, the job may be more than you can handle. Then there's the bender and threader, if you don't have a three inch rigid bender and threading head and dies and porta pony laying around you'll have to pay someone else to do that while your crew is waiting for it.
ksmith846
Senior Member
- Location
- Port St Lucie, Florida
Based on your info....just for the conduit and wire.....all based on level #4 for labor difficulty.......assumes all factory bends for EMT and GRC....excludes lifts or bending equipment......includes unistrut, unistrut straps and anchors.
343 man hours
Material costs $25,000
No markups or shopping out for material prices........
343 man hours
Material costs $25,000
No markups or shopping out for material prices........
I came up with
226 man hrs
$19,203.00 materials
I only factored the conduit labor
Hey I'm LOW!!!
laketime
Senior Member
I came up with
226 man hrs
$19,203.00 materials
I only factored the conduit labor
Hey I'm LOW!!!
Congratulations you got the job! But we need you to do it for $17,500.
ksmith846
Senior Member
- Location
- Port St Lucie, Florida
Congratulations you got the job! But we need you to do it for $17,500.
Now that's funny...............too true, but funny.
chris kennedy
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami Fla.
- Occupation
- 60 yr old tool twisting electrician
Thanks for the post guys. Once again times are tough. We were beat on the bid. As I figure the other contractor has less than $10,000 figured in for labor. I was estimating 200 hours which in reality is tight. I have experience in rigid pipe and threading and own equipment to do it. Luckily I have other work going one so it wasnt really needed at this time. But it's makes you look ahead to the next bid.
My labor was $8500 cost
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