I'm mounting a track lighting track directly flush to the underside of a drop ceiling

[catronics]

Hi guys - Greetings from Fresno, CA


I'm mounting a track lighting track directly flush to the underside of a drop ceiling. The ceiling tiles are soft and semi-translucent (they're made with a thin white fiberglass fabric shaped into honeycomb-like parallel channels). The corporate project manager sent me photos of steel strut channel resting on/attached to the top of the 1" t-bar, with the lighting track bolted to the bottom, through the ceiling tile.


Why are we doing this this way?


The lighting heads are 3.3 lb. apiece, and there are 2 or 3 of them per 4-linear-foot length of t-bar, for a weight of 6.6 to 10 lbs. The guys who did this in Georgia seemed to think the strut was necessary. Is it? Can we use t-bar clips, like the ones from Caddy or Griplock, without the strut channel? Would it be earthquake-safe enough? Is 10 lbs. per 4 ft. length okay?


It sure would save a whole lot of time.

 

[LarryFine]

I would check the T-bar and clip makers for weight ratings, and strive to attach to main runners, not 2' or 4' T-bars.

 

[Sierrasparky]

You need independent support , usually done with support wires. Use the caddy's with the loop for a support wire.

 

[catronics]

I would check the T-bar and clip makers for weight ratings, and strive to attach to main runners, not 2' or 4' T-bars.

Okay, that make a whole lot of sense. Thanks.

 

[catronics]

You need independent support , usually done with support wires. Use the caddy's with the loop for a support wire.

There's no way I can get to that ceiling. I's ten feet above the drop ceiling, and this is a retrofit for an operating business. Can I hitchhike onto the existing wires? It's only a maximum of 10 lbs. per 4 ft. of track.

 

[catronics]

P.S.

P.S.

The lighting track must be flush up against the bottom of the drop ceiling. This keeps it from torquing from the cantilevering of the light heads.

30W - 2.9 lbs. each (corrected weight)

 

[Dennis Alwon]

There are tricks to attaching a wire to the steel ten feet up. You use a piece of emt

Here is a link to a thread about it

https://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=135718&p=1300738#post1300738

 

[catronics]

You need independent support , usually done with support wires. Use the caddy's with the loop for a support wire.

We have MC cables coming into these track runs, and they are very securely attached to those support wires with "bat wings." That will keep at least one end of the track secure against earthquake, I believe. Now we're daisy chaining the tracks together, which means there's an MC cable at each end, which means that it would be supported at each end. We are still experimenting with what will work.

 

[cowboyjwc]

You need independent support , usually done with support wires. Use the caddy's with the loop for a support wire.

What he said.

 

[ptonsparky]

One one of these attached to a 10 piece of rigid, IMC, or Al conduit gets the top attached.

 

[ptonsparky]

A Caddy AF 14 snaps into the tool. The 14 has a previously connect ceiling grid wire connected to it. Works slick.