Conduit in Footing fix

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bcorbin

Senior Member
Recently, I designed a project where I did not specify the exact route for the conduits frm the transformer to the main switchboard. However, I obviously could have done a better job, because the main switchboard ended up being directly over a building footing. Rather than call me up, they went ahead and installed them and placed the concrete.

Well, long story short, the structural engineer did some calcs, and is okay with leaving the conduits in, but now we need to make some sort of break in the conduit to avoid crushing it in case of building settlement.

Would it be code-legal to cut the counduit, and install a piece of larger-diameter conduit over the cut, with some rubber "boots" held on with stainless gaskets? It's kind of home-brew, but I'm looking to avoid a bunch of excessive costs.
 
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SiddMartin

Senior Member
Location
PA
bcorbin said:
.....code-legal to cut the counduit, and install a piece of larger-diameter conduit over the cut, with some rubber "boots" held on with stainless gaskets? It's kind of home-brew, but I'm looking to avoid a bunch of excessive costs.
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These two things usually don't go together:cool:
 
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highvolts582

Senior Member
Location
brick nj
if its smaller than the size of a conduit nipple 24 inches and the inspector does not scope it out. it may hold up its in concrete and ive never seen concrete ignite anything.

but things should always be done right so no.
 
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Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
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bcorbin

Senior Member
Thanks, guys. I looked at some of those and they are $400-$500 each. MY eyeballs nearly fell out when I saw that. Someone is going to end up wishing they had called me before they placed those footings. :rolleyes:
 
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Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
bcorbin said:
Thanks, guys. I looked at some of those and they are $400-$500 each. MY eyeballs nearly fell out when I saw that. Someone is going to end up wishing they had called me before they placed those footings. :rolleyes:
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Wasn't it your mistake to begin with?:-? Is their a clause that the electrical contractor is responsible to cover the costs of the EE's mistakes too?

I'd probably be looking for some direct burial flex and connectors myself...
 
Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
bcorbin said:
Thanks, guys. I looked at some of those and they are $400-$500 each. MY eyeballs nearly fell out when I saw that. Someone is going to end up wishing they had called me before they placed those footings. :rolleyes:
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Didn't know the price but assumed they are quite expensive.

Is this a case where the horizontal run(s) are in PVC and transition to rigid at the 90 of the stub up. If so, I'd just make the transition one stick of rigid earlier and use a generous volume of premium backfill. While rigid is exactly cheap nowadays either, its still cheaper than those fittings ;)

If the structural engineer properly designed the footing for the [undisturbed] soil's load bearing capability, and the contractor didn't disturb the soil under the footing, there should be little to no settling... and what settling does occur should take the 90 and that end of the stick of rigid with it... JMO, of course!!!
 
Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
Cow said:
Wasn't it your mistake to begin with?:-? Is their a clause that the electrical contractor is responsible to cover the costs of the EE's mistakes too?

I'd probably be looking for some direct burial flex and connectors myself...
Click to expand...
Now that you mention it, what about using HDPE for the last 10' of the horizontal run, instead of the rigid I mentioned in my other post. HDPE is IMO more resilient to deflection than is PVC, and more flexible than rigid.
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Smart $ said:
Now that you mention it, what about using HDPE for the last 10' of the horizontal run, instead of the rigid I mentioned in my other post. HDPE is IMO more resilient to deflection than is PVC, and more flexible than rigid.
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I saw the GRC mentioned and thought "What a great idea!" Then I saw the HDPE mentioned and thought "What a great idea!" Time for a conduit-deflection-resistance contest!

I do wonder if anyone has done meaningful comparisons among the choices. Or is the plastic-to-metal joint always going to be a weak point? At least the pressures would be equal away from the elbow.

They're both great ideas, though. :smile:
 
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bcorbin

Senior Member
Okay, time to play the Engineer "it's not my fault" card. :rolleyes:

This is a good faith thing. Nobody involved intentionally did anything wrong, nor tried to pull any fast ones. However, just because I didn't show the exact routing of the conduit on my drawings doesn't mean the EC can install them anywhere. However, I usually do show major conduit routing, so of course I will take an active role in helping the guy fix the problem.

Honestly, I'm amazed the concrete guys poured the footings around the conduits without calling anyone. That's two phone calls I would have expected to get, but nobody realized they were doing anything wrong. Though I'm not "to blame", I can assure you, it won't happen again.

Thanks for the flex conduit and HDPE ideas, guys. I think that is going to be the best solution, and not make the contractor take me off of his Christmas card list.
 
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