Boiler Room Design Consideration 1

[BFstr]

BFstr (Structural) Aug 12, 2009

Hi Everyone,

I am designing a Boiler room (or a boiler building only has one room). I don't know what things I take into consideration in my design because of specific function of building.
Walls are from CMU, for roof I am planing to use W-shapes and one column at the center of the bldg.

I also heard about heated floors v.s. unheated floors. Can anyone tell me if there is a code or something that I have to read about boiler rooms or bldgs? How do I realize that the bldg is heated or unheated? Then design of what parts of building get affected by it being unheated or heated?

I just heard from mechanical people that they will put a unit heater in bldg.

Bottom line the power generating plant wants to house two boilers in the building. Any direction will be greatly appreciated.


I thank you in advance giving me some direction.

Regards,
BFstr

 

[pennpiper]

Read the article found here

http://www.pipingdesigners.com/Thinking outside the box.htm

 

[BFstr]

Dear New Postpennpiper (Mechanical)thanks for your reply.
I went to the link you mentioned there was no information about boilers, boiler room information and didn't see any thing about heated or unheated floors. I might have not seen or slipped from my eyes. Are you sure you gave me a correct link.

Have I posted this thread in wrong discipline?

Thanks
BFstr

 

[baw1]

Having done this work for the past couple of years, I can offer some of my opinions on the subject.
1. Plan for at least a 3-5 kip load on every beam, and reduce it appropiately at the columns. The ME's tend to like to hang a lot of stuff off of the building.
2. Plan for the vendor submittals one the final equipment to change from their initial cartoons given to you. This is called planning for what you know, you don't know.
3. Access and maintence requirments are do or die situations for the ME designers.
4. Deflectionn requirements typically control so, everything is usually needs to be a braced frame. Avoid moment frames.
5. Expect platforms and new equipment to be constantly added throughout the process. Getting a current and up to date equipment list is great if you can get it. I ussually cannot get one.

 

[MJCronin]

BF...

More information..please....

Is this a boiler to be used to heat buildings or for HP process steam or for power generation ?

Each would have different building layout requirements.

Have you contacted the boiler vendor for his suggestions ? Some offer an informal guideline for successful layouts.

-MJC

 

[BFstr]

Dear baw1 (Structural) thank you so much for your comments
You mentioned "Plan for at least a 3-5 kip load on every beam"
I have ran to this problem too, so how do I apply the 3 -5 kips? Do you mean I put a point load of 3-5 kips on each beam or I apply a uniform load of 3-5 kip/ft on each beam? Is any code addressed this? Is the 3 or 5 kip you mentioned a code value you or it is based on your experience?

I appreciate if you let me know.
Thanks,
BFstr.

 

[baw1]

As I mentioned, I have only been doing this work for about three years. One of my fellow engineers recommends using a 5 kip point load on every beam in the center for maximum moment. It seams reasonable, so this is what I use. Point load to be concurrent with distributed live load. Granted it is conservative, but from an economic perspective where structural costs are the smaller fraction of cost versus equipment, and time is of the essence it seams reasonable. Plus it give the owner flexiblity for the future modifications that will happen.

Beam end shear reactions are specified to be designed for the full allowable uniform load on the beam with a 6 kip minimum shear. I haven't really come up with sensible way of reducing loads at columns for all of these "phatom" 5 kips loads, but some reduction seams appropiate. Say 50% reduction of only the point loads?

 

[Drexl]

If the boiler has a weak corner, find out where and take it into concideration.