Chock Blocks for Pump Baseplates 2

[bk19702]

I am currently involved with a project that requires a new centrifugal pump / driver to be installed in one area short term, then re-located to a permanent location within a year. One of the project engineers was inquiring about using chock blocks for the initial install, so the removal and relocation is possible in the coming year. I have seen this type of grout & block technique advertised by Chockfast involving insdustrial diesel engine mounting, but I haven't seen this applied to an API pump. Has anyone done something like this? Do you have any guidelines? I've looked in API 610 for some guidance on this (including whether or not it would allowed), but I haven't been able to find anything. Any help is appreciated.

 

[BigInch]

Why not get it skid mounted and move the whole thing from one pad or foundation to another? Not possible?

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[bk19702]

Probably should have been clearer on that. Essentially that's the idea: moving the entire pump, motor, baseplate from one spot to another. I'm just having a tough time on wrapping my mind around the best way to do it.

 

[BigInch]

I wouldn't grout it for the first location. Spec a stiff baseplate with enough beams under it so that vibrations are limited to acceptable values. Bolt it down for now. Grout it when it gets to its permanent location.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[JJPellin]

BigInch is absolutely correct. I might explain the way I use the terminology. We classify base plates as either groutable or skid mount. The ones designed to be grouted need to be grouted becasue they are not designed stiff enough to take the loads imposed by the equipment in operation otherwise. The base plates that are designed for skid mount are designed more robustly so that all they really need is to be bolted down to a suitable foundation or steel structure. We normally specify groutable base plates. But, in the instances where we had a need to skid mount a pump, it worked out just fine. Once the pump gets to it's final destination, you can still grout it down to get an even better installation. A groutable base plate must be grouted. A skid may be grouted, but it is not required. You will pay a little bit more for the skid mount base plate. But not much more.

Johnny Pellin

 

[BigInch]

Did a lot of that in the oil/gas field gathering systems, where we need a small pump or compressor at one well and then have to move to another well in a year or two. And virtually everything offshore is skid mounted for easy lift and pull into position, then often just welded to the deck, never using grout.

Pipeline pumps are usually also skid mounted for easy transport to some pump station in never-never land, and then the larger permanently mounted ones are grouted under the rails right up to the engine and pump base plates (ask for groutfill & escape ports) with epoxy grout. We usually don't want the permanently placed units walking around much.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/