GRUNDFOS

BASEPLATES

WHITE PAPER

by Greg Towsley

ump baseplates come in as many configurations, designs and styles as there are pumps.
No matter the design, the main purpose of the
baseplate, as described by the Hydraulic Institute
(HI)1, is to mount the pump and driver together,
while maintaining shaft alignment between the
two pieces of equipment.
When designing and fabricating a baseplate, it is
the hope that the complete unit is robust enough
to survive the travel to the site and be simple to
install. It should allow for final alignment of the
pump and driver, and allow for removal and reinstallation of the equipment if necessary.
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the different types of baseplates and
design considerations. The requirements of the
user and the pump should be reviewed with the
pump supplier to determine the design of the
baseplate.
To minimize the equipments Life Cycle Costs,
the proper baseplate for the equipment and the
application must be chosen, as well as proper
installation on its foundation and alignment.

For large pumps and drivers, soleplates are less

expensive than baseplates, which would be difficult to fabricate and constructed from heavy
steel. A soleplate is used for very large pumps,
such as double suction or split case pumps, and
their separate driver.
It is also common for vertical turbine pumps,
with the driver mounted on top, to use a soleplate. The use of a soleplate allows for ease of removal of the vertical turbine pump. The soleplate
for the vertical turbine pump in Figure 1 can be
seen grouted into the foundation.
CAST IRON
Baseplates of cast iron material are commonly
used for small pump units, including ANSI process pumps, due to their low cost. Many pump
manufacturers provide this baseplate as standard because of the minimal labor involved in
its production.

TYPES
The type of baseplate used in an application varies within each industry, company, application,
and pump design. The following types of baseplates provide an understanding of the many
variations available.
SOLEPLATES
Soleplates are the simplest and most basic of
pump baseplates. A soleplate is a single steel
plate mounted under the feet of the rotating
equipment. Although it is simple, it is suitable
for grouting. In the case of a coupled unit, a steel
plate is mounted under each of the feet of the
pump and driver.

Figure 1. Vertical Turbine Pump

Mounted on Soleplate

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Figure 2. Cast Iron Baseplates

with Camber Tops

For small pumps, the cast iron base has a camber

top with a motor pad cast in place. The mounting
pads for the pump and driver are machined flat.
Standard NEMA frame motors are used, and the
baseplate has grout and vent holes.

tors and have an integral drainage collection feature. For those large pumps that use non-NEMA
motors or special drivers, cast iron baseplates are
typically flat on top and have a continuous drip
lip around the top of the base.

The smaller cast iron baseplates do not have any

feature for drainage collection. The baseplates
shown in Figure 2 are cast iron with grout holes,
vent holes, and mounting pads. Use of these baseplates would require the cleaning of the mounting
pads to remove paint and other material.

Where the pump may be driven by v-belts or drivers supplied by a supplier other than that of the
pump, a cast iron baseplate might be available.
This design may incorporate a drip lip.

Cast iron baseplates for large horizontal pumps

also provide mounting provisions for NEMA mo-

When the pump and driver are extremely large,

cast iron baseplates may not be the most economical. The use of a fabricated steel baseplate
may be required when the dimensions of the

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baseplate are greater than 32 inches (81.3 cm)

wide or 114 inches (289.6 cm) long, or both.
Fabricated steel is more rigid, has greater
strength, and, at these larger sizes, is lighter
in weight than cast iron. In addition, the costs
involved with baseplates at this size prove to be
less expensive for fabricated steel.
FABRICATED STEEL
Fabricated steel baseplates are manufactured
using different materials. They can be made
more rigid than cast iron bases. However, they
are typically more expensive due to the materials required and the additional labor required for
welding.
Rolled or bent steel, which have been formed in
a large brake, are the least expensive. The driver
mounting pads are welded on the baseplate. As
shown in Figure 3, the motor mounting pad is
fabricated as necessary to meet the motor size,
and then welded to the pump baseplate.
The ends are open to assist in moving the assembled pump unit. In addition, rolled steel
baseplates do not have grout holes, which assist
in keeping the cost low. Figure 4 provides a view
of a rolled steel baseplate ready for mounting the
direct drive electric motor.

Figure 3. Rolled Steel Baseplate with

Motor Mounting Pad

Standard industrial c-shape channel steel is used

for baseplates in sizes up to 18 inches (45 cm)
wide. As with the rolled steel baseplates, the driver
mounting pad, also constructed of channel steel, is
welded on the baseplate. In addition, the ends are
open to assist in moving the assembled pump unit
and this design does not have grout holes.
The unique baseplate in Figure 5 is customized
to mount two sets of pumps and drivers. Small
c-shape channel is used for the support structure. The entire baseplate has a drip rim around
the outer edge, which has been welded with a
continuous bead.
Because of the size of the material and the
intent to minimize the costs, the fabricated steel
baseplate is typically constructed to have no
overhang of the pump, driver, valves, or other

Figure 4. Rolled Steel Baseplate with

Motor Mounting Pad

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GRUNDFOS WHITE PAPER | 4

accessories, except for the conduit box (for wiring ease). However, a fabricated steel baseplate
has more flexibility with other features that may
be required, such as special dimensions, a drip lip
with drain, and grout holes.
The fabricated steel base shown in Figure 6 provides a view of an electric motor that is mounted
above the pump and a baseplate sized only for
the pump.
FIBERGLASS REINFORCED POLYESTER (FRP)

Figure 5. Fabricated Steel Baseplate with Drip

Rim and Channel Steel

Baseplates manufactured with fiberglass-reinforced polyester (FRP) are commonly provided

with ANSI pumps in services that require severe
corrosion resistance.

Figure 6. Overhead-Mounted Driver

BASEPLATES

To provide rigidity to the baseplate, stainless

steel support plates are inserted within the FRP
baseplate to provide rigidity and mounting pads
for the equipment. The baseplate can be grouted
into place or mounted in some other type of flexible configuration.
SPRING-LOADED
In applications where thermal expansion of
suction and discharge piping is present, pump
flanges may experience excessive loads. Typically, expansion loops or joints may be used, but
large piping systems may cause this option to be
cost prohibitive.
An option that can allow some movement in the
horizontal and vertical planes due to high temperatures or high pressures is the use of springloaded baseplates.
Although the use of spring-loaded baseplates can
compensate for these movements, they should
NOT be used to compensate for poor design of the
piping system. The maximum allowable movement in either the horizontal or the vertical plane
should be no more than one (1) inch (2.54 cm).
To compensate for movement in the vertical
plane, a double set of coil springs is located at the
four corners of the baseplate and at additional
points as necessary.
One of the coil springs limits the downward
motion, and the other limits the upward motion.
The spring size is selected based on calculations
for acceptable flange loads on the pump and to
accommodate thermal expansions.
Compensation in the horizontal plane is done
with a set of bearing plates, mounted on the
feet that use a graphite-type substance with low
coefficient of friction. These allow the unit to
move horizontally on stainless steel pads on the
foundation or the floor.
Because of the complexity of the unit, springloaded baseplates are assembled in the field at
the location of the service. For proper installation of the unit, the suction and discharge piping
must be properly supported. An advantage of
this style is that the vibration frequency may

GRUNDFOS WHITE PAPER | 5

become many times greater than natural frequency of assembled unit.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Although manufacturers have designs and
features that are standard with their baseplates,
many additional design considerations can enhance the baseplate and assist in extending the
life of the equipment.
When mounting a driver on a common baseplate,
alignment must be done prior to operation of
the equipment. Alignment extends the life of the
equipment and can reduce energy consumption.
To assist in ease of alignment, the driver mounting pad(s) is designed and fabricated to allow
a minimum of 0.125 inch (3.175 mm) of shims
under the driver feet. After shipment and final
installation, the amount of shim can be adjusted
as required.
The mounting pads for the pump and the driver
should extend a minimum of one (1) inch (2.54 cm)
beyond equipment feet in each direction.
In addition, with respect to the mounting pads
of the pump and driver, they may be machined
to the same plane to 0.002 inch (0.05 mm) coplaner flatness. This would be done after all of the
fabrication is done to the steel baseplate.
This feature assists in the alignment and equipment reliability. The enhanced baseplate shown
in Figures 7 and 8 provide a view of the pump and
motor mounting pads.
As described above, some manufacturers can
provide a drip containment feature with their
baseplate for an additional cost. The drip rim
with a threaded drain can be viewed in Figure 8.
An inexpensive alternative to capture leakage is a
stainless steel drip pan. This can be mounted under the pump and sized to extend under flanges
and mechanical seal chambers.
For fabricated steel baseplates that may be excessively long or wide, stiffeners may be provided
under the baseplate. Figure 9 provides a view of a
stiffener welded to the underside of a fabricated
stainless steel baseplate.

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Figure 7. Enhanced Baseplate Elevation View

Figure 8. Enhanced Baseplate Plan View

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For high temperature applications, the pump and

baseplate is designed to support the pump casing at its centerline. This design prevents excess
strains from temperature fluctuations of the
product being pumped.
This is a standard feature on pumps in the petroleum industry, and can also seen on boiler feed
pumps. Depending upon the material of construction and the manufacturers pump design,
it may also be required in temperatures as low as
250 to 350F (121 to 177 C).
For personnel safety and to prevent damage of
equipment in a heavy-traffic area, baseplates
can be designed to not allow any overhang,
outside the baseplate envelope, of the pump,
driver, valves or accessories. It may be acceptable to allow the conduit box to overhang for
ease of wiring.
For very large pumps and drivers, positioning lugs
with jackscrews may be welded onto baseplates
help move the heavy equipment axially and laterally during alignment. If this feature is chosen,
it must be originally included during fabrication.
If this were done in the field, the welding could
cause warping or damage of the baseplate.

BASEPLATE SPECIFICATIONS
Figure 9. Fabricated Stainless Steel Baseplate
with Stiffener

Many large pump users develop baseplate specifications to provide consistency to the products
they purchase, as well as controlling the quality
and rigidity of their design. Specifications for
the manufacture of baseplates also exist from a
number of technical professional societies.
ANSI B73.1M-2001
The intent of ANSI B73.1M-20012 is to provide
dimensional interchangeability requirements
and design features for installation and maintenance. The Standard details requirements for
pump manufacturers to provide pump and related
equipment to be dimensionally interchangeable.
These dimensional requirements are in respect to
the mounting dimensions of the pump, the size
and location of suction and discharge nozzles,
the location of the input shafts, the baseplate,
and the foundation bolt holes.

BASEPLATES

The design also provides for a more heavy-duty

baseplate than a cast iron or channel steel baseplate. The design provides increased rigidity and
reliability of the mounted equipment.
ANSI/HI 1.3.5-2000
A standard developed by the Hydraulic Institute1
is specifically for fabrication criteria of baseplates
for horizontal pumps. This Standard is applicable
for all types of horizontal pumps. It is a criterion
for the dimensioning, toleranceing, working
stresses and stiffness of the baseplate.
Design features are not covered by the specification, such as the style of base, drip collection
features, and continuous vs. intermittent welding during fabrication. This Standard may not be
applicable for certain types of pumps, such as
close-coupled or high-energy pumps. The manufacturer or other standards should be utilized to
discuss these other needs.
The Standard discusses the use of unmachined,
light duty baseplates, such as channel steel, for
pump units under 10 hp (7.5 kw). As the driver
size increases to 200 hp (150 kw), the baseplate
requires additional consideration for greater
rigidity. For those units over 200 hp (150 kw), the
manufacturing tolerances of the baseplates must
be greater, so these units are typically machined.
With larger pumps and drivers, the stress levels
of the baseplates need to be considered. Improper design and fabrication of the baseplate may
cause improper installation in the field and difficulty during alignment. This, in turn, may make
the equipment less reliable and cause increased
power consumption.
When reviewing the stress levels of the baseplate, the materials of construction and the type
of welding used need to be considered. After
fabrication, the stress that may be caused during
skidding, transportation or lifting must also be
included in the review.
The rigidity of the baseplate affects many areas
of the pump unit after the final installation.
Inadequate rigidity may cause distortion of the

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baseplate after installation, grouting and piping,

and difficulty in the final alignment. Piping loads
or motor torque may also affect the pump unit if
the baseplate is not rigid enough. The Standard1
recommends that the motor torque and piping
loads combined should not cause more than
0.010 inch (0.254 mm) parallel and 0.005 inch/
inch (0.127 mm/mm) angular distortions.
The Standard recommends that the pump and
driver mounting holes and bolts be sized to allow maximum movement of the equipment for
alignment purposes. The fasteners that are used
for mounting the pump and driver should be
threaded directly into the baseplate material to a
depth equal to the thread diameter.
Nuts can also be used on the underside of the
baseplate for holding the pump and driver in
place. Shims should only be used under the
driver, not the pump, during final alignment.
Provisions should be made for lifting and moving
the assembled baseplate unit during transportation and installation. As grout adds stiffness to the
assembled unit, recommendations are made for
the size and spacing of grout holes in the baseplate. To prevent grout stress under the baseplate,
all corners should be fabricated with a radius.
The enhanced ANSI baseplate shown in Figure 10
shows many of the features discussed: machined
mounting pads, grout holes, vent holes, leak containment, lifting lugs, leveling nuts (less screws),
and standard dimensions.
API-610
Although a separate specification has not been
developed for baseplates, the American Petroleum Institute (API) addresses baseplates for
centrifugal pumps in API-6103. Other API specifications for reciprocating, controlled volume,
rotary pumps address baseplate specifications in
a similar manner to API-610.
API-610 requires some of the features discussed
in the Design Considerations section above, such
as machining of the mounting pads, minimum
shim requirements, drain collection rim, piping

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GRUNDFOS WHITE PAPER | 9

accessories clearance, and standard dimensions

and centerline heights based on the size of the
pump.
As previously mentioned, a rigid baseplate is important to the reliability of the equipment. API610 provides specific requirements for welded
stiffeners under base and continuous welds.
Figure 8 identifies stiffeners under a baseplate.
It is can be required by the purchaser that the
structural stiffness of the baseplate be tested.
To provide a more robust unit, API-610 requires
many features on the baseplate that are used
when grouting to the foundation. Lifting lugs, as
identified in Figure 7, are required to aid in the
installation of the assembled unit.

Figure 10. Enhanced ANSI Baseplate

Besides defining the size and location of grout

holes and vent holes, locking hooks under the
baseplate are specified to adhere better to the
grout. Also to improve the bond between the
baseplate and the grout, it is required that the
underside of the base be sandblasted and epoxy
coated, and have outside radii that are a minimum of 2 inches (5 cm).
To assist in alignment, API-610 requires jackscrews that move the drive components that
weigh more than 450 pounds (205 kg) to ease
alignment in the horizontal plane, jackscrews
that move the drive components that weigh
more than 900 pounds (410 kg) to ease alignment axially, and vertical leveling screws. The
jackscrews identified in Figure 11 provide assistance in horizontal movement of the motor
during alignment.
INSTALLATION
The installation of baseplates should follow the
recommendations of the pump manufacturer.
Some suggested installation items to check, with
regards to the baseplate, are to make sure that
the underside clean and free of oil, scale, and dirt
prior to epoxy coating or grouting.
Any welds, especially those that are continuous,
are free of cracks. Vent holes should be unobstructed prior to grouting.

Figure 11. Baseplate with Motor Jackscrews

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REFERENCES
1. ANSI/HI 1.3.5-2000, Centrifugal Pumps for
Design and Application, Hydraulic Institute,
9 Sylvan Way, Parsippany, NJ, http://www.
pumps.org.
2. ASME B73.1M-2001, Specification for
Horizontal End Suction Pumps for Chemical
Process, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY
10017, http://www.asme.org.
3. API Standard 610, Centrifugal Pumps for
Petroleum, Heavy Duty Chemical, and Gas
Industry Services, Eighth Edition, American
Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street Northwest,
Washington, DC 20005, http://www.api.org.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Figures 1, 3, 6, and 11:
Diagnostic Solutions, LLC.

USA
GRUNDFOS Pumps Corporation
17100 West 118th Terrace
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: (913) 227-3400
Telefax: (913) 227-3500

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http://cbs.grundfos.com

USA
PACO Pumps National Headquarters
Grundfos CBS Inc.
902 Koomey Road
Brookshire, TX 77423
Phone: (800) 955-5847
Telefax: (800) 945-4777

CANADA
GRUNDFOS Canada Inc.
2941 Brighton Road
Oakville, Ontario
L6H 6C9
Phone: (905) 829-9533
Telefax: (905) 829-9512

MEXICO
Bombas GRUNDFOS de Mexico S.A. de C.V.
Boulevard TLC No. 15
Parque Industrial Stiva Aeropuerto
C.P. 66600 Apodaca, N.L. Mexico
Phone: 011-52-81-8144 4000
Telefax: 011-52-81-8144-4010