Block foundation for a press
Block foundation for a press
(OP)
Hi All,
Looking for some comments on designing a concrete foundation for a hydraulic press. It is not the first time we have designed a foundation for a press, but the first time for a big press like this one. The press is 13m tall and weighs 290 metric tones. This weight includes the weight of the oil and the molds. The supplier has indicated that the press applies 900KN dynamic load on the foundation. Considering two recommended criteria for the design of the foundation: a) limit the soil pressure to 0.25x(the allowable soil bearing pressure) and b) provide a foundation with a mass equals to 3 to 5 times the weight of the press, the foundation has to be 12mx12mx2m. Now, before sending my design to the soil consultant for their review I wish to know if the size is reasonable. To me it looks huge. Please comment. Thanks for the help.
Looking for some comments on designing a concrete foundation for a hydraulic press. It is not the first time we have designed a foundation for a press, but the first time for a big press like this one. The press is 13m tall and weighs 290 metric tones. This weight includes the weight of the oil and the molds. The supplier has indicated that the press applies 900KN dynamic load on the foundation. Considering two recommended criteria for the design of the foundation: a) limit the soil pressure to 0.25x(the allowable soil bearing pressure) and b) provide a foundation with a mass equals to 3 to 5 times the weight of the press, the foundation has to be 12mx12mx2m. Now, before sending my design to the soil consultant for their review I wish to know if the size is reasonable. To me it looks huge. Please comment. Thanks for the help.






RE: Block foundation for a press
With any "bending" in the footing the press looses its tight alignment for color overlay matching.
RE: Block foundation for a press
and DL = 900 kN, is that correct? that's about 1/3 of it's dead weight...
What is the capacity of the press?
RE: Block foundation for a press
DL is the 290000 kg which includes the weight of the hydraulic fluid and two molds.The weight of the press only is 225000kg. 900kN is the dynamic load. I have memorized those numbers but I don't have answers right now to your other questions. Thanks
RE: Block foundation for a press
Looking forward for the other numbers...
RE: Block foundation for a press
RE: Block foundation for a press
The location of the source of power (on same footing or not) and whether it is electrical, hydraulic or mechanical could also be factor.
You depth does not seem excessive and could even be light depending on the equipment. We had a concrete block manufacturing machine that weighed only 20 metric tons (dry) that had minimal extra loads. All raw materials and ancillary equipment was supported separately. It required at least 4' deep concrete footing for proper operation because of the wide range of vibratory frequencies and the amplitude.
Dick
Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.
RE: Block foundation for a press
How would this foundation design be integrated into the building slab and floor? Or would it be (deliberately) kept completely separate from the building slab to avoid interferences due to settling and movement/vibration of the press into the rest of the building?
RE: Block foundation for a press
RE: Block foundation for a press
RE: Block foundation for a press
RE: Block foundation for a press
RE: Block foundation for a press
It gets expensive quickly when you have a press sitting there that the manufacturer wont warrant because they cant get it to remain level to their asinine one millionth of an inch tolerance.....and removing and replacing the press to do any remedial work costs $500,000.
You might be able to mitigate the risk with SRA admixtures. You wouldn't be able to put enough rebar in there to make much difference to the tolerances they require.
Only other option would be to drive steel H-piles, or wait for a specified period of time to allow it to shrink out.
RE: Block foundation for a press
The footprint of the press is 4.6x6m. The capacity? Don't know. It has been challenging getting info from the European manufacturer. Thanks
RE: Block foundation for a press
I actually know of a colleague who installed a jacking system for a whole building slab. There was highly compressible soil, so whenever settlement reached a certain point they'd jack it back to where it was supposed to be and grout the void.
RE: Block foundation for a press