Seismic Cabinets

Q. What is a Seismic Cabinet?

The Rainford Solutions – Vanquish S – Series Cabinet is an enclosed four-post rack designed with an extra-rigid structure to resist deflection when under load from the vibrations and motion caused during a seismic event.

Q. What sizes of Seismic Cabinets do you offer?

The Vanquish S – Series Cabinets are available as standard in the following sizes:

Other cabinet sizes are available upon request. Please get in touch to discuss.

Q. Are the seismic cabinets provided with 19 Inch equipment mountings?

Yes, the Vanquish S – Series cabinets come with 19 Inch equipment mounting rails fitted as standard. Alternatively, ETSI equipment mounting rails can be fitted upon request.

Q. Does the seismic cabinet come with any cable management?

Yes, the Vanquish S – Series cabinet design includes front vertical cable routing on the left and right hand sides for cables. The cabinet also allows for vertical cable trays to be fitted and adjusted for depth behind the 19 Inch equipment mounting verticals.

Q. How are seismic cabinets tested?

The qualification method used is single axis vibratory shaker table testing, in accordance with Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) specification GR-63-CORE for Zone 4 and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) EN 300 019-2-3 v2.4.1 Environmental Conditions and Environmental Tests for Telecommunications Equipment; Part 2-3. This is an industry-recognized standard for testing seismic cabinets. The cabinets are tested in a loaded condition on a seismic ‘shaker’ table to simulate a real seismic event. The table produces random side-to-side, up and down, and front-to-back movements of varying intensity based upon the requirements of NEBS for Zones 1 – 4. The sample seismic cabinets are attached to sensors (accelerometers) to measure and record the movement during the tests. The cabinets are also inspected for any physical damage which may have occurred during the testing.

Q. How did the Vanquish S – Series cabinets perform when tested?

The Vanquish S – Series rack and cabinets performed very well in the seismic tests with minimal deflection during the triaxially tests with no physical damage to the frames. Three units were tested: two 600 x 600 x 2200 cabinets and one 600 x 300 x 2200 rack. Each unit was loaded with 500kg of weight to simulate mounted equipment and 22kg on top to represent overhead cables and cable entry. The weight was evenly distributed bottom to top of the units. Each unit was attached to a steel pad with seismic rated floor anchors to simulate the test.

Q. When should I use a seismic cabinet over a standard cabinet?

Seismic cabinets should be used in geographical areas with the potential for seismic activity. Seismic cabinets may be called for by the project or building specification. These may reference: NEBS specification GR-63-CORE for Zone 4.

Q. Is special installation hardware required for the Vanquish S – Series cabinets?

Yes, all seismic cabinets must be fixed down using to the floor using special heavy-duty anchors. We recommend Hilti HSL Heavy Duty Expansion Anchor M12 or equivalent.

Q. Will using a seismic cabinet guarantee that equipment installed inside the cabinet will not be damaged during a seismic event?

No, there is no way to predict the outcome of a seismic event. The use of seismic rated cabinets in areas which experience seismic activity provides a higher level of protection against potential damage. This is not a guarantee that the cabinet will survive a seismic event but a higher level of assurance that the cabinet has been designed and manufactured to withstand a simulated seismic event under approved test conditions.

Q. Are seismic cabinets more expensive than non-seismic cabinets?

Yes, seismic cabinets require significantly more design and engineering time. The cabinets are typically manufactured from thicker materials with tighter tolerances and have significantly more welding than that of a standard cabinet structure. The seismic cabinets are then independently tested and certified which also adds to the overall cost of the product.