Two application case studies of short switchboards in obstructed electrical rooms

Abstract

A hotel switchboard located in an attached below-grade garage was corroded at its base from water entering through the building wall during extended, high-volume rainfall events. The owner requested replacement of the 35-year-old switchboard to correct several issues, even though several efforts to stop water ingress were not successful. Elevation of the replacement switchboard to guard from contact with rainwater ingress was at first thought infeasible due to low deck-to-deck height in the parking garage. An alternate construction switchboard of shorter height was specified to permit elevation of a replacement switchboard at the original location. An office building interior was thoroughly renovated, with emphasis on flooding resiliency for ground-floor elements including a service switchboard. Sandbags at exterior doors and other evidence of occasional minor flooding of the ground floor emphasized the need for design measures to protect equipment. The electrical room floor-to-ceiling height was only 8'0", leaving little room for device elevation beyond a standard concrete housekeeping pad. An alternate construction switchboard of shorter height was specified to permit an 18" elevation in the original location. Overhead working space was retained for use in routing feeder conduits.