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Any inexpensive solution

Any inexpensive solution

Any inexpensive solution

(OP)
Got an old Metal-Clad Switchgear in a shelter (like an outdoor control room) placed on the roof top of the Pumphouse ( which the roof top of pumphouse is a reinforced concrtete slab - built in 70's).

The problem is that inside this control room the floor steel is where the floor steel plates seated has became unlevel and equipment are tilting. After pulling one of the floor steel plates out it reveled the supporting steel beams underneath are severely corroded.

The owner wants a solution that without moving the equipment/switchgears out of the room making the floor even.

What are the possible solutions?
Anybody ran to similar problem in past?




RE: Any inexpensive solution

If the steel is corroded, it may need replacing and you may not be able to provide the client with a solution to his taste. It's likely faster and cheaper to wait until next 'shutdown' and do a replacement. You can provide a new set of switchgear and building and simply transfer the power.

Dik

RE: Any inexpensive solution

The corroded steel is not his only problem. Obviously there is a lack of adequate ventilation and/or drainage coupled with chemicals from the concrete causing tha corrosion. Even if the leveling is able to be done, the problem will persist.

The owner needs to face reality and not worry about the buck. Pay me now, or pay more later...

He is looking at either a controlled shutdown, or an uncontrolled one. Since he is cost minded, which is cheaper?


Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)


RE: Any inexpensive solution

(OP)
dik,
thank you for your response. Sounds reasonable but they insist in a temporary solution and expect me as a structural eng, come up with a temporary solution.
What would be a temp. solution?

I am afraid if I pour concrete on top on the pumphouse roof slab and underneath the equipment it over loads the pumphouse roof slab!!!

It is 6 inches between top of roof slab and bottom of equipment

RE: Any inexpensive solution

There is no temporary solution... you may be able to needle support the walls and provide temporary supports for the equipment... tear out the floor and pour concrete. Is the equipment hot? Is the supporting structure for this above grade/elevated by several feet?

All depends on how important this switchgear is to his process.

Dik

RE: Any inexpensive solution

Quote (Anybody ran to similar problem in past?)

You mean where someone made a decision a long time ago to save a buck and now someone new doesn't want to fix it right? All the time. It's time to pay up. Maybe they could put in some temporary electrical gear and replace the control room. And if the gear hasn't been replaced, it's probably obsolete. Maybe a new control room and new switchgear adjacent to the existing one is the best way to go.

RE: Any inexpensive solution

Cheapest solution is finding a new client/employer.
The owner wants this to be someone else's problem and that someone is you.

RE: Any inexpensive solution

What is the downside of a fault or trip?

Dik

RE: Any inexpensive solution

The down side would be the equipment falling through the floor, literally.

That would trip the breakers, right?

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)


RE: Any inexpensive solution

StrP88:
Since we have been provided with so little of the pertinent details of this little building and the equipment, we could go on guessing forever and miss a reasonable solution by a mile. Yes, I’ve seen three of these recently, almost exactly like yours, one was green, one was blue and the other was red. What else do you want to know? Now, that’s almost as dumb as the way you’ve presented you problem. With all the important design info. you’ve left unexplained, how could you possibly expect any real meaningful discussion. Remember, we can’t see what you are looking at, we just can’t see it from here.

Do you have access to the space btwn. the floor structure and the roof slab, so you can do some jacking and cribbing/support blocking. Use some solid 6" conc. blks. or some 6" long pcs. or oak 6x6 or 8x8, maybe pressure treated lumber, with a variety of shim pls. of different thickness. Jack the floor structure up to level it and the equipment and install the shimming blks. and steel shim pls. at each critical equip. support point. Also, block the corroded floor beams at these points, up the the fl. pl. and the equip. legs. Push some new stl. beams under the bldg. along side the existing fl. beams, jack them up to level things and provide some blocking down to the roof slab.

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