Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
(OP)
Hi. I'm working in a university setting as a structural consultant. I have been asked to look into the possibility of adding a UPS system to a server room on the 4th floor of a relatively new (3 years) concrete building. The slab is 9" thick, f'c=4000 psi, and the design LL=100PSF. The bay (corresponds to room size) is about 20'x28' with 18" square columns-no beam framing. The UPS system comes in 3 pieces weighing 860 pounds (36"x32"), 2350 pounds (43"x32") and 4795 pounds (44"x32") and must be placed adjacent to each other. That largest unit is 492 pounds/square foot. And the whole room is on a raised floor. There are also numerous existing racks within the room weighing 400-800 pounds each and an AC unit weighing 1300 pounds. Should I be concerned about placing this UPS system within the room? What is the best way to analyze this?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Thanks for any help you can offer.






RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
You also, however, need to use some judgement, regarding heavy loads concentrated in one area only. You might need to calculate those also to make sure that you do not have one area overloaded.
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
Answer: Yes, it should be checked with consideration for 1. Flexural moment (and how it is distributed across the floor between center and middle strips)
2. Shear through the slab (based on the placement of the applied units across the floor)
3. Punching Shear through the slab at the column (punching shear that is included with shear from unbalanced moments at the columns)
4. Potential column bending due to units placed near a column on one side of the column.
What is the best way to analyze this?
Answer: If you don't know how to do any of this, see kslee1000's first response above.
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
Wish you are still in the "Senior Class" to handle that :).
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
I'm just curious; but if you are the "structural consultant," why are you asking this question of others?
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
No offense intended. I have been both :)
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
That might be you, scb111, or bring in an external consultant.
RE: Can I add large UPS battery rack system to existing 2-way slab
(sorry - just getting carried away)