Application
Electrical Conduit Openings in Concrete
Cores, slots, and slab cuts for electrical conduit, feeders, and cable runs through slabs, walls, and decks.
Electrical work needs concrete penetrations for conduit stub-ups, feeder banks, floor boxes, and cable tray runs. Whether it's a single home-run conduit or a bank of large feeders serving a switchgear room, the openings have to line up with the raceway layout and leave enough room for bushings, sleeves, and fire-stopping.
Crews we route work to core and cut electrical penetrations to the conduit schedule, grouping multiple conduits into a single cored opening or slot where the design allows. In Houston's data centers, hospitals, and industrial plants, these openings often pass through structural slabs and shear walls where scanning is mandatory.
How conduit openings are made
Individual conduit stub-ups and feeder penetrations are cored with concrete core drilling. Banks of conduit or cable-tray slots through a slab are cut with slab sawing; wall penetrations use wall sawing. Small, tight cuts and finishing are handled with hand sawing.
As with all structural penetrations, concrete scanning precedes the work to locate rebar, post-tension tendons, and any live conduit already in the slab.
Practical considerations
- Wet-cutting controls silica per OSHA 1926.1153; slurry is contained in electrical rooms and near energized equipment.
- Where openings are near energized gear, coordinate a safe work zone and de-energization plan with the electrical contractor.
- Grouping conduits into one opening simplifies fire-stopping but must respect the structural scan results.
- Core diameters account for the conduit outside diameter, sleeve, and bushing.
Live conduit hazard
Existing energized conduit can hide in a slab or wall. Scanning before coring protects the crew and the building's power.
Electrical conduit opening FAQs
- Can multiple conduits share one cored opening?
- Often yes. Where the electrical and structural design allow, several conduits can pass through a single cored hole or sawn slot, simplifying fire-stopping. The scan results confirm it's a safe location.
- How do you avoid existing wiring in the slab?
- GPR scanning locates existing conduit and reinforcement before cutting. The opening is positioned to clear live raceways.
- Can you core near electrical switchgear?
- Yes, with coordination. A safe work zone and any required de-energization are arranged with the electrical contractor before work begins.
- What information do you need to price the work?
- The conduit count and sizes, slab or wall thickness, and location. Upload the electrical plans through request-pricing for the most accurate scope.
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