Transporting and fitting a new switchboard into a room

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Tainted

Tainted

Senior Member
Location
New York
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Engineer (PE)
I am specifying a 1200A switchboard by Eaton. This switchboard needs to go into the electrical room but this switchboard is heavy and about 30"x 30"x90". Fitting this inside the room would be difficult because the door is not big enough to move it into the room.

How are heavy switchboards typically transported into it's destination?

Can the switchboards be broken down into components so that it is able to fit through the door and then assembled back into it's intended construction?
 
If it's one section it can be laid down moved into the room and then stood back up. How big is the room can it be rigged to stand it up?
 
infinity said:
If it's one section it can be laid down moved into the room and then stood back up. How big is the room can it be rigged to stand it up?
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standing it up is not an issue, the problem is transporting it into the room from the 1st floor to the cellar. All the entrances except the lobby entrance is too small in width for the switchboard.
 
Tainted said:
Can the switchboards be broken down into components so that it is able to fit through the door and then assembled back into it's intended construction?
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Sounds like a question for Eaton. Maybe they can ship it in pieces for field assembly, don't know what that would do to any listings. Might just have to have a carpenter remove some door frames.
 
Tainted said:
standing it up is not an issue, the problem is transporting it into the room from the 1st floor to the cellar. All the entrances except the lobby entrance is too small in width for the switchboard.
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Wow doors aren't even 30" wide? Maybe they can build a reduced depth board.
 
That suggests involving riggers and might be way more trouble than it's worth; just thinking of the logistics of locking off the elevator at an upper floor, opening the door (which creates a fall hazard), getting the SB into the shaft and maybe sliding it down the side without knocking any of the elevator mechanisms, etc. Could be done but only with a lot of planning.

Might be worth building a wooden frame to the SB dimensions and dragging it around the location to see how it'll fit; I've done that a few times and places that ought to be good weren't but the suspected tight spots also weren't.
 
Tainted said:
Has anybody had a switchboard that could be broken down and then assembled?
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We install a ton of Eaton switchboards and I've yet to see one that can be taken apart to the point where it would fit through a narrow door unless you pretty much disassembled the entire thing.

Regarding the elevator thing it has been done but it's very costly and not always feasible. Cutting a hole in the floor to lower the gear might be faster, easier and cheaper.
 
infinity said:
We install a ton of Eaton switchboards and I've yet to see one that can be taken apart to the point where it would fit through a narrow door unless you pretty much disassembled the entire thing.

Regarding the elevator thing it has been done but it's very costly and not always feasible. Cutting a hole in the floor to lower the gear might be faster, easier and cheaper.
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Would cutting a hole require a structural engineer assessment? Have you seen this done before?
 
Tainted said:
Would cutting a hole require a structural engineer assessment? Have you seen this done before?
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Yes I've seen it done many years ago. I would assume that some sort of structural engineering was involved but it's not a complicated task.
 
infinity said:
Yes I've seen it done many years ago. I would assume that some sort of structural engineering was involved but it's not a complicated task.
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I'm kinda wondering now if custom switchboard manufacturer's like Atlas or All City Switchboard can provide the switchboard disassembled for easy transporting.
 
Tainted said:
I'm kinda wondering now if custom switchboard manufacturer's like Atlas or All City Switchboard can provide the switchboard disassembled for easy transporting.
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You would need to call around. At 1200 amps can you get something that's only 18" deep from Eaton?
 
Tainted said:
according to switchboard consulting guide by eaton, there's probably no way.

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/e...w-voltage-TB01500003E-specification-guide.pdf

I'm gonna call around tomorrow...
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You are going down the right path in post 13.
Switch to a distribution style board...1200A max, now you will be only 12-15" deep...but now you get a width of around 42"-45".
Set up a lunch & learn with your sales reps and get a lesson on all your options on panels, etc.

If you have to cut a hole to get it in, and it fails after install ???

Did you not ask your architect to give you a bigger opening ?
How does 110.26 come into play with your application ? Look it over.
 
MyCleveland said:
You are going down the right path in post 13.
Switch to a distribution style board...1200A max, now you will be only 12-15" deep...but now you get a width of around 42"-45".
Set up a lunch & learn with your sales reps and get a lesson on all your options on panels, etc.

If you have to cut a hole to get it in, and it fails after install ???

Did you not ask your architect to give you a bigger opening ?
How does 110.26 come into play with your application ? Look it over.
Click to expand...

Honestly I really hate relying on reps, I really do. I wish there was some kind software that can select a switchboard or distribution board for you if you input specs.

I don't want to make a bigger opening or alterations like that if I don't have to. I just need to find out the feasibility and then I can make the right final decision.
 
We had a project years ago that was like this, we ordered a speedy board. These basically come in pieces and removing all the sides and doors made very easy to get it into location.
 
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