highbay mounting under the door tracks?

[rq375]

30x40x16 with a 16wx14 overhead door on the gable end. I'm installing three rows of three Alphalite 110w fixtures in the 30x30 portion towards the door. I would like one fixture in the middle of where the door will be when all the way open. Would it be a reasonable idea to span 16" under the under the horizontal part of the door tracks with a piece of unistrut? or just live with loosing one fixture when the door is open?

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Anything is possible but consider the weight of the light in the middle of that strut. Will it sag? I would not attach anything to the door tracks. They are engineered and in case of a catastrophic failure you don't want that door crashing down. I would bench test that weight on that strut and check for deflection. Add a little fudge factor and hang it off the ceiling.

 

[GRB]

The standard size steel 1-5/8x1-5/8" Superstrut will easily hold a lot more than one of those fixtures in the middle. It comes in 10' lengths. 2 pieces end-to-end with one in the middle connected with 6 bolts over the 10' length to span a door 16' wide and you should be golden. Go up to the joists, don't hang anything on door tracks.

 

[alfredeneuman]

T It comes in 10' lengths.

It's also available in 20' lengths if you buy it from an electrical supplier.

 

[Radix2]

Do you have space above the door to do it the other way?

Personally, I would consider the amount of time you will need the light with the door open - i.e. how often would you work with the door open at night? You have such tall doors, that even with them open say 7-8 feet, I doubt that the door will curve around the ceiling to block the light anyway.

So working at night, with the door open, open the door only partially to use the light and save your self a lot of headroom and work?

What would your resulting headroom be hanging 16" below the tracks?

estimate how far the door is open before you have any interference first.

I try to avoid too much open door night work with the lights on because then you have every insect from 10 miles around inside....

 

[GRB]

It's also available in 20' lengths if you buy it from an electrical supplier.

Thanks for that info. It will help me on a project that is coming up.