BC Hydro UPS Enclosure Structural Design
Client: Black Box Manufacturing Inc. (for BC Hydro)
Location: Port Coquitlam, BC
Structural design and analysis of a UPS enclosure, including seismic and lift design, with detailed calculation packages.
Project Overview
This enclosure required structural validation for multiple load cases and practical detailing for fabrication and installation, including lifting considerations.
The UPS enclosure serves as a protective housing for critical electrical equipment, requiring structural design that ensures equipment protection under various loading conditions. A critical aspect was the lifting system design for safe crane handling during installation.
Engineering Approach
IFEL performed analysis for governing load cases and produced a calculation package to support traceability and review. Finite element analysis was utilized to model the enclosure structure, including roof, wall, and floor sections.
Load case analysis encompassed dead, live, snow, wind, and seismic loads per applicable standards. Lifting lug design required analysis of lifting forces, lug geometry, and connection details to ensure safe crane operations while maintaining structural integrity.
- Dead, live, snow, wind, and seismic load checks
- Lift design considerations and lug sizing
- Documentation suitable for QA/QC and client turnover
Outcome
The client received a complete structural design and analysis package supporting fabrication and delivery to the end user. The comprehensive design package enabled successful fabrication, with all structural elements validated for the required load cases.
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