Fitness center over floor raceway

[knowingthis]

We're (hopefully) going to be doing a fitness center here pretty soon, and we need to provide power and data for exercise equipment out in open space. I've been doing a bit of looking around for something that might be suitable for the purpose as well as not being ugly as sin. Any of you gents familiar with the OFR series by Wiremold? OFR series. The thing that worries me is that it is not recommended for use in high traffic areas. Some of the images show the product being used in fitness centers, or a fitness center, and it looks like it and the equipment are installed in a manner that would prevent too much wear and tear. Other images show it being walked on... traffic, not high traffic. We have no equipment layout as of yet and probably won't until they are placing it. yay.

My questions.

1. See above question about gents and OFR.

2. I'm thinking the space would be considered high traffic, but I wouldn't really know. I don't go to gyms, I work out at home. Opinions? What qualifies as high traffic?

3. Any products you guys might recommend as an alternative? (Don't say pancake series, I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.)

 

[mpoulton]

The Wiremold site shows the OFR product being used for exactly this purpose (powering treadmills), but in what looks like a smaller fitness room rather than a large gym. Whether it's suitable or not depends on exactly where it would need to run and what the traffic flow is like there. If you can keep it out of main walkways and avoid any rolling traffic (carts and such) it's probably fine. Otherwise I'd sawcut instead to get across the aisles, then use the raceways just between machines.

 

[JFletcher]

I havent been to a gym lately either, but would think most/all of the power and communications (CATV, internet) to the machines are in the slab with conduit and floor boxes.

Given what Wiremold of that series costs, it may be cheaper cutting concrete anyway. Is this a new build or existing building? Is the slab already poured?

A layout seems imperative. If you have, say, 10 treadmills, each on a dedicated 20A circuit, you really cant guess as to where they are going.

 

[mgookin]

I think the architect should make that decision.

A floor in a gym takes a very hard beating. I don't see that product holding up.

 

[tkb]

I worked on a project for a YMCA that used the OFR in the fitness center because we couldn't use poke through boxes. There was a pool underneath. The only advantage of the OFR product is that it ADA compliant.

The only other option we had was to drop with power poles and run G4000 on the floor between the machines.

 

[knowingthis]

I failed to provide enough information, sorry about that. Saw-cutting the slab is not an option. If it was, there'd be floor boxes for the masses.

The Wiremold site shows the OFR product being used for exactly this purpose (powering treadmills), but in what looks like a smaller fitness room rather than a large gym. Whether it's suitable or not depends on exactly where it would need to run and what the traffic flow is like there. If you can keep it out of main walkways and avoid any rolling traffic (carts and such) it's probably fine. Otherwise I'd sawcut instead to get across the aisles, then use the raceways just between machines.

I mentioned that and included a link. I'm going to ask if the equipment can be arranged in such a way that the patrons will not be able to pass between the first piece of equipment and the wall where the run of OFR will originate. Equipment at this particular chain is already arranged so that people can not pass between two pieces of equipment. My concern with the OFR is foot traffic. Yeah, they show it in a fitness center, but it's also clearly stated that it's not intended for high traffic areas. I just need to coerce someone into making that a low traffic area.

I havent been to a gym lately either, but would think most/all of the power and communications (CATV, internet) to the machines are in the slab with conduit and floor boxes.

Given what Wiremold of that series costs, it may be cheaper cutting concrete anyway. Is this a new build or existing building? Is the slab already poured?

A layout seems imperative. If you have, say, 10 treadmills, each on a dedicated 20A circuit, you really cant guess as to where they are going.

Existing, and there's no layout. Commercial work kills me sometimes. Maybe it's just the contractors we deal with. Everything is a not-quite-zero information. You normally get just enough to lead to ten more questions and silence to follow, but you'd better hurry up.

I think the architect should make that decision.

A floor in a gym takes a very hard beating. I don't see that product holding up.

:lol: See the above answer. This stuff gets very frustrating. In a logical, rational world I would do exactly what you said. logical... rational...

I worked on a project for a YMCA that used the OFR in the fitness center because we couldn't use poke through boxes. There was a pool underneath. The only advantage of the OFR product is that it ADA compliant.

The only other option we had was to drop with power poles and run G4000 on the floor between the machines.

Have you been back to do any other work? Have any idea how it's holding up?

Thanks for the replies, guys. I do appreciate the input.

 

[mpoulton]

I just need to coerce someone into making that a low traffic area.

Yep. I'd insist on it, making it the architect's problem. This is a design issue that is above the GC's pay grade, nevermind the electrical sub. It's important to facilitate solving the problem by giving them proposed solutions, but the owner and design team will have to figure out how they want this handled.

 

[knowingthis]

Yep. I'd insist on it, making it the architect's problem. This is a design issue that is above the GC's pay grade, nevermind the electrical sub. It's important to facilitate solving the problem by giving them proposed solutions, but the owner and design team will have to figure out how they want this handled.

That's the approach I learned doing residential work. Nothing like working on a job where any change literally has to be approved by three committees. Now that I've been moved into the office I'm dealing with commercial jobs and the information is almost always woefully inadequate. Combine that with the fact that it seems asking questions is frowned upon and you get :weeping:.

 

[mpoulton]

That's the approach I learned doing residential work. Nothing like working on a job where any change literally has to be approved by three committees. Now that I've been moved into the office I'm dealing with commercial jobs and the information is almost always woefully inadequate. Combine that with the fact that it seems asking questions is frowned upon and you get :weeping:.

I always made it a point to submit a proposed solution with my RFI's whenever possible. "We can't tell how you intended this to be built. Would you like us to do it this way?" That makes it easy for them to say yes to your preferred solution.

 

[tkb]

I always made it a point to submit a proposed solution with my RFI's whenever possible. "We can't tell how you intended this to be built. Would you like us to do it this way?" That makes it easy for them to say yes to your preferred solution.

I agree. In an RFI I always give my suggested solution. It usually gets accepted and sometimes it results in a change order.