# Transformer pad



## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Robbie Rob said:


> Hey guys installing an outdoor 150 kVA transformer next to a building. Inspector wants a spec sheet on the pad Before installation. I call the manufacturer from Square D and they said there are no spec sheets provided by them for the pad. He said if I installed a pre-fabricated pad he wouldn’t need architectural drawings. I looked all over the Internet and cannot find a pre- poured pad that is rated for it for my transformer. I guess my other option is to get an electrical engineer to draw me specs for the pad. Just wanted to know if I was going about this correctly.


My best answer is look up the POCO specs or green book ( POCO codes / reguations ) they will useally listed the pad size and demison of pad and what it required.

Typically will say the type of footing and pillar support and type of conduit it will use and size of conduit.

Make sure you get extra wide sweep espcally on primary side this is very important to bring in primary cable but secondary it will varies depending on what ya got for secondary side.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Just a pad, no box? I find it hard to believe there are no specs., there's got to be something for dimensions, how can they sell something with no specs.? How do they expect you to layout the installation with no specs.?


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## mitch65 (Mar 26, 2015)

Every POCO I have worked with has specs in their service installation guide down to approved manufacturers and part numbers.


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## MXer774 (Sep 1, 2014)

I interpret this as a dry type 150KVA 480 - 208Y/120V, not a utility pad mount. 
Schneider will not have specs on a pad for it. The only specs they can provide you is the electrical & dimensional data. 

Get the dimensions (which you can get from your supplier), pass it on to a concrete sub and have them draw it up & price it. Hopefully you caught this on your bid. 

Me? All concrete pads, bollards, etc. are almost always excluded from my proposals. The concrete sub takes care of it through the GC with our assistance in layouts.


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

Maybe try and contact A.C Miller pre-cast or Bethlehem pre-cast. Both are from Pennsylvania. Give them the specs of your transformer and let their engineers do the work. 

No mater what they come up with there's no doubt it'll be stronger/more over built than what you build on site. It has to withstand the trip and placement on site.


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## Robbie Rob (May 14, 2017)

Yes it’s a dry type transformer, customer owned. 150 KVA 480v primary and 120/208 secondary three phase. It’s one Building feeds another building. I could have a concrete contractor build the pad. I was just thinking maybe I can do it if I knew the specs. To save time and money. Also wasn’t sure if the concrete guy would ask me for specs to submit to the town.


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## Robbie Rob (May 14, 2017)

cabletie said:


> Maybe try and contact A.C Miller pre-cast or Bethlehem pre-cast. Both are from Pennsylvania. Give them the specs of your transformer and let their engineers do the work.
> 
> No mater what they come up with there's no doubt it'll be stronger/more over built than what you build on site. It has to withstand the trip and placement on site.


 Awesome this is something I will look into thank you


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Tell the inspector to bite one for C H R I S T S A K E S it is a simple transformer pad.

In lieu of that google it.

https://www.blocklayer.com/concrete/rebar-slabeng.aspx

Draw a simple pad based on online information.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Robbie Rob said:


> Yes it’s a dry type transformer, customer owned. 150 KVA 480v primary and 120/208 secondary three phase. It’s one Building feeds another building. I could have a concrete contractor build the pad. I was just thinking maybe I can do it if I knew the specs. To save time and money. Also wasn’t sure if the concrete guy would ask me for specs to submit to the town.


Now that clear up the details.,

Just get a common pad for that transformer. 

Jezzz ., if ya say it in first place we would give you a different answer on that.

But is some reason why ya cant just put it inside ? space issues ? 

If ya going to install the outdoor transfomer I would set up a simple pad and couple bollards as well.

Those 150 KVA run of mill dry core transfomer typically weight about 450 Kg ( about 900 ish pounds ) but the actual size that you need to take a look yourself to get correct sizeing of pad.

but make sure the pad is much larger than tranfomer size is.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

Robbie Rob said:


> Hey guys installing an outdoor 150 kVA transformer next to a building. Inspector wants a spec sheet on the pad Before installation.


Which code article is this?

Does he also ask for spec sheets for the walls you run your electrical on?

How about spec sheets for the ceilings you hang your lights from? 

I'd say the danger from a falling light is more likely than an issue from a transformer settling into the ground. 

This guy wouldn't last 5 minutes over here....he needs some continuing ed classes.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Cow said:


> Which code article is this?
> 
> Does he also ask for spec sheets for the walls you run your electrical on?
> 
> ...


Because some inspectors are butt heads.


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

I can see where the inspector is going with this, although this is a building inspectors issue. This inspector has no clue if you are going to just throw an inch of concrete on the ground mixed from 60 pound bags. 

If this is a private job I'm sure you can get away with a lot more than if it's a public job. 

I did a job once where the resident engineer found a small note on the landscape drawings that said it was the ECs responsibility to provide light pole base detailed drawings stamped by a structural engineer. These same drawings were all part of the construction document set from the A&E. The ones that detailed the design of the bases. It was the Resident engineer's interpretation that the base detail was generic, although it detailed the exact same fixtures being used.

After providing the drawings, the precast basees were ordered. On delivery the engineer was baffled. He thought he was going to be able to bust our balls over the rebar placement and do the concrete testing. This guy fought this whole job every step of the way. He didn't want the bases dug in. Didn't want the soil disturbed around the bases. Tried to make us pour concrete around the bases or pay to do soil compaction tests around the bases. 

One day I thought the carpenter foreman was going to kill him. The guy had two cranes there and maybe 15 carpenters ready to set the trusses. The engineer read to him in the spec book that said he was supposed to be provided a sample of every fastener and clip he submitted on. Without the sample he couldn't set the trusses. The carpenter was missing a sample on one that he wasn't even using but was submitted on. The carpenter chased him into his trailer and he hid there the rest of the day firing off Emails. 

By now I hope this guy is living back in his homeland. I think he only had a contract with the engineering overseeing company that was only good for this job.


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