mstrlucky74
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
How is 4000a, 5000a(large) gear usually attached to a concrete pad? Anchor bolts etc.? Thanks.
Service Gear Mounting
- Thread starter mstrlucky74
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Yes... With "et cetera" in there, is there really any other option? :huh:
mstrlucky74
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
IDK..that's why I'm asking. L brackets on the outside? I know when dist panels are mounted against a wall it's strut but was not sure when mounting to a concrete pad.
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cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
Set the gear and drill when in place! I won't try to placing threaded rod in concrete to
bolt holes. I care but the concrete guy could care less about placement/set.
.3/8" or .1/2" expansion bolt your good!
bolt holes. I care but the concrete guy could care less about placement/set.
.3/8" or .1/2" expansion bolt your good!
I prefer anchor bolts from internal framework (some have anchor gussets in the section corners)... but depending on how the "guts" are arranged, may not be possible in all cases. External L brackets anchored to pad and gear is an option... continuous for aesthetics.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Does anyone (besides me) require this size gear to have 'mounting rails' imbedded in the concrete pad to aid in leveling and alignment?
mstrlucky74
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
Thanks Guys.
FWIW, I've not run into any spec'd embedded rails in my entire career.
If spec'ing rails, I would hope that includes the rails being securely braced to each other prior to pour. If the rails are off even a fraction of an inch, that could make the installer very frustrated. It's not exactly an easy task getting thousand plus pound equipment aligned to just one rail let alone two which are not perfectly parallel... :happysad:
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
:happysad: nor I...
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
I don't know about switch gear but usually the kinds of stuff we supply if it is floor mounted they pour a pad and grout whatever touches the floor. There is no way to get a pad flat enough otherwise.
One customer we have has a practice of only grouting in the corners and a few places in the middle, and they foam under the thing the rest of the way. I thought it was odd the first time I saw it but it is cheap and works well.
One customer we have has a practice of only grouting in the corners and a few places in the middle, and they foam under the thing the rest of the way. I thought it was odd the first time I saw it but it is cheap and works well.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
I have seen them take a piece of angle iron after it is set in place and bolt it to the floor and then to the MCC, but not embedded in the concrete.
This is what we normally do also. If not just 3/8" or 1/2" drop in anchors with all-thread is sufficient in most areas. Unless your in a area with a lot of seismic activity (West Coast of US or overseas somewhere). Then to keep it seismic qualified you have to secure it to the slab as manufactured instructions say. Usually the holes in the Gear framing are large enough to get a drop-in in.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
A lot of times, that size equipment is held in place only by gravity
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
I have seen some older installs done that way, but have never seen it as a design spec on any job I have ever worked on.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
I must be showing my age again.:ashamed1:
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
I think specs like that are just a victim of economics...engineering design by bean counters, not engineers.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
It costs too much and it is too difficult to install rails, but there is lots of time and money to shim and force the equipment into some kind of 'tolerable' alignment.
You should not need a pry bar to get a door to open or close.
Yes some of it is marginal manufacturing, but a lot of it is equipment not being level and true.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Yes, I have done that several occasions. One where the existing gear had problems with racking style breakers due to the pad being so uneven. Here's a recent one for a 25000 pound generator where the steel was set with a laser and mounted on strut:
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
If I am paying for breakers that rack, then I will gladly pay for channels in the pad.
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