Dynamically Loaded Machine and Equipment Foundations - A Design Primer

*Open only to Central Ohio Section Members
*Seating is limited to the first 25 people
*Bring your own lunch

Machinery and equipment typically found in industrial and process facilities often exert dynamic loads on their foundations. Designing these foundations is quite complicated, much more so than the design of the foundations that support buildings and statically loaded equipment. (The latter is addressed in the companion ASCE webinar, Design of Foundations for Equipment Supports.) This topic is rarely, if ever, included in the engineering college curricula, and the engineers are left to learn on the job. Yet the stakes are high: The failure of an incorrectly designed machine foundation can lead to damaged equipment and to expensive downtime. This webinar provides a practical introduction to the complex issues of designing dynamically loaded machine and equipment foundations.

Purpose and Background
Many engineering firms that specialize in the design of industrial facilities and heavy-equipment foundations have developed a wealth of in-house design standards, but this information is not available to others. As a result, and because of the design complexity involving dynamic analysis and specialized software, some engineers have resorted to simplistic rules-of-thumb without understanding the limitations of such shortcuts.

The purpose of the webinar is to provide an overview of the practical methods used for the design of dynamically loaded machine and equipment foundations. The attendees will learn about the differences between the foundations for statically and dynamically loaded equipment, which design data should be provided by the equipment manufacturer, which design procedures are available, and when making simplified assumptions is appropriate. The presentation includes a number of short calculations that illustrate various facets of the design.

The structural engineers who design foundations for heavy machinery generally need input of multiple parties. Among them are the equipment manufacturers who provide the dynamic properties of their products and the geotechnical consultants who provide the soil parameters needed for the analysis of soil behavior under dynamic loading. The presentation describes how their data fits into the overall foundation design. The audience is encouraged to ask questions throughout the webinar, which concludes with the final Questions and Answers opportunity.

RSVP to newsletter@centralohioasce.com by Friday, March 27th, 2015.

Primary Topics of Discussion

• Differences between the foundations for statically and dynamically loaded equipment
• Design data that should be provided by the equipment manufacturer
• Available design procedures
• When making simplified assumptions is appropriate
• The presentation includes a number of short calculations that illustrate various facets of the design.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the differences between the foundations for statically and dynamically loaded equipment
• Greater Comprehension comprehension of available foundation systems for supporting dynamically loaded machinery and equipment
• Familiarization with the design procedures available for the machine and equipment foundations subjected to dynamical loading

Webinar Benefits

• Explore the contemporary machine-foundation systems
• Discover the available methods of designing foundations for dynamically loaded equipment
• Find out when simplified design assumptions are appropriate and when sophisticated software must be used instead
• Find out how isolation systems can minimize the response to dynamic loading
• Use an opportunity to ask the instructor questions

Intended Audience
Structural and civil engineers seeking to increase their knowledge of designing foundations for dynamically loaded machines and equipment.

Webinar Outline

• Introduction
• General types of foundations for dynamically loaded machines and equipment
• Design criteria and methods
• Some practical tips for design and construction
• Conclusion, final Q and A

See the ASCE website for more info.

The Central Ohio Section of ASCE sponsors free continuing education webinars as a service to our members. These webinars are produced by ASCE and normally cost $250 or $300 for ASCE members. However, the Central Ohio Section is paying the registration fee and inviting any interested section members to attend for free. Just RSVP by the deadline. Seating is limited, so do not delay.

You can see the complete list of webinars available from ASCE National on their website. If you see one you like, let us know. If you and your company would like to host one, let us know that too. If you open it up to any interested Central Ohio ASCE section members to come, we will pay the registration fee.