ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Metal Buildings

Information, suggestions on installations in metal ( block to 4 ft then metal to 30 ft) will be appreciated. I have 30 yrs experience in commercial/ industrial construction but not metal buildings. Pictures would be very useful.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Bill

Sounds like a regular EMT job to me. That is what I see everywhere.

Get a Hilti for any direct mountings to heavy steel.

Typically you'll have Z channels in the horizontal. They make for natural EMT racks.

Be wary of 1/2" EMT -- somehow extra circuits always pop-up at the last moment.

Such jobs go much quicker if 3/4" EMT is the smallest EMT you employ.

Last metal building I did was an auto repair shop. Ran a 4 inch wireway down the center and brought all the branch circuits out of it. Worse part is the exit from the trough, either end up using a cornering ell, or bending back to back 90s with the second one being overbent to match the slope of the roof. One hole straps work well for pipes going perpindicular to the ceiling joists, paralell runs usually end up on the sides of the beams, with one hole straps for support. Tek screws are good for the thin steel, the heavier beams have to be predrilled to prevent breaking the screws.

Metal buildings ... both a blessing and a curse.

"Minor" pipe runs can be done using beam clamps and Mineralacs. You'll still need to mind your bends, as the saddles around the uprights and doors add up.

Going vertical -if you're strict about it- means you first need to build a secondary support, as the Z-purlins are usually more than 10ft. apart.

You WILL need some horizontal runs across the ceiling. Again, the structural steel is far more than 10ft. apart; 25ft. is common. So .... cut to the chase ... you WILL need to construct a proper trapeze and hang it from the Z-purlins up there. Since 'extra' pipes keep appearing, design it plenty big.

Where you do need to mount to the sheet metal 'skin,' your best bet is the old-fashioned toggle screw.

As a 'design note,' plan on having a junction box at every column; sooner or later someone will need something there.

While it's a pipe-bending nightmare, try to place your receptacles between the flanges of the I-beams. That's the only way to protect them from forklifts, etc.

Thanks for info, will be asking further help I'm sure. Still in a mudd hole waiting on the Brikies at this point in the game. Biggest concern at moment is transition from block walls (flush mount in the block ) to the metal walls.