Long row of exterior lights set in CMUs

[AedinP]

Hi all,

I'm point-man on a medium size aquatic center with two buildings which have both have wall sconces/wallpacks along the entire length of the building. The boxes for the fixtures will be flush with the CMU face.
My first thought is to obviously connect the boxes with PVC horizontally as that makes the most sense; however there are several "columns" of solidly grouted cells which have a single #5 rebar going from down in the stem wall up to the top, and spec forbids us from having conduit in the same cell with rebar.
Second thought would be to feed them overhead above the ceiling, but it's a hard ceiling across the whole building so we can't have junction boxes in the ceiling from which we would drop down to the lights with flex or something.
Third and final thought, unless there's a better way, is to put two 90s (in and out) in the stem wall beneath each light fixture and connect them with PVC "U's" underground. This would just mean that essentially we are at 360 degrees of bends between each fixture. We have not yet started under slab electrical but we are putting rigid foam blocks in the stem walls before they pour to be able to turn up 90s inside the CMU cavity.

ANY ADVICE? I've never done boxes set in CMUs before and am making it work as I go. At least a discussion would be great as I have learned a lot from reading this forum.
Attached are a couple screenshots of the lighting print. Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

Aidan

 

[ActionDave]

I'm point-man on a medium size aquatic center with two buildings which have both have wall sconces/wallpacks along the entire length of the building. The boxes for the fixtures will be flush with the CMU face.

You have my sympathy and support brother.

My first thought is to obviously connect the boxes with PVC horizontally as that makes the most sense; however there are several "columns" of solidly grouted cells which have a single #5 rebar going from down in the stem wall up to the top, and spec forbids us from having conduit in the same cell with rebar.

I can see the specs not wanting conduit running parallel with the rebar in the cored cells, but does it forbid crossing the rebar horizontally? It would be worth asking about. Given the other options it might even be worth doing it and seeing if anyone calls it out.

One option you didn't mention was getting yourself sent to a different project or looking for a new job before you get stuck with this and have no escape route left.

 

[hbiss]

If they didn't want to see conduit on the outside of the wall the time to install it was when the wall was being built. Just saying.

-Hal

 

[ActionDave]

If they didn't want to see conduit on the outside of the wall the time to install it was when the wall was being built. Just saying.

-Hal

I don't think the walls are built yet.

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

Second thought would be to feed them overhead above the ceiling, but it's a hard ceiling across the whole building so we can't have junction boxes in the ceiling from which we would drop down to the lights with flex or something.

I don’t do a ton of this type of work, so excuse my ignorance, but why can’t it go up and over, light box to light box, above the hard ceiling?

 

[AedinP]

One option you didn't mention was getting yourself sent to a different project or looking for a new job before you get stuck with this and have no escape route left.

I think this is the best option so far.

I can see the specs not wanting conduit running parallel with the rebar in the cored cells, but does it forbid crossing the rebar horizontally? It would be worth asking about. Given the other options it might even be worth doing it and seeing if anyone calls it out.

I think the preference is that conduit isn't touching the rebar, potentially compromising the concrete to reinforcing steel bond . It would be worth bringing up in a meeting or possibly even an RFI to the EE but I would definitely get busted by the GC if I tried to go ahead without mentioning it. He came straight here from another aquatic center where he called out the electricians for having conduits vertically in the same cell as rebar.

I don’t do a ton of this type of work, so excuse my ignorance, but why can’t it go up and over, light box to light box, above the hard ceiling?

It would essentially be the same thing as doing it underground with 360 degrees of bend but we'd also have to support the pipe if we did it overhead.

 

[AedinP]

Here's a photo of what the lights will look like from the substantially similar aquatic center that was completed earlier this year. I'll ask the GC tomorrow if he knows how the other electricians did it and maybe see if it's worth an RFI. I think the columns every so often are supporting those wood beams that protrude out at the top.

 

[ActionDave]

I think the preference is that conduit isn't touching the rebar, potentially compromising the concrete to reinforcing steel bond . It would be worth bringing up in a meeting or possibly even an RFI to the EE but I would definitely get busted by the GC if I tried to go ahead without mentioning it. He came straight here from another aquatic center where he called out the electricians for having conduits vertically in the same cell as rebar.

That's the thing. Vertically makes sense. Intersecting across the rebar is common. While your asking for clarification pick the GCs brain about what they did on the other project. Most of them are happy to pass on information that will help the current project go smoothly.

 

[steve66]

I don’t do a ton of this type of work, so excuse my ignorance, but why can’t it go up and over, light box to light box, above the hard ceiling?

I think this makes sense - if its just 2 bends you don't really need an additional pull box or access point.

It also kind of depends on if the lights are above the ceiling level or below it.

I don't like the idea of going horizontal in the block wall - you would have to knock a hole through every core basically the entire length of the wall. But I guess you could still ask.

I would also consider running them all horiz. back to above any grid ceiling, or anywhere having a pull box or access panel won't matter. Especially if all the lights are all above the ceiling elevation.

But I'm an engineer, so I'm mostly going by what is easiest to draw

 

[rambojoe]

They wont let you drill/sleeve straight through, with m/c?