Retrofitting Cable Tray Systems in Operational Buildings: Best Practices for UAE Facilities
Retrofitting cable tray systems in operational buildings is rarely undertaken for convenience. In the UAE, it is typically required due to capacity constraints, evolving regulatory requirements, or recurring maintenance issues within ageing infrastructure. Unlike new construction, retrofit work must be executed in live environments, with occupants present, systems in operation, and downtime directly tied to operational cost.
At BonnGulf, we are regularly involved in retrofit projects across commercial towers, data centres, hospitals, and industrial facilities as cable tray suppliers in uae coordinate upgrades around live operations. What these projects share is a narrow margin for error. Any intervention must improve performance without disrupting operations or introducing new compliance risks.
Why Retrofitting Has Become Necessary?
Many buildings across the UAE were designed for a very different electrical load profile. Over the past decade, facilities have added data infrastructure, automation systems, security networks, and higher-capacity power distribution without corresponding upgrades to cable pathways.
Industry studies across the GCC indicate that retrofit projects typically cost 40–60% less than full system replacement and are often completed within active facilities without shutdowns. Energy efficiency improvements alone can reduce operating costs by 30–40% in older buildings when cable routing and heat dissipation are corrected. In practice, most retrofit work begins when trays are overloaded, inaccessible, or no longer compliant with current standards.
How Is Retrofit Work Carried Out In Active Environments?
The defining constraint of retrofit work is continuity. Electrical systems cannot simply be switched off. Hospitals, transport hubs, data centres, and commercial buildings demand staged execution. Effective retrofit planning starts with a live-condition survey. Existing tray routes, fill ratios, support spacing, bonding continuity, and access points must be documented before any design decisions are made. Assumptions here are costly. What looks acceptable on drawings often behaves differently once ceilings are opened.
Temporary routing is often required. New tray sections are installed alongside existing systems, cables are migrated in controlled phases, and redundant routes are removed only after verification. This staged approach reduces risk and keeps operations intact.
How Should Tray Types Be Selected For Retrofit Conditions?
Retrofit projects rarely allow ideal routing. Ceiling heights are fixed, structural elements are already in place, and access is limited. Tray selection must reflect this reality. Ladder trays remain the preferred choice for high-load power circuits where ventilation is critical. Their open structure supports heat dissipation, which is especially important in UAE ambient conditions.
Wire mesh trays are widely used in retrofit scenarios involving data and low-voltage systems. Their flexibility allows installers to adapt routing on site, navigate congested ceiling voids, and make future changes without dismantling long sections.
Perforated trays are often used where additional cable support is needed but airflow cannot be sacrificed. Solid-bottom trays are reserved for sensitive circuits and must be carefully derated when used in warm environments. The wrong tray type increases heat accumulation and limits future capacity two issues retrofit work is meant to solve.
How Do You Manage Load, Heat, And Expansion?
One of the most common retrofit failures is ignoring thermal and structural behaviour. Older systems were often installed with minimal allowance for expansion or future loading.
Best practice in UAE retrofit work is to limit fill ratios to 40–50%. This preserves airflow, reduces cable derating, and allows future additions without rework. Support spacing should be reassessed, especially where additional cables are introduced. Overloaded spans lead to sagging trays, stressed supports, and premature failure.
Thermal expansion must also be addressed. Expansion joints are frequently missing in older installations. Adding them during retrofit work, along with proper restraint and bonding, prevents long-term distortion.
Why Bonding And Earthing Should Not Be Treated As Secondary?
Retrofit projects often expose weaknesses in earthing continuity. Extensions are added, sections replaced, and expansion joints introduced without updating bonding paths. In UAE facilities, where fault levels can be high, bonding must be continuous across joints, bends, and movement points. Every retrofit design should include bonding jumpers sized for fault current, not just continuity testing.
How Do You Minimise Downtime Through Phased Execution?
Successful retrofit projects rely on sequencing. Work is planned around operational windows, not construction convenience.
Common strategies include:
- Night or weekend cutovers for critical circuits
- Parallel tray installation before cable migration
- Temporary supports during transfer phases
This approach reduces risk and allows systems to remain live throughout the upgrade.
Why Do Compliance And Documentation Matter More In Retrofit?
Retrofitted systems must meet current standards, not the standards in place when the building was constructed. IEC 61537 compliance, updated fire performance documentation, and clear identification of materials and finishes are now expected.
Documentation should reflect the as-built condition, not the intended design. Mismatches between drawings, schedules, and installed systems are a frequent cause of inspection delays.
How Do You Design For The Next Upgrade?
A retrofit should not only fix today’s problem. It should make the next change easier. This means leaving space, maintaining access, and using modular systems that allow extensions without dismantling existing routes. In a region where buildings continue to evolve long after handover, flexibility is a design requirement.
At BonnGulf, we treat retrofit work as controlled engineering within active systems and select cable tray accessories with the same attention as tray sections. The objective is not just to replace trays, but to restore order, capacity, and compliance without disruption.
Retrofitting cable tray systems in operational buildings demands planning, restraint, and technical discipline. When executed correctly, it extends asset life, improves safety, and supports future growth without shutting the building down to achieve it.