Turbine Pedestal Chocking and Grouting

The challenge

A turbine baseplate had lost full contact with its foundation, leaving the machine sitting on a soft foot. With the load bearing on only part of the footprint, the baseplate flexed and passed vibration straight into the soft foot instead of being carried by the foundation. That kind of unsupported, vibrating mount works the hold-down bolts loose, throws the train out of alignment, and accelerates wear in the bearings and couplings. Left as it was, the turbine could not hold alignment or be trusted to run.

The Belzona approach

Work starts with checking the baseplate against the foundation to find where contact has been lost and how much the machine has settled, then shimming and aligning the train to its correct running position. With the turbine held on alignment, the gaps are dammed and a cold-applied chocking system is poured that flows under the baseplate and cures into solid, load-bearing chocks shaped to the exact gap. The chocks make full contact across the footprint, so the load goes into the foundation instead of the soft foot. Where the baseplate or bolt seats had corroded or worn, a 1000 Series composite rebuilds that metal before the pour, so the chocks bear on sound surfaces. The result is a machine carried evenly by its foundation and back on alignment.

1. Assess and mapThe baseplate is checked against the foundation to find where contact has been lost, gauge the settlement, and confirm the soft foot driving the vibration.
2. Align and prepareThe foundation and baseplate seats are cleaned and prepared, corroded or worn metal is rebuilt with a 1000 Series composite, and the train is shimmed back onto its correct running alignment.
3. Dam and pourThe gaps under the baseplate are dammed, then a cold-applied 4000 Series chocking system is poured in, flowing into the void and filling it completely.
4. Cast the chocksThe chocking compound cures into solid, load-bearing chocks shaped to the exact gap, making full contact across the footprint with no machining of the casting.
5. Return to serviceA final check confirms full support and alignment, and the turbine returns to run carried by its foundation rather than the soft foot.